Just Say Om
The simplicity of these objects—many inspired by organic forms and made using natural materials—gives them a Zen-like presence.
The shape of the Mendocino tub from Native Trails is simple and elemental. Made sustainably from natural jute fiber and cement, it weighs 40 percent less than the concrete it emulates. Available in four finishes: Ash, Slate, Earth, and Pearl. $8,800; nativetrailshome.com
Melbourne native Pippin Drysdale, represented by Adrian Sassoon gallery, colors and embellishes ceramic rock-like forms inspired by Australia’s landscape in her Mulga Spinifex Mosaic. You can almost feel their Chi. Around $100,000 for the set of 12; adriansassoon.com
Atlanta-based Skylar Morgan Furniture and Design’s Bowlful offers a Zen twist on chips and dip. The surface has a depression ready-made for a dip of your choice, while the rest is flat for crackers, crudité, chips, etc. Available in maple or walnut. $195; skylarmorganfurniture.com
Andrea Anastasio’s Madre lamp for Foscarini clearly references Greek fertility vessels, but reinterprets the form through a simple, unadorned silhouette, and doubles as an actual vase. References to nature and creation are understated yet obvious. $1,476; foscarini.com
Liaigre’s Orient suspension lamp was created for a palace in New Delhi, but it resembles nothing so much as a Japanese lantern, this one made out of bronze and black patinated brass, brass mesh, and aquarelle paper. $26,625; liaigre.com
Duetto is a collaborative collection, initiated by Katja Hirche, director of Bernd Goeckler gallery, between two masters of contemporary Italian design: artist and furniture designer Roberto Rida and glass artist Simone Crestani. The Hamami table exquisitely encases a glass cherry blossom tree in a clear, thick glass box. $21,500; berndgoeckler.com
Taking inspiration from the Japanese art of origami, this pair of decorative cranes from Ethan Allen is made from hand-poured ceramic, rather than the art form’s traditional folded paper designs, and glazed in a creamy white. $120; ethanallen.com
Armani Casa’s Oriental Landscape plates pick up a motif (reminiscent of Asian ink paintings) from the firm’s Okinawa fabric and reproduce it on hand-painted ceramic against a gray or light-blue background. $135–$285; armanicasa.com
The Chaaban tabletop collection of vessels, vases, and bowls from atelier showroom Una Malan brings together two classic Zen typologies. The turned natural forms are hewed from a solid block of wood, which is then cast in bronze. Pricing available to the trade only; unamalan.com
Lladró’s Koi collection is a new range of table accessories inspired by the fish, which symbolize love and friendship, frequently represented in Chinese and Japanese art. In China koi symbolize perseverance and strength; in Japan, good fortune. $115 for these chopstick rests; lladro.com
Each year, Heath Ceramics develops limited-edition glazes available for one season only. The summer collection showcases bright colors and overlaid glazes on classic shapes. It will be available only from April 1 to September 30. $23–$295; heathceramics.com
Designer Andrew Mau’s Moana mirror for O&G Studio is clean and contemporary. It’s suspended within a steam-bent ash frame held together by a solid brass stretcher across the top. Available in two sizes, each piece is made completely by hand finished in any of O&G’s signature pigment-based stains or solid walnut. $633–$1,583; oandgstudio.com
Alexa Hampton’s Newport Collection for The Shade Store brings natural materials (reeds and bamboo) indoors and softens the light coming in from outside. The look is simple yet luxurious. Starts at about $505 for a standard double-hung window; theshadestore.com
Alpine Zen
Los Angeles–based Montalba Architects (montalbaarchitects.com) has designed the new 660-square-foot Zen Suite for the Whitepod Hotel, a high-end eco-resort featuring geodesic dome rooms in the Swiss Alps. The new suite includes a traditional recessed Zen bed and a Japanese-style soaking Furo tub. Wuxing movement theory, which originated during the Han Dynasty in China, postulates that everything is connected and everything has energy. Five kinds of Chi are expressed in various materials and the natural setting—wood, earth, fire, water, and metal—and describe interactions and relationships between phenomena of all kinds. There is also a central pod that accommodates a breakfast room, massage area, sauna, and bar. $775–$1,585; whitepod.com
