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The Making of 13&9’s Rock Collection

We’ve been following the evolution of Martin Lesjak and Anastasia Su’s 13&9 brand since its launch in 2013. Since its introduction, they’ve partnered with many international companies, like Artifort, Buzzispace, Mohawk Group, Viteo Outdoors, and more, along with designing and producing their own products including jewelry. One such partnership is with Belgian lighting firm Wever & Ducré, which led to the Rock Collection, a series of lamps and tables made from materials that were intended for other purposes. The results are lamp shades made from razor-thin stone veneers and tables that reflect the shape of the lamps’ frame. For this Deconstruction, 13&9 gives us insight into how this collection is made.

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1. Programming the CNC cutter

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2. Preparing the CNC machine

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3. Quality control of the sheets before the cutting process

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4. Quality control of the ©Stone veneer pieces for the table surfaces

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5. Quality control of the table tops and hand polishing

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6. Hand polishing of the edges

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7. Quality control and hand polishing of the frames

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8. Coating/varnishing the frames and table tops

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9. Mounting instructions for the Rock Table

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10. Prototypes of the tables

Photo by Paul Ott

Photo by Paul Ott

11. Finished Rock Tables

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12. Quality control of the ©Stone veneer for the shales

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13. Mounting instruction for the Rock Light Suspended

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14. Prototypes of the suspended lighting

Photo by Paul Ott

Photo by Paul Ott

15. Finished Rock Light Suspended and Rock Tables

Photo by Paul Ott

Photo by Paul Ott

16. Finished Rock Light Suspended

Photo by Paul Ott

Photo by Paul Ott

17. Finished Rock Light Suspended – silver shine \ turned off

Photo by Paul Ott

Photo by Paul Ott

18. Finished Rock Light Suspended – silver shine / turned on

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19. Mounting instruction for the Rock Light Floor

Photo by Paul Ott

Photo by Paul Ott

20. Finished Rock Tables and Rock Light Floor – autumn white / switched off

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22. Mounting instructions for the Rock Light Naked

Photo by Paul Ott

Photo by Paul Ott

23. Finished Rock Light Naked Floor

Photo by Paul Ott

Photo by Paul Ott

24. Finished Rock Light Naked Ceiling

Photo by Paul Ott

Photo by Paul Ott

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.