LAWTON MULL
2016
24-karat gilt steel, paper wasp veneer, glass
48″ wide x 16″ deep x 32″ high

In our designs of interiors and of furniture, we believe nothing is quite as beautiful as the combination of the organic and the made. Framing something found in nature within something designed seems to prove the power of metamorphosis, of reuse not as an act of thrift but one of exaltation.

Of their family, Vespidae, hornets are renowned for their skill in making the paper which is their building material. They injest leaves, bark, wood pulp–and transform it into the layers which protect the cells of their colony from the elements. According to legend, the man credited with the invention of paper in China, Cai Lun, was inspired by watching paper wasps making their nests. Michelle Glick-Guarneri is half of the team which is MHG Studio, arguably New York City’s most talented leather restorers and craftspeople. It was Michelle who first thought of making a veneer of wasp paper. As soon as she showed it to us, we knew we had found what we were looking for.

Introducing the Vespine Table: hornets’ nest, steel, gold leaf and glass. Available in all the profiles of our neo-classical Daedalus frames, including this long-legged console table. Possible finishes include hand-gilt or blackened steel and unlacquered brass. We also offer a version with a marble top, and the table can be wall-mounted with or without its back legs.

Made by hand, from start to finish, in New York City and to custom specifications. Read more about the evolution of this design here.