For the designers among us it is the details in products that can get us going. Most people wouldn’t notice them or wouldn’t care. Sometimes they are obvious and other times they are hidden but they are more considered than the average mass produced items. Carpentry is a great industry for details because whilst planing and cutting in straight lines is easy, any details have to be hand made or CNC’ed and that adds cost. The sculptural nature of wood means that it is a very versatile material to work with so some fantastic details can be achieved if the craftsman is skilled.
In this piece the table legs have been re-imagined in a very creative way. The pictured leg is made from several sections of wood to create a cavernous design detail the plunges a hole down to the floor. The rounded edges are perfectly formed into the table top and the contrasting colours of wood highlight the detail for the customer to enjoy.
Have a look through Fre.4 on instagram, they have lots of nice carpentry and fabrication and are obviously a talented studio.
DurameThis table from Italian designer Durame again uses the table legs as a focal point for the detailing of the product and opts for a concave design that feels, in a way, opposite to that of the Fre.4 design. The illusion of the design is that the physical presence of the leg and table top is reduced by making it both thin at the edge for aesthetics and thick in the centre for strength. The key to both these details is the blending of the sections so they merge to one piece.
Not all design needs to break the bank. Often what you are paying for with good design is quality and exclusivity. The more mass produced something is the cheaper it can be and this is a great example of nice simple design that doesn’t cost a fortune. The brass handles are a twist on an existing design that is cheap and in mass use already so the perforation of the handles to resemble a leaf is genius. It is often the most simple of ideas that are the best and at £15 these are a great touch.
Do not ask me how this was made, it is a wonderful work of art that has obviously used a complex knowledge of carpentry and assembly to construct. It is the centre piece for this table and a focus for attention to detail. The table is graced with a glass top so the owners/users can admire the handy work that has been lovingly prepared beneath. The table is POA so needless to say if you have to ask you can’t afford it 😉
Moving back to metal these handles are not the hardest details to make but they are a nice re-imagination of how a handle and latch can be. I like the precision with which the latch drops down into the recessed groove on the other side as well as the matching material swatch this is flushed with the front of the brass knobs. The hole assembly takes on a stylish feel with the matt finish of the brass and the size of the detailing.
Whilst I can’t find them on their site I am pretty sure these handles are by pull cast. The great thing about these is that they are a detail that can be added to a more standard product to make it more interesting. The handle is made to look like a the host material is split/tearing and is a nice touch. It would need a little more modification to the host product than a normal handle or knob but it would certainly add a really nice design detail and make the product pop.
Unfortunately I was not able to find out much about the designer of this idea. The idea of herring bone brick laying is nothing new but I have never seen the edges exposed like this before and result is brilliant. Small detailing of this pattern has been used in building facades for centuries so it is great to see it reinvented in a different format. I know little of the cost involved with laying bricks in the manner shown but would anticipate it to be higher on the basis that it’s unusual and thus scary to many bricklayers. Regardless it does look pretty cool from every angle so could be worth the extra cash.
This is an engineering detail really and the way CNC’ed metal fits together is glorious. It is easy to bypass the attention to detail in the more functional parts of products but here those parts are deliberately put on show for the world to see. The sliding action of a heavy door moving smoothly over the metal rod is a nice action to carry out. Like moving a bi-fold door into position when the gutter are clean and the wheels are well oiled, that feel of accuracy and precision is what a designer loves.
So that’s me for now. We have covered a variety of different design details and maybe inspired the purchase of some custom made items, the modification of old furniture or given ideas for how to extend the house. Hopefully there was something you liked in there anyway.
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