FILLING THE GAPS

Happenstance brought this enterprising couple into the woodworking industry; it took a surprising experiment to spark their passion for the material

Melvin Lau did not start Dewoodscape with an interest in woodwork. In fact, his academic background in accounting and hospitality are worlds away from his current occupation. The Dutch entrepreneur co-founded the firm three years ago with his Indonesian wife, Novia Kiang, after receiving a fortuitous business opportunity with a furniture manufacturer. The company started as a store that sold custom-made furniture using wooden slabs imported from Indonesia. Shortly after, the couple decided to do the treatment and finishing processes in-house to ensure optimal quality of each product; they also recently opened a factory in Indonesia which oversees the wood drying process. Lau’s Singaporean cousin, Marcus Ho, joined the company this year as its operations manager.

LEFT TO RIGHT

Co-founders Melvin Lau and Novia Kiang, and operations manager Marcus Ho of Dewoodscape; turquoise epoxy resin is added to this table to create river-like streaks; a chemicalfree wax is applied to the tabletop, followed by a buffing and polishing process that gives the table a beautiful shine

INTO THE WOODS The wooden slabs used by Dewoodscape are reclaimed lumber sourced from Indonesia and Singapore. Varieties available include tembusu, rosewood, suar wood, mahogany, teak and juniper as well as black walnut from the US; the firm hopes to import more varieties of wooden slabs in the near future. After treating hundreds of wooden slabs, Lau started experimenting on the decorative uses of epoxy resin on wood by pouring liquid resin into the cracks and splits in the wooden slab to create river-like streaks. A timely request from a customer gave Lau the opportunity to use the technique, when he commissioned a custom-made dining table. Intrigued by the successful result, Lau’s interest in the medium grew. “Ever since then, I have been addicted to creating epoxy resin tables,” shares Lau. “And the amazing part of this is that the customer can get heavily involved in the creative process, from choosing the wood and colour to the position of the epoxy resin, a process that can’t be replicated with factory-made products.”

“THE CUSTOMER CAN GET HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS, FROM CHOOSING THE WOOD AND COLOUR TO THE POSITION OF THE EPOXY RESIN”

CREATIVE MAGIC The beauty of this epoxy resin method means that no two outcomes are identical, as the liquid’s unexpected flow and the unique characteristics of each wooden slab can produce a distinctive result each time. The company’s CNC machine (which uses computerised controls) is also able to carve a wide variety of designs onto wood, be it initials, a logo or other intricate details. The studio also utilises pigments in over 50 colours from Black Diamond, a brand that it also distributes in a bid to share the love of the craft with other hobbyists who are keen on working with epoxy resin. “You need to love what you do,” quips Lau. For this entrepreneur, he certainly has found his calling.