Dinesen, a Danish manufacturer of handcrafted wooden flooring and products, has announced a bespoke furniture collection with long-term collaborator and revered British architectural designer John Pawson.
The Pawson Furniture Collection is a new high point in a three-decade-long relationship that both Dinesen and Pawson are immensely proud of. Having previously collaborated on projects of varying scale and type; including private homes, exhibitions, museums and chapels – the new furniture collection distils the ethos of the Danish word 'Umage', which means going beyond what is expected or considered possible, as it expands this sense of progression that Dinesen and Pawson bring to their work.
The roots of the Pawson Furniture Collection for Dinesen can be traced back to the original furniture collection John Pawson created with Dinesen in 1992, solely for Pawson House, London.
Photo: Claus Troelsgaard.
While designing his private home in Notting Hill, John discovered Dinesen and ordered Douglas fir planks for the flooring. In two instantly defining gestures, the planks were laid uncut, in one single piece, from the front of the house to the back and boards of corresponding width were utilised to fabricate a table and stools.
This was a commission unlike anything Dinesen had previously delivered, and its success ignited a lifelong friendship and business partnership between Thomas Dinesen, fourth generation and John Pawson that, to this day, has remained strong.
The new collection includes the Dining Series, which encompasses a dining table, bench, and stool; a design that John Pawson drew back in 1992. This design has been updated, adding a shadow gap detail. The top and legs of the dining table are fabricated from two boards. While the shadow gap between each pair of boards was left open in Pawson's original design, this new iteration quietly expresses the gap using a different variety of timber — combining Douglas fir planks with a slender insert of Dinesen Oak. Stools and benches are made from a single Douglas fir board with a solid central spine. The Lounge Series is a new complementary addition to the original Dining Series. Made from Solid Douglas wood, it includes a lounge chair, lounge table, sofa and daybed. Skilled local cabinet makers have built the wooden frame in Denmark and it is upholstered with textiles from the Danish textile company Kvadrat.
As each piece of furniture is made to order, the end customer can choose the desired textile from the Kvadrat upholstery library. The sofa and armchair express the boards on the side elevation, while the cushions continue the theme of assembled and layered elements. The daybed and coffee table are conceived as lower versions of the dining table.
John Pawson comments on the design of the collection for Dinesen, saying: 'When I look at this new furniture collection for Dinesen, I see the essence of the thinking that has shaped my work since the beginning. Everything about these pieces is pared back to the logic and poetry of the wood. The dimensions of the timber determine the proportions of the forms and then it's all about the inherent sensory character of the material.'
More information:
Dinesen
www.dinesen.com