Spanning 4 floors of stairs and conference rooms, our stack wall has never been so monumental. Built from cuts of live edge Spalted Maple slabs, JOHNHOUSHMAND developed this stack wall application to find a way to take the dynamic outer edge of the tree and turn it into an Architectural System.
Sometimes, the most intriguing features are created by the simplest forms.
Little round discs clinging innocuously to the side of a tree; this colony of fungi takes hold of a tree and weaves their roots into its core. In a process called spalting, these deep roots develop atypical markings throughout the grain, unique to each tree. Although it is what ultimately kills the tree, the black, brown, and amber ribbons entwine and crisscross their way through the tree’s fibrous tissue, leaving splendid coloration in their wake.
At JOHNHOUSHMAND we believe creativity is born through many iterations. A 16″ block would normally be perceived as a mundane object. But, when John began playing around with groups of beautifully spalted maple blocks, the idea for “Dreamscape Sculptures” began to take shape. These functional sculptures, No. 0274.1 and No. 02741.2 , are available in other compositions and can be arranged in a customized design to fit within the client’s space. The individuality of each block adds to the original nature of each of our custom dreamscapes.
Lots of creative block here.
Wood, glass and bronze! Oh my!
Wall treatments have always been a specialty in the world of JOHNHOUSHMAND. We strive to create striking pieces that resonate in the hearts of our clients and break the mold of conventional design.
With this in mind, the same clients that commissioned us to create their silently expanding banquet table No. 0216, wanted us to create a statement piece for their refined master suite bathroom, designed by Alene Workman. (Read all about our collaboration with Alene and her amazing team in our earlier post).
They longed for something that was elegant while engaging the airy, bright space.
JOHNHOUSHMAND’s solution was No. 0214, a serpentine sculptural screen mimicking the flow of the passing tides of the Atlantic. The 2.5” bronze curves are backed with frosted glass creating the ethereal lighting that gives way to a peaceful oasis, setting the tone for the room.
At a massive 8 feet by 5 feet, this bronze beauty transports the soul to a place of tranquility.
Abracadabra! Look at the rabbit we’ve pulled out of our hat this time!
We are ecstatic to reveal our most innovative design yet, No. 0262.1.
This groundbreaking table is pure enchantment and will bewitch the eyes. The clear 2” acrylic slab suspends a razor thin black walnut microslab flush with the surface. All of this floats weightlessly in the air above two live edge black walnut legs. A marriage between two materials never looked so fascinating.
No. 0262.1 was commissioned by a Seattle family, deeply involved in the culture and preservation of trees, and the emerging art of the Pacific Northwest. They were looking for a special piece around which to share their close-knit family dinners. No. 0262.1 fulfills those desires with the beauty and warmth of the character grade black walnut, and the visionary design of the Magic Slab.
A passion piece of magic.
Grab the spring issue of Florida Design Magazine on shelves now and be blown away with some of the best in architecture and interior design that Florida has to offer. Among the cream of the crop you will find an amazing private penthouse in Miami, specially designed by our friend Alene Workman. This residence was specially engineered to withstand hurricanes, while also providing an entertaining showplace high above the sands and lapis lazuli waters of Miami Beach.
Alene Workman created the vast social space in a 360-degree arc, surrounded by floor to ceiling windows. At the center of this, friends gather around an oversized JOHNHOUSHMAND dining table, No. 0216, to take in the breath-taking vistas of the south Atlantic.
No. 0216 was engineered to perfection to accommodate some very special requirements of this castle in the sky. The client wanted the option of expanding the dining table for especially large dinner parties. The starting length measures 10 feet but can expand to a stunning 22 feet. We engineered a custom system that silently slides the extra table leaves into place. And remarkably, there are no wheels or bearings in the engineering… Having made it with rollers first, these were ditched in place of UHMB sliding strips, as the rollers were too noisy. Additionally, the leaves were hollowed out and aircraft grade aluminum honeycomb was placed inside to make them light enough to lift and place with ease.
Overall a masterpiece of design and engineering, to perfectly match a masterpiece of special design!
Check out the video below to see No. 0216 in action!
