Chill out with Draga & Aurel?s Zen collection, where multi-colored, pastel-hued light refractions are captured in ice-like coffee tables.

If it?s summer where you are and you need some icy relief, discover the Zen collection by Draga & Aurel, a multidisciplinary studio founded by Draga Obradovic and Aurel K. Basedow. When we last caught up with the designers, they had just launched the Flare series, which brought the concept of light refractions into furniture. Their latest collection, presented by Rossana Orlandi Gallery during Milan Design Week, expands on this idea, capturing multi-colored light refractions in what looks like blocks of ice.
Photo: Riccardo Gasperoni
Photo: Riccardo Gasperoni
In actuality, these ice sculptures are three coffee tables and a dining table made entirely from Lucite and handcrafted by artisans in Como, Italy. The frosted effect is a surface treatment that gives the tables their cool (no pun intended) look. Within each table, sheets of pastel-hued Lucite replicate the phenomenon of playful light refractions that have been frozen in place. Each table is unique, reinforcing the idea that the series is truly a work of art. Photo: Riccardo Gasperoni

It’s clear as glass that Draga & Aurel have a deep fascination with light and how we perceive it in the world around us. To learn more about their curiosities, we chat with the studio and get the scoop on what’s next for the practice:
The interplay of color and light i...