A second chance at beauty, by Pepe Heykoop

Pepe Heykoop's work is sublime. Every peice of his work is a one-off hand-made original that explodes with character. If furniture could exude a strong personality and leave a distinct presence in a room then, in my opinion, Pepe Heykoop's work does exactly that. Simply said, it is far more than furniture, it is art. What Pepe Heykoop creates serves not only a functional purpose but is born out of a true creative concept.

The artist's website boasts an impressive selection of work that one can get pretty lost in, pretty quickly. So here I've chosen three of his collections to show you the marvel that is his way of working, the collections Bits of Wood 1 and Bits of Wood 2, as well as the Skin Collection.

True to their names, the Bits of Wood collections are made of recycled pieces of wood. Bits of Wood 1 (last five photos) is a series of tables and stools made from wooden cut-offs whereby various pieces are modified to fit into a mould held together by molten tin. No screws or glue are used in the construction. The wooden pieces used are leftovers from a local sawmill, and the tin comes from a metal recycling department where old tin pots and plates are collected. The surface of these beautiful pieces gives away the production method. 

Similarly Bits of Wood 2 (first three photos) is comprised of square stools which are composed by puzzling together leftover pieces of hardwood, also from the local sawmill. The seats are tightened up in a frame finished off with knobs of pewter. And lastly, the Skin Collection, consisting of sculptural pieces createded by using off-cuts of discarded leather that other furniture makers have thrown away due to he natural markings or scratches on the animal's skin.

I love these pieces because they're rebellious, rugged, sexy and every one is genuinely unique. There has been a true consideration given to how the user will perceive each product from various angles, and in turn each angle has been given its own aesthetic importance and true sculptural attention. If these pieces were human, they'd certainly be someone I'd want to grab a drink with.

Source - pepe heykoop

Images courtesy of - pepe heykoop

Photography by - annemarijne bax