Designer Melanie Abrantes has used cork and wood leftover from her old projects to create sculptural vases, canisters and baskets influenced by the colours, forms and textures of California's coast.
Melanie Abrantes used a mixture of scrap materials to create the Modern California series
The Oakland designer's Modern California series comprises canisters, vases , candle holders and wine coolers "inspired by colours and forms from the California Coast".
Abrantes sourced glass from either local artists or second-hand shops, and used scrap cork and wood from her previous projects.
The Marais vases feature a tall glass body. Recycled cork and wood fit inside the glass container to form the neck and lip
Among the designs are the Marais vases, which feature a tall glass body produced by San Francisco glassmaker Jason Stropko Glass. Abrantes used machinery to blend her old cork and wood to fit inside the glass container, forming the neck and lip. "In every Marais vase, the materials ? coloured glass, cork and hardwood ? combine to create an object that is both art sculpture and functional," Abrantes said.
The wine coolers comprise a cork base finished with a strip of wood
"The cork and wood are laminated together and sculpted on a woodturning lathe to fit each individual glass vessel."
Abrantes' Hardwood Candle Holders are among several of the pieces in the collection that require the use of the lathe machinery to define their shape.

Other large ja...