Who doesn't love a good New York story? When Reeta Gyamlani moved to the city from India to attend Pratt Institute, she found unlikely kinship with her landlords, Arthur and Rita Ermelino. The trio discovered their shared love of design-"a passion for quality craftsmanship and responsible design"-and formed Farrago in 2003, which combines old-world techniques with contemporary shapes. The Sand Collection includes tables, lamps, and mirrors made with an ancient inlay technique using camel bone and buffalo horn fragments (not endangered animals, and not killed to source the material). The subtle tones in the Sand Collection remind me of Ansel Adams' dune photographs-which leads me to Farrago's next product, part of the Water Collection.

Ansel Stool. Designed by Farrago.

The Ansel End Stool, constructed from cast aluminum, "is a tribute to legendary photographer Ansel Adams." The piece has the "rich chiseled texture" of an Adams photograph. Like a true piece of art, each Ansel End Stool is unique, thanks to the construction process: "Using recycled packing materials for molds, each piece is hand crafted and sculpted. As there are no permanent molds, the pieces offer many custom options in the texture, shapes and sizes-from linear to abstract designs" (the technique was developed by Farrago). The Ansel stool measures 16 inches in diameter: the size is the one trait that doesn't fluctuate. As with the entire Water Collection, Ansel captures "the fluidity of metal." Given the material, Ansel can be used in interiors or exteriors, making the form as adaptable as it is sensual.

Via Interior Design.