As one of our greatest natural resources, the use of wood in furniture, lighting and product is often seen as a nod to tradition. As modern designers and craftspeople push the boundaries of how wood is treated there are much more contemporary applications of this traditional material.
This month we look at ways in which designers are using wood and the tricks that they use in turning a traditional material into a modern piece of work.
Visit the Rodd pinterest board CMF Naturals to see more examples.
Modern simplicity/ A hard to define, but hugely important attribute is a modern sensitivity to form and proportion. Using traditional methods of manufacture but taking away any superfluous detailing is key to getting it right - an easy thing to aim for but often difficult to attain.
Adding colour & pattern/ It's long known that painting wood can transform the material into something completely different. With carefully chosen colour accents or the application of painted pattern even the most traditional objects can be given a modern twist.
Detail/ Another 'trick' is to use wood in the simplest way but create a visual feature of details such as fixings, joining methods and other additions. This not only creates a defining feature but also allows other materials, with different properties, to be used in conjunction with simple wood processes.
Modern mix/ Combinations of materials can create a unique mix of materials where wood can play either a central role or be a supporting act. The materials can compliment each other where their properties work well and for specific tasks - a mix of the hard/soft, cold/warm, natural/manmade.
Unexpected attributes/ Material science is continually evolving and wood is not being left behind with many designers and craftspeople making progress in finding new applications for the material. Combinations of materials and new production techniques are enabling wood to evolve into something contradicting it's usual properties - thin and malleable, flexible and wearable.
For these, and more examples jump over to our CMF Naturals board on the RODD/ Pinterest.
Rodd helps clients to build highly engaging consumer experiences across product and digital platforms.
If you would like to explore our approach or find out more information about our projects then we would be happy to talk in more depth. Please contact either Ben or Mark here.
Case study/ Design Council & Neptune - Cerro bench Read More
