Tole

Recycled, upcycled, repurposed, found.

Kept.

Tole is an old French craft - decorative objects made from painted metal, wire, and lacquered tin. Flowers that never lived and never died. We found ours at an estate sale for the late, beloved designer, Tony Duquette, long kept.

They informed us of what the new things wanted to become.

There is something about the texture of a monochrome thing. The subtle story that plays out when it’s dialed back in a matte, bone white medium.

Tole artwork was traditionally very colorful. We deliberately stayed away from color - to let the imagination run free, to allow the object to tell different stories depending on what surrounds it.

Ephemeral and permanent. Life and stillness.
— James Benn, Kept LA

Flower and Structure Layers. Photo: Krislyn Komarov

 

Tole Candelabra and Vessel

Single hand-cast gypsum tole candleholder with sculptural flower forms and white taper candle — artisanal decor object Kept Workshop Los Angeles

Our Tole inspired objects make a striking centerpiece as a collection and are also beautiful as a stand-alone moment with a single section. Each flower and petal was hand formed with some added found objects mixed in. The Tole centerpieces were transformed from existing scrap metal bases into a modular and functional display for flowers, candles or just on their own.

— Kept Workshop Los Angeles

TOLE CANDELABRA AND VESSEL WITH TAPER CANDLE AND PINK GARDEN ROSE. APRIL 2026

 

TABLESCAPE DETAILS

One of a kind

Hand painted table linen inspired by the deep violet of the Hellebores flower.


 
Full editorial dining table with lit sage taper candles, hand-cast tole gypsum vessels, hellebore botanicals and custom hand-painted purple linen — Kept LA artisanal event tabletop design Los Angeles

The cloth was painted. The wall was painted. The vessels were sculpted and assembled. Every surface was created by someone’s hands before it touched the table.

 

Some things are worth keeping.

— The Edit, Vol. 2

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