Kyle
Graves
Timber Chair
When it came to building the Timber Chair, the challenge was to design a functional and beautiful chair with only the material from one 2” x 8” x 8’ #2 construction grade pine board. The need to best utilize the material the board provided and have minimal waste was a key experiment into the abilities of myself as a designer and maker.
Through the prototyping, testing and fabrication of multiple small scale models, assemblies and full sized chairs I was able to come up with a comfortable, relaxing, chair that incorporates a long curving leg, arm and backrest feature to give a clean modern design to an unappreciated piece of construction grade lumber.
Multiple finishing techniques were tested on multiple versions of the chair to get the look and feel that is appropriate for not only the chair but also the material that it was sourced from. From Japanese wood burning techniques of “shou-sugi-ban” to seal the wood with the tannins it already possesses, to natural timber oils that allow the wood to be as pure to the materials natural state. In doing so these finishes give a look and feel that brings out some of the natural beauty of the construction grade material.