Carved from Mesquite wood that I salvaged from my family’s ranch in Sonora, Texas, this vase preserves a piece of wood that was headed for the burn pile. Its surface is marked by small holes and tunnels left by the emerald ash borer—an invasive beetle—so the material carries a visible record of what threatened it. Finished and shaped into a clean vessel form, the piece holds a tension between polish and scar: a functional object that keeps the story of place, damage, and rescue intact.
Mini Mesquite Vase
Derek Designs made this mini mesquite vase as a small sculptural wood object. The piece uses mesquite as the center of the composition, letting the material's figure, density, and shape guide the final form.
Project Details
Studio: Brooklyn, NY
Client Type: Sculptural wood object
Materials: Mesquite wood
Related Services: Custom woodworking Brooklyn, custom furniture Brooklyn, sculptural wood objects
Scope of Work
Material selection, shaping, carving, sanding, finishing, and final detailing for a compact decorative wood vase.
Design / Build Challenge
At a small scale, every curve and surface decision becomes important. The vase needed to feel complete as an object while keeping the mesquite wood's natural character visible.
Final Result
A small mesquite vase with a warm, grounded presence and a finished surface that highlights the character of the wood.
For custom woodworking, furniture, or sculptural wood objects in Brooklyn and NYC, contact Derek Designs.