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"&amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m a materials junkie,&amp;quot; proclaims designer Azadeh Shladovsky, running her fingers across the top of the naturally creviced oak block that is the basis of her Torre stool, currently on display as part of her debut collection at Jean de Merry in Los Angeles. &amp;quot;I couldn&amp;#039;t possibly, in my wildest dreams, create something that had as much interest and depth as this piece of wood.&amp;quot;  And yet, with the eye of a modernist architect and the finesse of a fine jeweler, the Iranian-born, Los Angeles\u2013based Shladovsky transforms the humble stump into a functional work of art with the addition of simple but striking linear brass inlays.  Click here to see the gallery for &amp;quot;Natural Wonders: Azadeh Shladovsky&amp;#039;s Furniture Collection.&amp;quot;  &amp;quot;They&amp;#039;re really thoughtful pieces,&amp;quot; says interior designer Oliver M. Furth, who placed a trio of her stools in a room with a Lucite cabinet by Mattia Bo\u00ADnetti and gilt Louis XVI chairs. &amp;quot;They complement other strong pieces and also stand on their own.&amp;quot;  Pared down yet rich, with contrasting textures, Shladovsky&amp;#039;s nine-piece collection marries of-the-moment rusticity with timeless refinement. A \u00ADcocktail table is constructed of stacked oak four-by-fours wrapped with nickel bands. A bench mixes American rosewood, painted brass, and cushions made from clouds of Patagonian long-hair sheepskin. The same exuberant upholstery tops metal stools and maple ottomans that wouldn&amp;#039;t have been out of place in Jean Harlow&amp;#039;s boudoir.  &amp;quot;Simple things are the most difficult to do,&amp;quot; attests de Merry, who says he was seduced by Shladovsky&amp;#039;s mix of hard and soft. &amp;quot;Her shapes succeed in creating what I call minimalist glamour.&amp;quot;  Drawing inspiration from Cy Twombly, Yves Saint Laurent, and Le Corbusier, Shlad\u00ADovsky treats furniture-making as an artistic pursuit. &amp;quot;Doing away with excess is what&amp;#039;s relevant now,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m not interested in contributing to the landfill. We can live simpler lives with fewer pieces that are more meaningful.&amp;quot; Click here to see the gallery for &amp;quot;Natural Wonders: Azadeh Shladovsky&amp;#039;s Furniture Collection.&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/interior-designers/a5382/natural-wonders-azadeh-shladovskys-furniture-collection-a/>