Luke Malaney’s uncanny furniture designs are born from his surreal imagination

With a body of work that boasts a litany of animated and humorous abstractions juxtaposed against each other to build up usable objects and furniture, Brooklyn-based woodworker and artist Luke Malaney’s work is the manifestation of surreal landscapes and the entities that inhabit such realms. From anthropomorphic chairs to cabinets that stir up the pareidolia effect, objects and furniture designed by Malaney express a distinct softness, despite the sturdy and toughened materials. This attribute can, perhaps, be credited to the American artist’s treatment of the pieces he shapes.

Malaney cites his inspiration in Dutch painter and sculptor Karel Appel, and American painter and poet Marsden Hartley. “Something about the robustness of their work inspires how I approach my work,” the US-based artist shares. Although Malaney derives inspiration from artists who primarily produced 2D work, he manages to transmute the abstractions apparent in their work into his sculptures and furniture design.

On being asked about some primordial experiences that led to him pursuing design, Malaney explains, “High school shop class is where it started for me, the simple practice of making things out of wood made my brain burp and continues to do so.” The furniture designer still enjoys working with wood as one of his primary materials. Additionally, he also experiments with copper and paint in his work. The artist strives to balance the different materials against each other so that their materialities play well with each other. While Malaney currently works on objects and sculptures of a smaller scale, he hopes to scale up, both with the furniture he builds and in the form of installations and entities that can decorate public spaces.

In an attempt to understand Malaney’s process and inspiration, we trace some of his latest experiments in wood and copper.

Saloon Cabinet and Saloon Credenza

Made entirely of wood, the Saloon Cabinet and Saloon Credenza are inspired by old saloon doors. “The idea is that when the doors are open it brings the client to another place, whether it be mixing a drink, getting ready for a night out, or storing collectables,” the designer shares. The exterior parts of the cabinet and credenza are made using solid ashwood. Malaney hand sculpted the pieces and then dyed them with pigments of three different hues, to achieve an iridescent blue tint. The furniture pieces were finally finished with a coat of oil and wax. Similarly, the knobs of the cabinet and credenza are hand carved and textured, and burnished with orange-tinted dyes. The interior components of the Saloon pieces, on the other hand, are washed in white, and its top is veneered with a natural sheet of black leather. The Saloon pieces have a whimsical aura that can transport one to cabins stationed in the wilderness.

Kansas Lamp

Malaney’s Kansas Lamp is made up of two materials, copper and wood. “This piece was my first exploration with a floor lamp along with working with copper on a bigger scale. I named it the Kansas lamp because there is this chaotic lampshade sitting above this more or less still, quiet base. Similar to the actual state of Kansas, a pretty quiet place until a tornado/storm rolls through which is how I feel sometimes, chaotic and calm,” the designer shares. The shade was hammered, bent, torched and patinated to achieve a rusted look that also evokes the image of an umbrella struggling to stay sturdy amid a big storm. Malaney further left raw copper inside the lamp and polished it in a manner such that it could reflect warm light towards its base and the shelf stationed on the lower half, both of which are hand sculpted.

Friday Lamp

Shaped like an animated creature donning a stylish hat, the Friday Lamp is also made using wood and copper. While its wooden base, textured meticulously, bears semblance to marble, the copper shade is, once again, the product of extensive hammering, bending, torching and waxing. Finished with a blue and black patina, the shade of the table lamp exhibits a multi-tinted appearance. Enunciating upon the inspiration behind this piece, the artist shares, “I get inspired by all different types of hats, especially some of the ones Picasso painted. I named it the ‘Friday’ lamp because, to me, it looks like it's about to go have a night on the town. You can also rotate the hat to get the best fit!”

Little Chair

A perfect fit for the Hobbit universe, Malaney’s Little Chair is a copper and wood furniture piece that is inspired by a little rocking chair that Malaney had as a child. “My mom painted it in all different colours giving it this whimsical/dream-like presence,” he reveals. Indulging in this nostalgic memory, the designer picked up several colours to fashion this charming chair. Hand sculpted and finished with a coat of oil and wax finish, the chair design escapes categorisation, whilst reminding one of their fantastical aspirations as a child.

Gambler Cabinet

Sculpted primarily with copper, the Gambler Cabinet also utilises reclaimed ceiling beams and ashwood. The pinewood ceiling beams were acquired from an old building in Chinatown. Having been in use for nearly 100 years, the pieces bear black specks from oxidation The cabinet design is inspired by the oft-witnessed act of putting up horizontal slatted fence boards on construction and building sites. “I thought it would be interesting to see hand-hammered copper instead of clean-cut wood with even gaps, and then putting it on a door, using that material (copper) on something you wouldn’t usually associate it with, like a door. So it was a little bit of a gamble in that sense, along with making my own pivot hinges,” Malaney explains.

Casino Cabinet

Designed by Malaney after making the Gambler Cabinet, the Casino Cabinet bears semblance to the appearance of its predecessor, albeit in a lighter tone. This oversized wall-mounted decorative vanity also hides a mirror within it. “The mirror comes with a painted red back, similar to a casino carpet or poker table felt. I wanted to make this piece a little more bold with the playful copper door and the double knobs. Two is better than one in the casino,” the designer shares.

Untitled Chair

Made using the aforementioned materials and techniques, the chair design is a play on the idea of visual weight and lightness. The ashwood legs allow the heavy copper base to float with ease and the copper backrest and base design imbue the piece with a sense of wonder. Natural oxidation on the reclaimed pine beams used to build the piece adds a layered charm and character to the chair.

Runaway Bench

The Runaway Bench is inspired by various public transportation seating that the designer has come across. Asymmetrically fashioned, the bench design is configured in a manner such that it appears to be moving. With its surface fashioned using reclaimed pine beams, Malaney fixed hammered copper seats to resemble the demarcated seats on public transits.

Patch Sconce

Emulating the name designation to it, Patch Sconce comprises hammered strips of copper patched together. A switch hangs from its bottom, sculpted in Malaney’s favourite material—wood. The wall lamp, with its organic form, features as a bespoke fixture in indoor spaces.

Catcher Bench and Julio Chair

Made out of wood and copper, the surfaces of the Catcher Bench and Julio Chair are inscribed by colourful and non-linear patches, which add a child-like charm to the pieces. Additionally, its soft edges and warm colour tone bear the potential of adding a certain lightness to the places they occupy.