Off The Wall
Author:Jessica RitzArtist and designer Mary Wong launches the Melange collection of stained glass–centered furniture
A lingering impression that follows visiting a grand house of worship or even a Frank Lloyd Wright–designed home often involves a certain key feature. Mary Wong’s creations center stained glass while breaking it out of its usual context. “Stained glass doesn’t always need to be in a window or be a sun catcher,” she observes. “It can be a table or a stool,” she adds, explaining the impetus for her Melange collection, available at Coup D’Etat in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Wong amassed enough immersive design experiences in her education and career to recognize the resonance and potential of this material. As a theater major at UCLA, she “got to do everything” when creating scenic environments and costumes for productions. She then studied textile and surface design at Otis College of Art and Design and explored professional paths in the design industry in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. While in her role as a production manager for Coup Studio in San Francisco, founder Darin Geise’s “process of creating pieces meant to be heirlooms” proved inspirational to Wong, who had fallen in love with stained glass and now lives in Philadelphia. The debut of Melange includes two side table sizes, two stools and two round coffee tables, each showcasing Wong’s geometric colorful compositions framed in custom milled white oak or walnut. “I am always looking at how the sun casts through, and how lighting creates moments in the room,” she shares about the subtle yet powerful impact of stained glass. “I want these pieces to be livable, usable art.”
