Cover Feature www.thedesignermagazine.com 23
“TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVANCED TO THE EXTENT
THAT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TIME WHEN SO
MUCH OF A TREE HAS BEEN USED IN SO MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS”
abundance of elaborately veneered furniture couple of decades. “Furniture is cyclical, just
through the ages – but today improvements like any trend-led industry; I would expect
in machining, adhesion and CNC equipment to see a resurgence in the use of warm-hued
are producing extremely accurate veneers like santos rosewood, red gum, and
bookmatching that’s faster and thus less cedar, but I think it will be some time before
expensive to produce. For example, many we fi nd pine starring in fashionable interiors
kitchen furniture manufacturers, including again,” comments Daryn Forster, Marketing
Poggenpohl and Miele die Küche, now offer Manager of veneer specialists Spa Laminates.
bookmatched veneered doors within their However, returning to the impact of
portfolios, while exotic patterning created environmental pressures on the timber
using veneers such as bookmatched zebrano, industry, it’s clear that species that are being
burr walnut and spalted beech are popping sustainably managed are leading demand,
up in all the most prestigious kitchen and meaning that future timber trends may well
bathroom showrooms right now, effectively favour ethics over whimsy. In the UK, locally
bringing fi ne furniture into utility spaces. sourced ash and oak are both incredibly
Timber is at the mercy of the same popular, while mahogany, marbau and teak
fashion whims as the rest of the home, and are dirty words, at least within solid wood
this has been true throughout its history. construction. Though technically a grass,
Yew, black ash, mahogany, sapele, fast-growing yet strong bamboo is one
wenge and zebrano have come and of the latest materials being embraced by
gone (or are poised on the precipice in furniture-makers and fl ooring companies,
the case of the last two) over the past primarily for its carbon-neutral credentials.
Roy Tam predicts that Plyboo – a
plyboard made from bamboo that is
currently unavailable in the UK – will be the
next hottest thing in furniture and is hoping
to see it distributed here soon. Strawboard
is another sustainable panelling material
that is already fi nding fans amongst UK
furniture-makers: try Poole-based supplier
Invotek (01202 731467, invotek.co.uk).
The destruction of tropical
Above: Forester Nina Griesshammer is well positioned
to ensure every piece of timber used to create
forests is one of the prime causes of
Woodloops’ furniture and accessories is sustainably
global greenhouse gas emissions, and
sourced. He mixes modern materials such as polished
unsustainable logging endangers the
steel with rustic timbers to create robust pieces
welfare of indigenous forest communities
Right: Bodie and Fou’s BF506 Gaivota Rocking Chair
who depend on forests for their livelihoods. ➔
make sure that our furniture is steady and able to
withstand a variety of artifi cial environments.
ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE
DESIGNER/ARCHITECT AND THE FURNITURE-
MAKER?
One area where confl ict can arise is that of fi ttings.
As woodworkers we can make furniture to just
about any specifi cation but if the location or style
of fi ttings is altered it can be very problematic.
Simple things such as the location of hinges can
cause major hassle if not agreed at the outset. Early
discussions are crucial to avoid costly alterations to
the design and build.
Right: Proving the durability of wood in the
bathroom, William Garvey’s Geo basin has been
specifi ed in the cloakrooms of London’s Patara
restaurant with resounding success
Wood.indd 23 20/11/08 16:59:19
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