Bespoke Furniture: Connected
The onset of Covid-19 significantly changed the way people live, interact and work. Connected is an experiment set out to explore how creatives and makers adapt their processes using new technologies to work together at a distance; and often operating from new, improvised home offices.
Nine international designers were challenged to create a table and seating to suit their new ways of working from and living at home; recording their creative journeys to give us an insight to their approach during these challenging times.
Each designer was paired with a craftsman at our Berkshire workshop, relying solely on digital communication and video conferencing to develop their pieces and bring their visions to life.
The message of sustainability was at the core of the project, and explored how the designers can champion a beautiful and sustainable material; hardwood. The designers used a mix of three underused species – red oak, maple and cherry – which combined account for more than 40% of all standing hardwoods in the American forests.
The American hardwood forests are not a planted resource, so what exists in the forest is there because nature intended it. Over-reliance on a narrow selection of timbers ultimately results in supply stress on the forest. So in order to design sustainably, there is a responsibility to use all of what nature provides.
The pieces came together for an exhibition at London’s Design Museum from September to October 2020. Click here to read more about the project.
