I’m thinking that, in order to merit placement in Stefan Hepner’s unusual and intriguing Exedra shelf, an item must have particular qualifications. This is owing to the piece’s singular aesthetic. Beginning with its construction of cast resin, and ending with the ethereal bluish tint of its interior surface, Exedra requires a rather particular species of companionship.

Exedra shelf. Designed by Stefan Hepner.

The Creative Contours of the Exedra Shelf

As Hepner says, the designer Created Exedra “not just as a wall shelf, but also as a wall shrine for all of your important objects, books and personal relics.” Hepner’s careful choice of language might suggest that the piece has a spiritual-religious antecedent, and, indeed, there’s no denying the correspondence between Exedra and all those strange and fascinating wall-bound niches one happens across in the deep dark recesses of Gothic Cathedrals.

But before you go reserving Exedra for your Saint’s bones and vials of dust, consider its contemporary aspect. Exedra’s cast resin possesses the enviable quality of easy formability. This makes it the perfect material for Hepner to form into its unconventional shape and exterior aspect.

As far as the look of the outside, Exedra’s principal analogue is a crumpled piece of paper; it rather appears as if one had been artfully sculpted, than affixed directly to the wall. And on that score, the faceted texture and seamless transition reinforce the organic sense. In fact, Exedra doesn’t appear so much as a separate feature, but rather as a very appendage of the selfsame wall—the ideal medium for the act of secreting away, while yet displaying your most treasured possessions in Exedra’s otherworldly blue pall.

Via DesignMilk.

About the Designer: Artist and designer Stefan K. Hepner has studied and worked in Warsaw and Paris, refining his talents in such divergent media as graphic design, freelance illustration, and website development. His latest interest lies in the restoration of art and antiques. In the meantime, he has designed intriguing A&D product like the Exedra Shelf, the Mummy Day Bed, and the Quilt-Y Sofa.