Duffy London, a furniture company started by designer Christopher Duffy, provides furniture that you’re guaranteed not to find at IKEA. Their products can be considered modern art and then take it a step further by using unique materials and objects for truly unique designs.
Duffy’s latest table wants to give people the beauty and awe of the ocean in their own home. Called the Abyss table, it features layers of beautiful blue glass that give a glowing appearance when you first glance at it. The bottom is layers of wood that appear to be extracted from a topographical map of the earth. Unlike your standard wood or glasstop table, this one provides that sense of depth, with the light penetrating the structure for a hypnotic effect. It’s certainly impressive, but how is it made?
The Duffy team in London spent a year developing the Abyss table in their studio where they experimented with sculpted glass, Perspex (acrylic glass), and wood, which is arranged as a 3D version of a topographical map with all the contours and reliefs. The base is made from high-grade plywood from Forest Stewardship Council managed forests and other sources. They have two versions–a coffe table and a dining table. The coffe table is 40 cm high, 75 cm wide, and 150 cm long; the dining table is 75 cm high, 200 cm long and 100 cm wide. Each is made to order and each is absolutely stunning.
“I was looking into sheets of thick glass at my glass manufacturer’s factory, and noticed how the material darkened as they added more layers – the same way the sea does as it deepens,” says Duffy. “I wanted to use this effect to replicate a real piece of the earth’s sea bed. like a mythical power had lifted a perfect rectangle straight from the earth’s crust to use as his personal ornament.”
We’ll take five.
