Wednesday, June 2, 2010

MRCW - Objects of Lasting Beauty


Owners Monica Reskala and Christopher Weiss met 18 years ago in San Francisco. Within minutes of their first meeting, the two knew that this was not a chance encounter and that their goals and interests were intertwined. Subsequent travels that would take the two from Dalat Vietnam to the Daca Peninsula, from Belgrade to Berlin and from Osaka to Oaxaca would begin to form a well of experience the couple taps into for inspiration and which they hope gives their work a “universal” quality.

Their company, MRCW Design/Build was founded in 2002. Fusing a contemporary design sensibility with traditional Japanese woodworking techniques MRCW strives to create objects of lasting beauty. The use of reclaimed woods and sustainable materials is a high priority in their company.MRCW is an Oakland, California based firm with a bold statement. They started making furniture without nails, bolts, or screws. Just the craftsmanship and the connection/joints of the wood pieces hold the furniture together!

Having recently moved, I can really appreciate the thought process in this design.  As designers, we get so used to the dependence on glue, nails, etc. to hold our designs together. The downside of that is when you have to transport it all to another location. It's a bold, and at times I'm sure frustrating move, but MRCW is gaining interest, so their work has paid off. The complexity of some of the joints make the wood even more beautiful.

Gelato Collection "with Nuts" is made on a small production basis -as always- these elegant little “ice cream cones” come in 3 different flavors: Strawberry (Acacia), Chocolate (Claro Walnut) and Vanilla (Monterey Cypress) – all “homemade”, ie locally grown, and sustainably harvested. To whet the appetite even more, “cones” come either “With Nuts”, which is edgy and angular, perfect alongside a deco-sofa, but just as cozy snuggled up to a “Chair One” from Grcic; the other, “Plain”, is smooth and curvy, content at showing off its grain and the the natural “imperfections” that are incorporated whenever possible. There will be no “dripping” here, i.e. de-lamination, as each top is fashioned from a single, solid block and connections are joined rather than glued or fastened. Both designs are hand crafted and beautifully detailed with solid brass “ingredients” which will patina and age gracefully with the tung oil finished wood.


Gelato Collection "without Nuts" is made on a small production basis -as always- these elegant little “ice cream cones” come in 3 different flavors: Strawberry (Acacia), Chocolate (Claro Walnut) and Vanilla (Monterey Cypress) – all “homemade”, ie locally grown, and sustainably harvested. To whet the appetite even more, “cones” come either “With Nuts”, which is edgy and angular, perfect alongside a deco-sofa, but just as cozy snuggled up to a “Chair One” from Grcic; the other, “Plain”, is smooth and curvy, content at showing off its grain and the the natural “imperfections” that are incorporated whenever possible. There will be no “dripping” here, i.e. de-lamination, as each top is fashioned from a single, solid block and connections are joined rather than glued or fastened. Both designs are hand crafted and beautifully detailed with solid brass “ingredients” which will patina and age gracefully with the tung oil finished wood.



To see more of their work, please visit






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