Norse

In designing Norse, I wanted to create a comfortable and beautifully proportioned chair with high perceived value, utilising old and new production processes and pushing the boundaries of both material and manufacturing characteristics.

The quality and richness of the chair is conveyed by the details of its construction and the combination of steam bent solid timber and ply-formed components, as well as its comfort which is paramount.

The design was created to utilise the 5 axis CNC router to make possible the unusual elliptical section of the steam bent bow and legs, in addition to the very complex jointing of the chair components. Too time consuming to make by hand, this process makes the chair achievable at a reasonable price and that appeals to me.

Norse also stimulates the argument of whether something that is predominantly made by machine can be seen as 'crafted'. 5 axis routers are tools that help to reduce production time and provide consistency, they are only as effective as the operator who in this case is a craftsman who entirely understands wood and the process of chair making and uses a highly technical machine to make chairs with a craft aesthetic.