BRCJ Designs Breaks the Rules with Eclectic Unusual Contemporary Home Decor

Rule breaking began for Benjamin R.C. Jones, founder of BRCJ Designs, after literally breaking a coaster design as he was unmolding it. The piece shattered into several parts and instead of discarding it, he decided to cast it in resin and turned it into the Spoila Coaster.

His line of home decor, many of which resemble stone, were also inspired after his trip to Rome where upcycled stone is seen frequently in architecture and furnishings. One specific item, the Ennis Tile Bookend, has its design roots in the Mayan Revival textile blocks used for Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House in Los Angeles. For those who don’t know, Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most famous mid-century modern designers and architects of the 20th century. His inspiration can be seen everywhere, from large-scale commercial buildings to household dishware.

“We believe that unanticipated wonders can be unearthed in attempting to create the impossible and unprecedented within limitations and rule sets — to be both and neither, rather than one and the other,” says Jones.

All of the pieces are made by hand and in-house at BRCJ Designs. Jones makes them with concrete, resin and metal, sometimes using molds. They remain in dark shades of gray with an organic stone-like appearance.

Some designs have an organic look, like the Topography Plate, with dips, curves and peaks similar to a naturally formed cave or mountain range. Although his techniques are traditional, the final creation of his home decor items are innovative and even, strikingly unusual.