A Childhood Artifact Inspires This Playful New Table Collection

Michael Robbins went to art school for photography but post-college found himself drawn to carpentry, building homes and furnishings for clients upon graduating. “I discovered that I like the smaller scale of furniture,” he says. “It’s a chance to play with shapes and proportions.”

Now based in Germantown, New York, Robbins launched Terrapin, a series of leather-and-wood coffee and end tables inspired by a childhood artifact. “I found an old baseball bat of mine that had an amazing patina,” he says. “It influenced the shape of the legs, which I placed at sharp angles to give them a retro vibe.” He also referenced baseball by attaching leather to the sides of the tables with a traditional baseball stitch. The mix of materials is functional and classically beautiful, but the pieces still have a playful look.