By AnnMarie Martin, Chris Curtland and Katie Yale (Featuring Daniel Scovill)

Arcsine recently specified a textured leather for a bar counter top, and since then my eyes have been looking for new ways to work with leather and new leather options.  During a recent trip to Iceland, I had the opportunity to visit one of the few fish tanneries in the world – Atlantic Leather.  This incredible group of people in the small northern town of Sauðárkrókur divert fish skin from land-fill and transform it to a luxury material.  Currently the material is used most often in the fashion industries for clothing, accessories, jewelry and shoes.  However, the design community is starting to take notice.  After all, architecture and fashion have always been inextricably bound!  The smooth, dark spotted pattern from the deep-sea wolffish is my personal favorite; though the texture of the perch leather is bold and inviting to the touch.  In addition to the beautiful natural appearances, the brilliant Ingi Guðmundsson dreams up and creates hundreds of various finish options – colors, metallics, and sheens.  Having a chance to watch him tinker in the spray booth with bottles and bottles of numerous finishes highlighted to me that this is a building material that can be used in its natural tone… or dressed up for an array of exciting applications.

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