Are you visiting Manhattan soon? Come for a feast of the senses at Lincoln Center and be blown away by the grace of virtuosos like Joshua Bell, Emanuael Ax and Wynton Marsalis. After a wonderful evening for your cultured soul, expand your tastes and dine at the new Marcus Samuelsson destination restaurant, The American Table at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
We were thrilled to partner with the renowned firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro to create custom pieces for this groundbreaking restaurant. Created from a single, high character 13’ black walnut slab, No. 0239 is a banquet table to seat symphony and theatergoers while they indulge their taste buds. On warm spring and summer nights when the outdoor dining space is open, No. 0173.12, No. 0131.7 and No. 0131.10 will be a big hit, as couples sip on their pre and post-show cocktails.
After a mega-dose of culture, open your palettes to flavors that reflect the American cultural landscape, while also experiencing the true sophistication of American design and craftsmanship.
Come, take a seat at our table and see what inspiration will form!
A new client came to us with a corporate challenge. She had fallen in love with the No. 0186 dining table (shown above), but needed a fully functional conference table for 11 VIP airport lounges across the country.
Always striving to make our clients’ vision a reality, we brought a business savvy piece to life with the No. 0030.14.
It is the perfect culmination of style and substance. We installed data power boxes at points of critical usage to serve travelers’ technology needs. Frequent fliers and jet setters charge their electronics while simultaneously connecting them with nature. It is a fine and fair balance we hope allows them to refresh on a level beyond the plug in.
Moreover, we found a clever way to hide dangling cables by integrating a blackened steel chase under the slab and along the coordinating legs. These hidden details keep the table streamlined and refined.
Challenge us. Push the envelope. Take us on!
Some of our greatest design inspirations arrive when we are stuck in a pickle.
One of our lovely clients adored their cast aluminum dining table No. 0103.3 so much that they wanted a coffee table that coordinated and complimented it!
They loved the combination of wood and glass from No. 0187 and the intersecting slabs through glass of No. 0094. Yet despite their love of wood for the organic beauty of grains and wormholes, they wanted their summer home in the tropics of the Philippine archipelago to have a cool and crisp aesthetic. Along with straying away from the warmth of wood the clients wanted a round table instead of a traditional square.
Always up for a design challenge, we came up with the revolutionary No. 0265! The clean lines of glass juxtaposed with the elegant sheen of the intersecting mulberry cast aluminum slabs create an effect that is not only striking but also refreshing with the ingenuity of the seemingly impossible combining of glass and aluminum. Together, these materials beget the illusion of majestic glaciers amongst the frozen splendor of the Artic. Now our clients can escape the balmy climate by moving indoors and refreshing with this cool new addition!
At JOHNHOUSHMAND we love to sit back and chill… after the challenge has been met.
SONIC ARCHITECTURE is the next big thing in the design and music worlds! Last night’s opening of SOUNDWALL at JOHNHOUSHMAND PROJECTS was a testament of that. We had the honor of hosting 400 guests from all over the creative spectrum. JOHNHOUSHMAND PROJECTS was packed to the brim with cultural tastemakers from the realms of architecture, music, interior design and art came together to celebrate Ed Potokar‘s musical sculpture exhibition.
Last night’s opening was indeed a feast for the senses! Guests were able to touch, play and listen to the master crafted sculptural instruments and audio architecture. Festivities came to soaring heights when Ed Potokar started live musical performances with his crew of renown musicians and friends, which included Gerry Leonard, Scott Williams, Shawn Pelton, Rick DePofi, Chris Butler and Sterling Campbell .
For those of you who could not attend the opening here are some videos of the jam session of last night’s festivities!
SOUNDWALL is on exhibit at JOHNHOUSHMAND PROJECTS until February 3rd, so please come visit us and play for a while!
JOHNHOUSHMAND and JEN KAO recently teamed up to create this amazing reception desk No. 0261
Collaboration has always been a fundamental process at JOHNHOUSHMAND.We love putting our heads together with other innovative designers and creatives to produce amazing, unique, and personal works. As they say “two heads are better than one!”
Some of our favorite people we love to work with are those that belong to the Fashion world! In the past we have teamed up to create one of a kind pieces for clients such as David Yurman, Barney’s New York and Saks Fifth Avenue. This past year we had the happy privilege of collaborating with the exceptionally talented Jen Kao ! Elle magazine has described her designs as “art-inspired, intellectually approached, and meticulously executed,” and we could not agree more!
For her new fashion showroom, pictured above, we created a one of a kind reception desk that incorporates spalted maple, blackened steel and acrylic. As rose-gold is the signature element for her brand, Jen asked JOHNHOUSHMAND to integrate this metallic detail into her desk; resulting in making this piece extra personalized and one of a kind. Watch the video to hear John and Jen speak about the creative process for this remarkable reception desk!
