OBJECT
LOCATION
Port Ellen, Scotland
CLIENT
Port Ellen Distillery
DESIGN
Tom Vaughan
YEAR
2023
This bespoke coffee and dram tasting table forms the centrepiece of the visitor centre overlooking the bay. Inspired by natural elements and the island’s dramatic landscape, the piece captures nature’s transformative power and the passage of time through its form and materiality.
Crafted from oak staves traditionally used in whisky casks, it pays tribute to the distillery’s heritage. The underside draws from the geometric rock formations of nearby Staffa, with sand-eroded and scorched textures that evoke both charred cask interiors and weathered driftwood from the shore. In contrast, the top and opposing side are shaped with fluid, organic lines, echoing the graceful paths carved by water through rock over millennia and reflecting the interplay between structural rigidity and natural movement.
