2014

Maple wood, Pencil on paper, Brass elements.

Dimensions Variable

Church of One was a special open commission in which the collector invited Sebastian to freely propose a project. Sebastian wanted to acknowledge that the collector, a mother of 5, had dedicated her life to raising children and looking after her husband.

Consequently, he wished to provide a seating area and backdrop that could offer the collector a small refuge, a sanctuary in which his client could have a space to escape from her duties as a devoted mother in order to also focus on just being a girl, a woman and have more time to dedicate to her own personal interests. The commission, therefore, was designed as a small church in which the collector could celebrate and develop her own private spiritual needs.

Church of one has a series of high carved walls that act as cubicle divisors that help block out the typical distractions of a busy household. In order to control the wall space in front of which the vanity was to be displayed, the design includes a framed laborious line drawing filled with unfinished lines that help the mind follow and wander. A bench and small accompanying kneeling stool help close the space. The engraving on the kneeling stool says “only kneel before thyself”.

The vanity is intricately carved in a process that combines 3D CNC milling done by robots and old-school hand carving techniques. Its legs are hand turned. The vanity includes a hidden mirror as an invitation for personal reflection and self-care. Each of the carved arching doors opens to display all kinds of personal belongings. Its drawers include two secret bottom drawers for private objects. Sebastian based the mechanism of the concealed hinges on an antique design originally created by Roentgen for Marie Antoinette.