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Crafted from a process called steam-bending, the curved wooden pieces are heated in a steam box, then formed into a shape.
Crafted from a process called steam-bending, the curved wooden pieces are heated in a steam box, then formed into a shape.
Woodworker Matthias Pliessnig first uncovered the steam-bending technique when tasked with designing a boat. Pictured is his Sinuo 5m bench.
Woodworker Matthias Pliessnig first uncovered the steam-bending technique when tasked with designing a boat. Pictured is his Sinuo 5m bench.
Rainbow Armchair (2017) Sawkille Jonah Meyer, Founder “We have a parts system where we’re always handmaking the individual elements of the chairs, so we can be ahead of the game when orders come in. From steam-bending, turning, fashioning the seat, assembly, sanding, and finishing, it will cross at least five people’s hands and can take a week.”
Rainbow Armchair (2017) Sawkille Jonah Meyer, Founder “We have a parts system where we’re always handmaking the individual elements of the chairs, so we can be ahead of the game when orders come in. From steam-bending, turning, fashioning the seat, assembly, sanding, and finishing, it will cross at least five people’s hands and can take a week.”
Brace is a minimal chair created by London-based designer Samuel Wilkinson. Brace is a contemporary chair that embraces and promotes British quality manufacturing. The chair is fully produced in a factory within 100miles of the studio and all the materials have been locally sourced. Steam-bending wood is a traditional process steeped in history. It is low energy, ecological and a truly economical method for manipulating wood. It has a reduced scrap rate since smaller pieces can be bent into shape rather than machined from larger blocks. There are only a small number of skilled manufacturers who can produce steam bent products on any scale and these are expensive due to rising labour costs and the handmade discipline required.
Brace is a minimal chair created by London-based designer Samuel Wilkinson. Brace is a contemporary chair that embraces and promotes British quality manufacturing. The chair is fully produced in a factory within 100miles of the studio and all the materials have been locally sourced. Steam-bending wood is a traditional process steeped in history. It is low energy, ecological and a truly economical method for manipulating wood. It has a reduced scrap rate since smaller pieces can be bent into shape rather than machined from larger blocks. There are only a small number of skilled manufacturers who can produce steam bent products on any scale and these are expensive due to rising labour costs and the handmade discipline required.