Nestled under the Chelsea Highline, Chamber boutique curates one-of-a-kind objects of design and art. To truly encapsulate this “Cabinet of Curiosities,” the boutique invites an artist or designer to curate an entire collection within their store. Currently, a collection of minimalist designed furniture from Chilean architect and carpenter Nicolás Aracena Müller named “Atalaya” is on view as the second part to his performance project. For weeks Aracena Müller has been working on his furniture in the storefront of the boutique creating a collection of unique chairs using repurposed high quality wood.
The collection is named after a street in Playa Ancha, Chile, where Aracena Müller had the idea to create furniture when he visited an old warehouse and lumberyard. Each chair is made from old scrap wood from the New York area, wood that has be salvaged from local buildings or washed up to shore. The chairs apply fine carpentry techniques to create rustic but minimalist furniture, cutting and joining each piece of wood by hand. “I’ve always loved tools and building things. Everything I’ve ever designed I’ve built with my own hands,” said Aracena Müller.
Photo Cred: Fran Parente Many of his works have a DIY feel, with his projects using repurposed wood and reconstruction of abandoned houses. His work has been showcased in numerous exhibitions, including Remade in Galleria Animal (2010), Galleria de Diseño of Centro Cultural Palacio la Moneda (2011), Sobremesa in (2013), and in Area Santiago at the Municipal Theatre of Santiago (2014). This collection of rustic chairs is on view until September 12.
