Thonet Bouquet

Cabinet maker and woodwork teacher Svein Anders Tjernsbekk talks:

Svein Anders Tjernsbekk 
Wood represents one of the most sustainable materials we have here on the planet.  
 
Wood, as a material, has been used in furniture design for a long time. And we see that it has some challenges in terms of quality. We’ve all experienced furniture that gets damaged, or destroyed, but there may be parts of the item that are still of good quality.  And these parts represent craftsmanship that would be a shame to lose if the furniture was discarded just because it was damaged. So, there is a great opportunity to use parts of a piece of wooden furniture to repair damage or to recreate a new piece of furniture – call it redesign, or reconstruction. 
 
Here they have created a bouquet out of one material. Where they have managed to bend the wood into extreme, tight curves. And something that shows the quality of the wood. 
 
The Thonet chair has been sat in by most people who have at some time, been to a café. With over 50 million reproductions of the Thonet café chair, it must be one of the most-produced chairs ever. It was also revolutionary in its time because it was probably the first ever flat-pack chair. 
  
It’s no coincidence that Thonet chose beech for his furniture production. It has the greatest possibilities for bending. The best bending strength, as we say in the profession. 
  
The Thonet chairs also had something different. They were almost entirely made with wood, with very little other material used. The only connection is where the few parts are assembled together.  
Where metal was used, it constitutes a very small part of the furniture itself. And this makes it possible to largely apply reusable materials for replacement sections, and sustainability possibilities. 
 
Creativity in woodwork is one of the things that fascinates me the most, because I know the qualities and challenges of wood. And then we see the Thonet chair, and the bouquet that preserves the uniqueness that has been created over time. And then this reminds us today – “What was created before? What can we create today?” – to be able to inspire the next generation to draw creation from nature.