In Turn
In-Turn is a modular, rotating side table which was created as a contribution to a home goods collection that was built with two other group members. The line of products functions as a proposed body of designs for Greenhouse Interiors, an eccentric interior design firm which promotes boutique goods.
Inspiration
Context
Greenhouse Interiors implements and promotes sustainable and local art, design, and craft within their eclectic and colorful spaces. Keeping their style in mind, our group worked with a critical eye when choosing materials and forms, focusing on how they complemented one another within the company’s aesthetic.
Clay pendants crafted by the studio Earth Darlings.
Reclaimed wood table.
Textural inspiration for clay form.
Material Inspiration
The first step in the ideation process was looking at what materials the company uses and how appropriate they are for the current market. The terra cotta ceramic work by the studio Earth Darlings - displayed in Greenhouse’s collections - emanates a unique, handmade quality which pairs well with distressed reclaimed wood surfaces.
Target Audience
The additional reasoning for using these rough ceramic surfaces is to echo the needs of a customer who is craving a deeper connection with nature. By translating the rawness of clay onto a household object, the user is more aware of the life of the material in its natural state.
Process
Form Sketching
Knowing that I wanted to work with clay for this project, I was more free to explore organic forms. Shown above are rapid form ideations which ultimately led me to land on a form that both informed its function as a turning side table and a large ceramic sculpture.
Ceramic form measurements.
Table and peg measurements.
The peg is first inserted into the neck of the ceramic form and is then used to help secure the table.
Components
In-Turn’s organic, flowing form consists of three components: the reclaimed wood table, the brass peg, and the hand-built ceramic base. The table rotates around the neck of the ceramic piece and is secured with the brass peg on the underside of the table.
Final
Details
The neck of the ceramic form includes three holes that allow the user to adjust the height and position of the table.
Project Goal
The final choice to create a hand-built ceramic form came from the desire to explore clay’s limitations. By choosing to display the textural qualities of both clay and wood, In-turn highlights the importance of the raw materials that go into everyday products.