THE SUSTAINABLE LIFE Sebastian Cox on the power of using natural wood
Our columnist Sebastian Cox on the wellness-enhancing power of decorating with real wood
Last month we were in the woods, now we’re in our London workshop with the spring sun bouncing off our wood-dustwhite walls. The transporting of freshly harvested timber from our woodland in Kent to the workshop in the city is, I often think, a good metaphor for the delivery of a piece of our furniture. We are bringing the natural world into the human world, much as we do when we place a dining table in someone’s kitchen – a moment in which I wonder (and often ask) about what leads our customers to commission us. Is it the design, the story or something else?
For many people, it’s a latent desire to bring a small piece of tamed nature into their home. There is a deep bond to our evolved past in any worked piece of wood, satisfying us in our detached world. This connection is hard-wired; one example among many is a study in 2011 that measured children’s heart rates and found them to be lowered when studying in a room with wooden wall panels. I think we know the benefits of natural surfaces somewhere deep in our psyche, often escaping as involuntary stroking of wooden surfaces.
The textures and figuring in wooden surfaces cannot be replicated by digital means; a kitchen table top can act as a humble example of the infinite uniqueness of the natural world. Each board is a record of the years and conditions in which it grew. I believe strongly that wood is an important thing to be in the presence of, daily, as you slurp your tea and crunch your toast.
Taking the time to notice it keeps your feet on the ground and, as we know, your heart rate low.
Our challenge as makers is to not detract from these characteristics. We must understand the structural implications of (I hate this word) ‘imperfections’ and work around them in our client’s piece. Of course, our work can only be achieved with solid wood; I question the point of inviting natural materials into our homes if they are indeed only 0.6mm thick, homogeneous in pattern and hiding MDF (dust bound together with urea-formaldehyde).
On my first day at university, I remember cutting some beech with a sharp tenon saw and deciding I could
work wood for the rest of my life. I meant wood, real wood, abstaining from the veneering section of the course because ‘William Morris wouldn’t have approved’. I stand by that abstention, and a promise we make to our craftsmen and craftswomen is that they’ll never work with veneer or MDF. I’m sad to say we’re a rarity in our industry.
So I shall leave you with a tip to ensure your future kitchen table serves you in bringing a sense of wellness to your day (along with a nod to the fact that brands like DEVOL and Benchmark are good places to start). Follow the grain along its length to the edge of the table and you should see the annual rings of the tree at the end of the grain. And if you cannot, request some solid wood instead.