In Kelly Wearstler’s world, design is not merely decorative—it’s experiential. With her new Echo collection, the iconic designer once again proves her mastery of material and mood, turning reclaimed Douglas Fir into sculptural forms that feel more like art installations than furniture. At once monolithic and meditative, the pieces speak a primal language of repetition and rhythm. The arch, Wearstler’s central motif, becomes a kind of design mantra—rippling across stools, benches, and totems with quiet power.

“Sustainability isn’t a constraint but a catalyst for creative exploration.” – Kelly Wearstler

The Origin of Echo:

Inspired by the raw landscapes of California—Malibu cliffs, the play of light across water, the strata of stone—Echo is Wearstler’s homage to nature’s enduring geometry. The concept began with a singular bench design, carved from blocks of salvaged wood. As the rhythm of the arch took shape, it began to multiply—expanding organically into a larger family of functional sculpture: side tables, stools, coffee and dining tables, even monumental totems.

Material as Muse:

Every piece in the Echo collection is carved from reclaimed Douglas Fir, sourced locally and shaped in collaboration with a longtime L.A. artisan. It’s a study in restraint and resonance. The surface grain is left visible, allowing the wood’s age and patina to show through, while the carved arches create a sense of depth, like ripples frozen in motion. Finishes range from natural to ebonized to a chalky white gesso—each lending a different kind of gravity to the form.

Form Follows Feeling:

Though the silhouette is bold, there’s an emotional softness to the collection. The tactile repetition of arches recalls the cadence of breath, the echo of footsteps through a canyon, the quiet ritual of hand carving. In that way, Echo feels as much about time as it is about texture—about slowing down, observing, and crafting with intention.

On Craft and Consciousness:

Wearstler has long championed the intersection of art and utility, but Echo is perhaps her most distilled statement yet. Each piece feels rooted in memory: of land, of material, of hand. The sculptural repetition invites not just use but contemplation. These are objects that live slowly, reveal themselves over time, and resist the urgency of trend.

With Echo, Kelly Wearstler once again challenges us to reconsider the spaces we inhabit—not as static rooms but as evolving environments shaped by emotion, material, and meaning. Here, furniture becomes totemic. Craft becomes ritual. And the everyday is transformed into the extraordinary.

Credits:

Photography courtesy of Kelly Wearstler | @kellywearstler