Philip and Kelvin LaVerne

Father and son collaborators Kelvin and Philip Laverne produced custom and limited-edition pieces of furniture through the use of creative techniques in combination with visual elements they derived from decorative arts tradition. Often incorporating Egyptian, Chinese and Greek motifs and utilizing historic furniture forms, the duo modernized their work through the use of innovative metalworking and finishing processes to create highly artistic, yet functional, pieces of furniture. Beginning in the mid-1950s, and employing centuries-old bronze casting methods, the Lavernes began to experiment with a process of metal patination that would yield the beautiful and individualized pieces sought after by collectors today. The artist-designers would bury metal furniture elements for up to six weeks in a specially formulated soil that would create a natural oxidation process resulting in a dynamic, organic patina. To highlight the bas-relief detailing and artistry of their work, the Laverne's often applied areas of colored enamel over the patinated metal and used acid to etch into the metal or layers of finish. Working until the mid-1980s, their classically-inspired yet innovative furniture struck a fine balanced between the conservative and the avant-garde, intentionally allowing the works to compliment a variety of interior design styles and collections.