Promontory – Discover the remarkable strength and complexity of armor.

At Milan Design Week 2022, the Chicago-based furniture, lighting, and object firm Refractory showcased Promontory, a collection of exceptional products.

Refractory, Chicago-based furniture, lighting, and objects studio, showed ‘Promontory,’ a collection of remarkable products during Milan Design Week 2022.

According to founders Angie West and Alberto Vélez, “Promontory is about the power and intricacy of armor in its many manifestations, from an unyielding ridge of limestone that has endured erosive forces to the armor of warriors throughout history and tough species that dominate the American West.”

The shells and shields, expertly sculpted by evolution and refined over millennia, guard priceless, brittle sources of life, subtly generating tension and delight when interior mysteries are disclosed.

The term “refractory” refers to a stubborn disposition and can refer to both a person’s mentality and a process. And it was by Texas native Angie West and Colombian native Alberto Vélez.

Promontory: traditional methods with modern tools

The studio is a remarkable extension of an artisan community, ingeniously combining old techniques with contemporary tools.

They create meticulously produced pieces in a vocabulary that is instantly distinctive within American and modern design environments, drawing inspiration from the mighty and mysterious forces of nature as well as transition.

The unique Promontory Dining Table is available as a custom single- or double-pedestal design. And it is solid warm oak or walnut top with a cast bronze base of two asymmetrical shield-like forms.

In contrast, “The Promontory Sconce is a cast bronze cuff that brilliantly illuminates two hand-polished cast glass lenses in a range of sizes,” they continue.

Last but not least, the Promontory Drink Table is a cast bronze cuff with an inset cast glass top. And the Promontory Standing Lamp is a sculptural lamp in which two unusually asymmetrical sections lean into one another. Therefore, mirroring the way that layers of armor must bend to move with the user.