yen-hao, chu combines tenderwood + foam into a feathery soft chair

taiwanese-born product designer yen-hao, chu redefines the traditional wooden chair with her latest product ‘tenderwood’. eliminating the need for cushions, the designer integrates groundbreaking experimentation which combines 3D pressed flexible wood veneer and smooth foam, resulting in a subtle softness.

tenderwood uses japanese ash wood and sponge for their stools 

unlike regular wood veneer, which typically begins to deteriorate due the physical nature of the product, yen-hao, chu discovered a way to achieve a flexible and durable sitting surface using natural wood veneer. the latter is coated with flexible glue and soft foam material that still preserves the traditional aesthetic of a cushioned wooden chair.

demonstrating use of tenderwood

visible texture of the product

tenderwood_soft wooden chair treatment
video © 朱妍澔

different natural wood veneers and patterns

close-up of pressing test

tenderwood in the process of pressing

 
preliminary sketches

layers of the chair

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynn chaya | designboom