Oxidation & Patina – Slip Mirrors by Brooklyn Studio Kin & Company

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the different traits of materials that we use to craft from. Of course, glass has the wonderful ability of setting the opacity, making light shine through or refract, then we have ceramic or wood that brings through natural texture, and lastly metal, which on the surface seems cold but has unique properties such as strength, shine, also gradients in colour. In fact, these gradients in colour captured my attention today with this work by Brooklyn-based Kin & Company.

Headed by cousins Joseph Vidich, a Columbia University-trained architect with a deep knowledge of metalworking and fabrication, and Kira de Paola, an interior designer with a background in high-end furniture, they have produced a series of mirrors titled ‘Slip’ that use a thin blackened stainless steel frame that holds a mirror, sitting near to a fading brass to copper colour palette.

Although inspired by overlapping circles, arcs and planes of Russian Constructivism, Joseph and Kira have taken special care to experiment with metal as a material, looking to research oxidation and patinas and use this in their work. By applying chemical catalysts they are able to accelerate the natural oxidation of the material.

I really like the fact that although their design is minimal, there’s a distinct aesthetic that are they are putting forward that harnesses not just the material at hand but also what we experience visually. I suppose that’s why Joseph and Kira work so well together. See more like this on their website linked below. The furniture they’re designing is also a real wow!

kinandcompany.com

BECOME A PART OF OUR DESIGN JOURNEY

Special discounts on OEN Shops curated collection

  • Exclusive behind-the-scenes content
  • Early access to content from our OEN publication
  • Deep dive into design concepts
  • Curated guides to the worlds top art and design cities
Become a patron at Patreon!
This content is available exclusively to members of OEN Patreon at $5 or more.