After 10 years in business, Nest Studio is tying the knot—aesthetically speaking, that is. The New Jersey-based hardware brand teamed up with Katie Gong, an artist in California, to create a four-piece collection that’s equal parts practical and aesthetically pleasing. Aptly named the Knot Series, the collection uses the process of lost-wax casting to transform Gong’s largescale bent wood sculptures into innovative knobs and pulls.
“Most hardware, including our own, is either very hard lined or very ornately decorative,” shares Jessica Davis, founder and creative director of Nest Studio. “I love that this has a decorative quality but in a much more natural, organic way.”
Gong is known for her steam-bent wooden sculptures, but in the Knot Series, her unique process is reimagined into a multi-step process to bring her signature shape to durable, brass hardware.
“This old-world process complements Katie’s hand-bending of her sculptures and enables the brass to come alive with movement,” Davis explains. “The surfaces then feel organic and intricate.” The result? Four offerings—ranging from petite knobs to larger pulls—and three colorways to choose from: Antique brass, polished nickel, and polished unlacquered brass.
But like every great partnership, the Knot Series was years in the making. As an interior designer, Davis has used Gong’s work in a handful of her projects—and even owns two in her home. But after seeing how seamlessly the sculptor’s iconic knots could be translated into knobs and pulls, a collaboration was imminent.
“Katie’s sculptures have a tactile and kinetic spirit that translated so well into functional, yet exquisite hardware,” she adds. “Some of the knots are so simple, yet others are quite complex, really making the unique collection a true representation of Katie’s art form.”
Whether you add a knob to a small powder room or make the pulls a focal point in your kitchen, one thing’s for sure: the Knot Series is prepared to deftly bridge the gap between form and function in every space.
Photography by Brett Walker.
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