1 METER BENCH

ash bench handtools Joinery minimal minimalistic solid traditional wood woodwork

Photo: Cezary Hładki

1 METER BENCH

This is a project of a bench that is exactly one meter long. A very comfortable seat for two people.

The project is made out of ash wood, which is great for furniture making. It also grows locally in Poland, where I work.

This project began with a beautiful piece of wood, that was discarded from my local sawmill. It was not in a standard size and a little bit thinner on one side. It couldn't have been sold as a two inch board and I got it as a gift from my local supplier of wood. It was a board from the middle of the trunk, with the pith. It had beautifully straight grain.

My first thought after I saw this board was to make a bench, and this piece of wood waited over a year to turn into it.

Thanks to the natural straight grain of the wood, the top is made out of just two pieces. The construction is strengthened by additional wood pieces that are underneath the seat. They thicken the material in the area where the legs are glued ensuring a stable connection. Top of the bench has a milled groove, that adds an interesting and elegant appearance.

For the legs, one beam cut diagonally divides into two legs. It works great for both: material efficiency and time consumption of the making process. The joint used for the legs is a mortise and tennon with wedges that block the connection. It is a traditional method of joining wood. The legs are positioned at a 9 degree angle which makes this piece of furniture very stable. The bench is 45 cm high.

The surface has been finished with OSMO hard wax oil.

I want my designs to carry the responsibility for for the environment, human health and future generations. That's why I love working with wood. It is a renewable resource, it stores carbon dioxide. It does not produce harmful waste (waste coming from my work ends up in a fireplace producing heat). Well done solid wood furniture can last for a very long time, ages with dignity and is reparable. This contributes to using less wood material in our lifetime.

The project was made in the workshop at School of Form in Poznań, Poland.