Furniture Maker Transforms Concrete Through Design and Technology

Bar Cart
Bar Cart
Fibonacci Locking Coffee Table
Fibonacci Locking Coffee Table

Known for his fusion of innovative creations and cutting-edge work with concrete, Los Angeles designer James DeWulf is introducing his Campaign table. The table will be sold exclusively at all Mecox Garden emporiums.

The Campaign table is unprecedented because of its ultra-thin concrete tabletop. Generous in scale, it measures 11 feet long by 40 inches wide. DeWulf is using his own proprietary concrete formula to create this custom table, a mere 1 1/2 inches thick. The result is a clean, contemporary piece that sits lightly on top of a wrought-iron base. The Campaign table could easily function as a durable outdoor table in a classic formal garden or serve as a dining table in a design-driven, avant-garde living space.

DeWulf calls his creations “functional art” and is passionate about producing finishes that feel both organic and luxurious. The Campaign table is no exception, with a hand-finished surface that people cannot resist touching and a unique aesthetic created by DeWulf’s pouring process that assures no two pieces ever look alike. The Campaign table is available at Mecox Garden’s eight retail stores.

In 2004 James DeWulf established DeWulf Concrete, a small design operation creating avant-garde, concrete couture for architects, interior decorators, commercial retail stores and residential clients. In addition to his custom work, DeWulf’s cutting-edge styles have grown into a full-scale product line at retail stores, with a broad range of sinks, tables, fireplaces, outdoor pieces and countertops.

Here’s a few other examples of his work.

DeWulf’s Concrete Bar Cart on wheels is perfect for outdoor use. The top is made from carbon-reinforced ultrathin concrete. The glossy finish requires no maintenance, and a gravity joint locks the bottom shelf and top to the angled base. Use the ample top shelf for glasses and the bottom shelf for storage. The wheels are bellman cart wheels for smooth movement. This is a functional sculpture intended for flat ground. Two of the wheels have a locking break.

DeWulf’s Leaning Desk is a larger version of his Leaning Coffee Table, which was introduced in 2012. That table was inspired by the work of Angelo Mangiarotti, who pioneered the use of gravity joints in the late 1970s. DeWulf expanded on Mangiarotti’s work with a thinner top, stronger joint, and a shapelier look. The result was a simple yet striking design that showcases the material’s strength and grace.

The Leaning Desk takes this concept to a new level with a larger dimensions, bigger overhang, and significantly more strength without increasing the thickness of the oval top. The Leaning Desk is 78 inches long, 34 inches wide and 30 inches tall and is available in Natural Tone, Light Grey, Charcoal Grey and white. The table material is 7,000-psi carbon-fiber reinforced concrete with additional stainless steel reinforcement for the extreme overhang.

DeWulf’s French Banquet Table features a buttery smooth concrete compound top on a Bronze Mat metallic-coated steel base. This bar-height table is made for entertaining and is sized to bring people together. DeWulf calls this his Engagement Table because it was designed the night he proposed to his sweetheart, Annie.

The table, which measures 11 feet long, 42 inches tall and 42 inches wide, was originally conceived as a traditionally sized dining table and is also offered in that size. The Dining Table is also 11 feet long, but its height and width are shorter, at 30 inches each.

Harvest Dining Table
Harvest Dining Table
Pool Table
Pool Table

The Fibonacci Locking Coffee Table and Fibonacci Locking Console Table feature precision-tapered concrete supports which fit into and lock with the table top at precisely the same height to create a level surface. Both tables have tops fabricated with the Fibonacci sequence scored deep into the surface for dramatic effect. The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where the preceding two numbers are added together to make the next number. The pattern is sometimes called organic in that it appears in nature such as branching in trees, the arrangement of leaves on a stem, the fruit sprouts of a pineapple, the flowering of artichoke, an uncurling fern, and the arrangement of a pine cone.

Merging his advanced fiber-reinforced concrete formula with his talent for design, DeWulf has created a unique and graceful dining table called the Harvest Table. First shown at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, the new table showcases a round top that is only 1 inch thick. Put in perspective, the top is nearly nine times thinner than ordinary concrete would have to be to equal it in strength and durability. The Harvest Table is 30 inches tall and is 54 inches in diameter. The top features DeWulf’s proprietary surface, which is hand-finished and sealed for a smooth buttery feel that is delightful to the touch. It is also available by special order in diameters of 48, 60 and 72 inches. The Harvest table top comes in DeWulf’s standard Natural Tone which is mixed throughout the concrete, assuring it will never fade or wear off. Custom colors are available. Supporting the top is a powder-coated steel base inspired by the harvest symbol. The unique use of corrugated sheet mixed with solid bar is an exercise in the structural properties of metal.

Made to regulation size, the Ping Pong table dimensions are 9 feet by 5 feet by 30 inches. The new dining table can actually be used for Ping Pong with acid-etched lines that will last as long as the table and a smooth surface that provides a great “bounce.” The table is also ideal for outdoor use because the components are impervious to moisture, salt air and freeze-thaw cycles. The table is defined by its top, which appears to float above the legs and is incredibly thin at 1 inch.

With the concrete Ping Pong Dining Table and The Pool Table, DeWulf continues to push the boundaries of concrete technology and its capabilities. Unlike conventional pool tables, the look he has created here is is low-profile and minimal.

DeWulf has taken his Locking Dining Table to a higher level with his new Split Locking Dining Table. The split in the table’s top allows one to see the base support all the way through the top without any attachments or hidden mechanisms. This is a pure gravity joint, with the split as an expression of the material’s strength. Other than the split, the top looks the same as the first Locking Dining Table, but the new top is much stronger with more reinforcement. That there is no difference in thickness between the new and old top is a testament to DeWulf’s latest compounds and fabrication process.

Leaning Desk
Leaning Desk
Ping Pong Table
Ping Pong Table
Split Locking Table
Split Locking Table

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