Heart of Wood

Isn’t it fascinating that in this age of advanced technology, 3D printing and sophisticated machinery, designers turn to humble wood? Such a simple and modest material, and yet extraordinary in the way it establishes a subtle bond with nature. In the history of design, our minds turn instantly to the Scandinavian masters of the past. While working for high-profile clients and delivering elaborate, bespoke furniture, they were all obsessed with everyday living, tapping into rural traditions of simplicity, good proportions and no frills. The woodwork and joinery details were exquisite and highly sophisticated, but the result was one of “modesty” in the most Scandinavian sense. Enter Louise Liljencrantz, the Swedish star of contemporary design and longstanding presence on Invisible Collection’s roster. Most of her work is crafted with Veermakers, one of Sweden’s most revered cabinetmakers, who help her bring to life her passion/obsession for wood, including her first dining chair called Set. The frame is distinguished by carefully refined joints, where the meeting points are brought into a continuous, seamlessly polished surface. The chair’s subtle signature is two small, square mother-of-pearl inlays set into the burnished ash. The fascinating thing about Louise’s creations is that she takes all the knowledge and core aesthetic of Scandinavian design—simple, well-proportioned, pared-back, solid—and lets its soul exude a kind of grace and beauty that is truly stunning. In other words, her designs establish an immediate emotional connection between nature and the places they inhabit. They have character and presence; they carry the self-confidence of a collectible.

A revived passion for wood fuels the creative drive of many up-and-coming studios across Europe, including The Sit Still Studio. Founded in Wales in 2019 by partners Bethan Mitchell and Daniel John, the studio prides itself on an unfailing commitment to craftsmanship and a desire to celebrate the art of rest. Working with the best local craftspeople and using home-grown Douglas fir, they honor the honesty of materials such as wood, which inspires their Heavenly Bodies collection, available exclusively through us. Defined by unexpected, geometric shapes, the collection includes the fascinating Aphelion chair. For those not familiar with astrophysics, aphelion is the point at which a comet travels farthest from the Sun before its orbit draws it back. Bethan and Daniel took the beauty and persistence of that path as the starting point for this dining chair. Made by hand in solid black walnut, it stands on three legs, finished with a hand-turned ball foot that gives the silhouette a grounded yet lean look. As with every piece from the studio, it is made to order, so the timber can be hand-selected for each chair and chosen for its grain, tone and character, walnut being the material of choice as it warms and settles with age. The Heavenly Bodies collection includes a dining table and some stools featuring more brutalist shapes, like imaginary tree trunks with beautifully polished surfaces. They all carry a quality of strength and elegance at the same time. Ultimately, they carry past masters’ principles of simplicity, exquisite proportions and no frills.