My latest design find is this new furniture collection from Dinesen and John Pawson. Dinesen are a Danish company specialising in wooden flooring while John Pawson is a renowned British architect. Together they have created a minimalist furniture collection that is modern and timeless.
The entire collection is based on the span of a Douglas fir (wood) plank — in other words each piece of furniture is made with planks of wood with little embellishment. The end result is a natural and minimalist collection of pieces that shine in their simplicity.
The collection includes a dining series and a lounging series, all with clean lines and angular shapes. Each piece in the collection reflects the spirit of the Danish word ‘umage’ (pronounced oo-may). Literally translated, umage means ‘making an effort’ and here it’s about the connection between the designer, the materials and the maker that all come together to elevate each piece.
The lounge series includes a sofa, lounge chair, daybed and coffee table.
The daybed, sofa and chair feature cushions which look like they’ve been layered to resemble planks of wood, which is the basis of the entire collection. The daybed base, coffee table, sofa and chair sides all share a design detail — a shadow gap between the two planks of wood used to create each of these pieces. The shadow gap is filled with a slender strip of oak providing a subtle contrast to the Douglas fir.
Pawson says “It was interesting to see how you could transform Douglas fir into furniture where you can still see the beautiful grain and the width of the planks. To somehow use it in a way that took it as its simplest form, the planks.”
The dining series includes a dining table, a bench and a stool.
Once again the dining table top and sides feature the same shadow gap as the lounge collection. The stools and bench on the other hand are made from a single Douglas fir plank with a solid central spine.
Pawson explains “Everything about these pieces is pared back to the logic and poetry of the wood. The dimensions of the timber determine the proportions of the forms, and then it’s all about the inherent sensory character of the material.”
Each of these pieces is made to order so if you’re interested, visit Dinesen for more details.
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