A Table for Reflection: Our Contribution to Aesop’s ‘The Second Skin’ at Salone del Mobile
At Sebastian Cox Studio, we see furniture not only as functional objects but as vessels for atmosphere, memory, and meaning. That philosophy guided our recent collaboration with Aesop for The Second Skin — the brand’s enigmatic installation for this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan.
Set within the serene cloister of the Chiesa del Carmine, The Second Skin invites visitors into a world of sensory contemplation and material intimacy. Our role in this experience was to design and make a 50-seat table that would anchor the space — a monumental yet quiet gesture that completes the installation’s journey.
The table we created stretches across the courtyard, drawing people together in a shared act of gathering, observing, and reflecting. It was made from a single, uninterrupted board of cedar of Lebanon — chosen for its rich fragrance and expressive grain. This remarkable material offers a continuous, flowing surface that encourages tactile interaction and visual stillness.
Supporting this cedar plane are legs skilfully split from vast trunks of Kentish-grown chestnut. Rather than machining these supports into uniformity, we embraced their natural irregularity — allowing the forms to echo the way trees grow, split, and stand. The contrast between the precise surface above and the raw honesty of the base beneath forms a dialogue of refinement and rootedness.
For us, the table is more than a piece of furniture — it’s a threshold. It holds the stillness of the cloister while inviting touch, connection, and thought. Its scale commands attention, yet its presence is humble, grounded in craftsmanship and reverence for the materials of the land.
We’re honoured to have contributed to The Second Skin — a project that aligns so deeply with our studio’s belief that material, form, and setting can come together to elevate the everyday into something quietly profound.
