fort standard alters material perceptions with stone, leather and maple furniture

fort standard alters material perceptions with stone, leather and maple furniture
image by brian ferry

new york-based studio fort standard — a collaborative partnership between gregory buntain and ian collings — has reinterpreted the traditional attributes of three natural elements for the ‘qualities of material’ series of furniture. presented at collective design fair during new york design week 2016, the pieces — a table, chair, bench and dining surface, and cabinet — push the physical features of maple wood, soapstone and leather beyond their conventional limits and applications, warping the perception of their visible characteristics. for example, the ‘stacked leather chair’ mimics a material it is not actually made of, forming a novel translation of its original functions and features.

stacked leather chair | 22.5” x 24” x 30”
image by brian ferry

the ‘stacked leather chair’ is seemingly a wooden seat upon first glance, yet reveals itself as an intricately rolled network of material upon closer inspection. the seat constitutes dozens of leather layers piled on top of each other; the backrest forms a U-shaped configuration connected to the base by tubular supports. while the piece undeniably assumes the traditional texture and tactility of wood, it actually comprises vegetable tanned leather, stacked and rolled to create the structural components of an entirely leather seat.

the chair comprises stacked and rolled vegetable tanned leather
image © designboom

for the ‘relief stone cabinet’ — presented in both six and single door variations — fort standard has milled a triangular relief pattern into the exterior panels to remove excess weight. while the piece seemingly appears as light as plastic, the remaining ribs carved into the sequence of hinged doors retain the original material’s strength. the six door soapstone cabinet is made up of three stackable units resting on six heavy duty leveling feet, while the single door version sits on a hard maple base.

tightly rolled leather forms the armrests of the chair
image © designboom

the ‘assemblage wood coffee table’ is made up of hundreds of thin, hard maple slats. these pieces form a hexagonal surface, assembled into vertically oriented triangular tubes that make up the surface and extruded legs. the technique has also been applied to a matching dining table and bench set.

the piece assumes the traditional texture and tactility of wood
image © designboom