Veneer Stool

Project Info

Veneers are commonly used to imitate a more expensive and solid piece of wood, but in this design the material has been embraced, displayed, and celebrated.

A stool’s form is ambiguous, as it can be used in various manners: an adaptable side table, if rotated 90° clockwise or anticlockwise, a lap tray and naturally, a stool. Sycamore can be seen to share this trait due to its homogenous and creamy grain, which continues throughout the tree’s trunk, with no contrast between the heartwood and sapwood.

The production of the stool could be likened to Shou Sugi Ban (焼杉板) a craft of 18th-century Japanese origin. This process involves charring the wood’s exterior, creating a natural treatment for protection against the elements. Clever use of laser cutting, and efficient nesting of components has allowed the creation of a stool which is extremely light in weight, with sound structure.