Stacking Up Minutes
Furniture maker and sculptor Brent Skidmore melds the fleeting nature of time with the unchanging solidity of stone in his Cairn Clock. This 8-foot, basswood-and-aluminum timepiece proves that while time may fly, inspired design is rock solid. $5,600. A Gallery Fine Art, 73956 El Paseo, Palm Desert. 346-8885. www.agalleryfineart.com
Putting on a Bold Front
Don’t you love it when something so Wrong ends up being so right? Case in point: the illustrative brainchild of designers Sebastian Wrong and Richard Woods (collaborating under the clever pseudonym Wrong Woods for Established & Sons). Available in vivid greens or fiery oranges, the console is a cartoonish workhorse combining playfulness and practicality. $7,500. www.mossonline.comRock On, Baby
The Buttercup Rocker from Blu Dot puts a contempo-rary spin on the traditional rocking chair. The formed wood and thin profile resemble delicate origami — but in a durable package. Available in rift-sawn white oak, walnut, or graphite and oak, $849. www.bludot.comGlowing Memories
Inspired by the creatures of the forests and fields of his youth, Azores-born designer Rui Docouto explores nature with his 17-inch Mini Formiga. The crafted steel light sculpture emits light and imparts laughter. Synthetic rice paper fills the spaces between the metal ribs, which can be rubbed with gun-metal-black acid or left natural. $1,600. www.sitespecificdesign.comA Calling for Design
Dial in style with the PAPPA*PHONE from Hulger. Carved from Missouri black walnut (historically used for gunstocks and coffins), these made-to-order phones are guaranteed to wear in, not out. An occasional rubbing with Danish oil conditions the body, guaranteeing years of beauty alongside your banter. $300. www.hulgershop.com.Cut it Out
What Orange22 founders designers Dario Antonioni and Brandon Lynne imagined as a dialog between engineering and nature became the Botanist Blank Canvas project challenges interna-tional designers to adapt a standard, indoor/outdoor, bent-metal form with unlimited color, finishes, cutouts, and graphics, creating an unlimited playground of "surface disruption opportunities." Designed to be strong and versatile, the results are both hardwearing and dreamy. Available in end tables ($1,099), benches ($1,699), or cocktail tables ($1,899). www.botanistseries.comDouble-space
Contemplative in nature and roomy enough for two, John Kennedy’s Friendship Bench showcases the late sculptor’s talent with the textural possibilities of bronze. Take a seat or stand back and admire the view. $17,000. Coda Gallery, 73151 El Paseo, Palm Desert. 346-4661. www.codagallery.com
