Hammered Copper Brutalist Coffee Table in the Manner of Paul Evans

Looking for a coffee table that’s more than just furniture-- well this is a functional work of art. This Paul Evans original is a stunning example of mid-century artistry with a flair for the unconventional. Handcrafted from a mesmerizing patchwork of patinated copper, enameled steel, and pewter sheeting, this table brings together materials and textures in ways that no two tables are alike. And then there’s the slate top—thick, heavy, and sitting flush in its groove like it was meant to be there from the beginning of time. While there are other examples of this coffee table floating around the collector's universe, let me tell you: they’re not all created equal. Many show signs of over-polishing or even sanding, stripping away that rich, sought-after patina that true collectors drool over. But this example? It’s the gold standard. The patina has aged to perfection, offering a rich variety of tones, textures, and colors that dance across the surface. Every corner reveals a new surprise. Yes, the slate top has a few rough edges, but let’s be real—that only adds to its character. And the best part? The slate fits so perfectly into its base so snug you'd be hard pressed to squeeze a sheet of paper between them. Now, let’s talk about the man behind the magic—Paul Evans. Born in 1931 and passing away in 1987, Evans was a driving force in the American Craft Movement. He pushed the boundaries of furniture design, turning traditional techniques on their head and creating pieces that were part sculpture, part functional art. His use of metal, especially in his iconic Cityscape and Sculpted Bronze series, made him a trailblazer of mid-century modernism and brutalist design. Evans started his career working with metal in a tiny shop in New Hope, Pennsylvania with his pal Phillip Lloyd Powell—just down the road from fellow American Craft legends like George Nakashima. But Evans didn’t stop with wood and craft traditions. Instead, he worked with metal in ways no one else was doing, blending industrial and handmade aesthetics. Every piece was unique, handmade, and bursting with Evans' signature rough-hewn, heavily textured style. His work, especially these patchwork metal tables...

One of the most recognizable and important names in the American studio craft movement of the 1960's and 70's, Paul Evans was a groundbreaking pioneer in brutalism. Collaborating as well as sharing a showroom with Phillip Lloyd Powell until 1964 when Evans met the owner of Directional Furniture and created a line of 6 coffee tables to go into the Directional High Point, NC booth for the spring Market. As the story has been recounted by Dorsey Reading, the tables never even made it to the showroom floor. Evans soon found out the tables never even had the opportunity to be sold; obviously disappointed, owner of Directional, BG agreed to put the tables out on the showroom floor in New York City to placate Paul Evans. What happened can probably best be compared today with "going viral." The coffee tables started flying off the floor, and the orders came rolling in. This fervor led to Evans creating eventually over 800 designs with Directional-- with the very first series being the "Sculptured Metal" Collection which was publicized in 1968. This piece specifically is a throne chair that also swivels. Upholstered in black leather, this throne chair is a wonderful example of Paul Evans Sculpted bronze technique, which involves hand sculpting using an epoxy resin and coating in an atomized cold cast bronze. This piece is signed and dated "PE 69" making it an early example of his goopy cast bronze series and line of furniture for Directional. It's extremely important to note: Directional Furniture showrooms in New York City and Chicago were private to-the-trade only showrooms, so only interior designers and their clients were able to custom order these pieces through the showroom. There was never any "inventory" of furniture. Each and every piece was a custom, hand crafted work of art, created to order. No two of any piece were ever alike. Evans eventually went on to employ a team of nearly 90 people, working two shifts-- helping to hand-craft his designs. This could easily explain why not every piece is hand signed, therefore making an early, had-signed pieces like this even more desirable for a collector. This piece has a wonderful patina, with vibrant colors and while still brutalist in nature, it's a bit more subdued and could effortlessly be blended into any contemporary environment. We currently have this piece in the gallery paired with a Vladimir Kagan serpentine cloud sofa, and a Karl Springer goatskin...

This sofa is strikingly gorgeous! A rare, one of one-- one of a kind sofa designed and executed by Paul Evans. This sofa features an almost sleigh like craftsman base that is very George Nakashima - esque, and is completely clad in Evans sculpted resin and bronze. The sofa has been upholstered in a fine, butter-creamy colored mohair and is not only easy on the eyes, but is incredibly comfortable. This piece is triple signed, featuring Paul Evans initials and date on the bottom of the sofa's shell, another Evans signature and date on the base of the sofa, and a G singed above for (George Fry). One of the most recognizable and important names in the American studio craft movement of the 1960's and 70's, Paul Evans was a groundbreaking pioneer in brutalism. Collaborating as well as sharing a showroom with Phillip Lloyd Powell until 1964 when Evans met the owner of Directional Furniture and created a line of 6 coffee tables to go into the Directional High Point, NC booth for the spring Market. As the story has been recounted by Dorsey Reading, the tables never even made it to the showroom floor. Evans soon found out the tables never even had the opportunity to be sold; obviously disappointed, the `owner of Directional, BG agreed to put the tables out on the showroom floor in New York City to placate Paul Evans. What happened can probably best be compared today with "going viral." The coffee tables started flying off the floor, and the orders came rolling in. This fervor led to Evans creating many designs with Directional in years long partnership-- with the very first series being the "Sculptured Metal" Collection which was publicized in 1968. This piece specifically was not a Directional piece. This piece was created in Paul Evans Studio and ended up being sold directly through the studio. This Sculpted Bronze and Resin sofa is an incredibly rare example of Paul Evans Sculpted bronze technique, which involves hand sculpting using an epoxy resin and coating in an atomized cold cast bronze. Paul Evans used to be labeled kind of a "bad boy" of design-- with an an affinity for sculpted brutalism and pieces that epitomize maximalism, his pieces were collected by rock stars, artists and creatives. Evans, now widely recognized as a pioneer in the American craft movement has solidified his place in design history and is highly collectable. This sofa would look excellent in any mid century modern, brutalist or even contemporary or boho chic environment. While brutalist in nature, this piece can be styled up or down to blend into almost any environment. We currently have this sofa in our gallery paired with a Jean Royere coffee table...

Designed by famous influential pop artist, Louis Durot, this tongue coffee table is sure to make a statement. Constructed of polyurethane and lacquer, this table is truly a functional work of art. The coffee table, aptly titled the tongue table...