“I work at the meeting point of natural materials, time and form. I think the resulting works contain a vibrancy of surface created by the hours, hands and eyes that nourished them.” Alexander Lamont
When cabinets are covered with fine eggshell lacquer, we know we are opening a door of so many unimaginable possibilities in the creation of furniture. Whether it’s the tiny slivers of straw marquetry, rich black natural lacquer, shimmering mica or hand patinated bronze, Alexander Lamont’s pieces are always infused with character and soul.
Lamont is notable for expressing his dedication to meticulous workmanship with a rich and personal aesthetic taste. He has always been inspired by the luminous decorative arts of Europe and Japan dating from antiquity to the early twentieth century. This year’s Peninsula Collection has launched with striking new furniture and lighting pieces inspired by fresh and vital ideas — all of which are nature-inspired and truly one-of-a-kind.
What is the Peninsula Collection all about? A Peninsula is a long finger of land between two bodies of water. In some places the two coasts have entirely different geological features and weather systems. This meeting place of land and sea lies at the heart of the ideas in the new collection; a small number of pieces that explore texture, erosion, light and touch. Here we’ve gathered some of the most fascinating designs, for you to consider adding to your home décor.
Aurora Low Cabinets
The Aurora cabinet recalls the moving lights of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. Eggshell columns fade from bone white to black lacquer reflecting and animating space. Lamont’s vision brought echoes of Edo and Art Deco eras into the detailed work of the Aurora Cabinet. The cabinet itself is simply raised on custom faceted bronze feet. To avoid hardware interrupting the front patterns, rod locks were inserted into the doors with keys acting as the handles — of course the keys have custom cast bronze ends. The outside has a piano-finished lacquered Walnut wood which is lacquered with a silk finish inside.
Acadia Low Cabinet
Among our favourites in the Peninsula collection, The Acadia Cabinet has the same proportions as the Aurora — proportions carefully conceived for London niches — but the mood changes from monochromes and darks, to richly figured grey ash. The doors are created from many layers of dyed straw marquetry – a strong material in Lamont’s palette. Hours of meticulous handwork goes into every square foot as the layers expand to cover the surface. Finally, hand-sanding and burning rub through the layers to reveal deeper colours. The eroded surface is a unique finish that recalls modern art or the burnt and ancient layers of geological rock. The Grey Ash of the cabinet exteriors has chic brass ‘knife’ hinges and golden bamboo lines the interior; an unusual touch in luxurious furniture that recalls Asia’s most versatile material.
Quill Side Table
Perfect for your morning coffee, this Onyx marble table is a tapering, stiletto sculptural form of great durability and elegant lines. The surface is full of unexpected inclusions and is honed to create a smooth surface of character with its bronze frame and textured cast bronze legs.
Ammonite Side Tables
For those who prefer higher tables, here’s the piece to eye. Ammonite Tables; a pair of strong forms that have five bronze cut legs and tops that have concentric circles of eggshell wrapped with a bronze belt. The tables show, in the precision of lines, the enormous expectations and attention to detail employed on Alexander Lamont pieces. The workmanship speaks of earlier times when craftsmen would make things that displayed their pride in achieving technical and artistic excellence in their work, rather than simply people on a production line removed from the creative process. It can feel as though Lamont is creating sculptural poetry in his pieces sometimes, rather than functional items. He simply chooses to express his artistry through things we live with and use rather than static ‘artistic’ objects.
Bristol Vase and Paglia Vases
The Bristol Vase is inspired by the supple nature of parchment where rings of ivory are wrapped around in swelling rings. The luscious vase is lined with heavy brass – always a sense of generosity in these pieces. Another form; the three Paglia Vases are built with layers of straw and then cast all in brass. These vases have a sense of textural warmth and were inspired by Alexander’s childhood in an area rich with thatched cottages; their roves made from Wheat straw that stopped the rain and gave great insulation in winter. The eaves of the cottages showed the texture of neatly cut straw layers.
Verglas Ice Bucket and Verglas Rock Crystal Tumbler
This Verglas Ice Bucket was literally cut from a huge heavy hunk of rock crystal. Ground by hand allowing for all sorts of refractive variations, the bowl has inclusions inherent in cristal de roche making it the most stylish of ice buckets. With Bangkok’s blazing summer weather, we all need some ice cubes in our drink! Complementing the Verglas Ice Bucket is the designer’s Verglas Rock Crystal Tumbler, perfect to give your whiskey a swirl with some ice cubes.
Alexander has lived in Bangkok since 2000, continually working with materials and techniques that exude his love for the tiny accidents of nature and hands that bring vitality to the finished piece. Time-consumingly meticulous and difficult to make, his work is created using hard-won skills, and is admired by many of today’s most renowned designers, who have seen the disappearance of nearly all great craftsmanship over the past decades. Alexander Lamont is himself a rare example of a designer who has built his own workshops, and a unique and acclaimed international brand that is slowly making waves for its unique and precious designs.
To see more of Alexander Lamont’s Peninsula collection, visit www.alexanderlamont.com