Thomas Boog

Fascinated by the diversity of shapes and colors found in seashells and coral, designer Thomas Boog creates furnishings and accessories adorned with seashells, bringing elegance and clean, modern lines to a traditional art. Boog crushes, layers, and flattens seashells and mother-of-pearl, turning them into ornate mirror frames and patterns on cabinets and tables. “There is no reason why seashells cannot be used to make beautiful objects,” he has said. “They are usually just very mishandled, but they can be very modern too.” Boog counts traditional Chinese mother-of-pearl inlay and Italian Renaissance art among major influences on his work. Large-scale commissions include a custom-designed seashell grotto in Florida, and a seashell-decorated swimming pool in Morocco.