REMAKE: Indian design meets American hardwoods

Above: Bram Woodcrafting Studio's Ellipse was initially designed to showcase the potential of a 5 axis CNC machine. Photo: Govind Vishwanath

Five leading Indian furniture designers have unveiled the finished pieces made using American hardwoods as part of REMAKE – the first design collaboration in India led by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), an international trade association for the American hardwood industry. The project challenged the designer makers to each select three pieces from their existing furniture range and to remake them using American hardwoods. Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic and the inability to travel to India, AHEC was able to remotely launch REMAKE with the five designer makers.

Esvee Atelier, Flamingo. "A sleek and compact server table design that moves around with the user and sits by the side to amuse and serve with its humanistic form." Photos: Esvee Atelier

The designers involved with the project, which was launched late in 2020, were Bram Woodcrafting Studio, Esvee Atelier, Kam Ce Kam, Studio SFDW and Studio Wood. In response to the brief, the designers chose three of their existing pieces to remake in American red oak, white oak, cherry, hard maple, tulipwood or hickory. AHEC supplied all the timber for the project from a stock of American hardwood species held in India, which was donated to AHEC by Allegheny Wood Products. REMAKE explores how these designers champion sustainable American hardwood in a market that holds great potential.

Kam Ce Kam's Mausam desk features a reeded detail and marble top. Photos: Anmol Wahi

“It was an enriching experience for me to work with American hardwoods", said Srikanth Varma, Founder and Principal Designer, Esvee Atelier. "As exciting as it was to work with these woods, it's been quite a learning experience to see them adapt to our designs. I particularly enjoyed working with American oak, because of its exceptional grain patterns and quality. It was an interesting collaboration to explore the potential of American hardwoods and express them through my designs.”

“Furniture, here in India, is designed and built to last generations," explaineded Navya Aggarwal, Co-founder and Partner, Studio Wood. "Wood is one of the most shape-shifting and malleable materials to experiment with, giving us the opportunity to play with forms, yet durable and sturdy to sustain our evolving lifestyles. AHEC provided us with an array of woods, each unique in its properties and scope of exploration, many of which were a first for us.”

Esvee Atelier, Kaluva coffee table. Inspired by floating lotus leaves with brass inlay "veins". Photos: Esvee Atelier

Commenting on her experience, Jehanara Knowles, founder of Kam Ce Kam, said: “Working with these incredible timbers has been an amazing experience. India has a limited variety of timbers available and so it has been a great  opportunity to use these materials in our pieces. They strongly support our aesthetic, with the natural depth of the material enhancing our designs. Furthermore, the quality of the timber from both a tooling angle and the end product has been admirable.”

“American hardwoods are also sustainable and given that the timber, despite the transportation from America, is carbon negative upon arrival in India, makes it an attractive option for India, which is currently a net importer of timber. I personally believe that American red oak and cherry have the potential to be big in India. As a company, we place great importance on the environmental credentials of the materials we work with and find in American hardwoods a way to continue fulfilling our timber requirements while consuming responsibly,” said Bram Rouws, Director, Bram Woodcrafting Studio.

Studio SFDW, The Night Stand, white oak, integrated rechargeable lamp. Photo: Edwin Lawrence

“Working with cherry was a new experience for me; it was quite fascinating as the wood is quite dense and the grain gorgeous. This inspired me to explore CNC milling with it for objects with finer details and smaller in scale. American white oak in contrast is very strong and its resilience to take any shape and structure. This made it possible for me to achieve a piece that is flatpack with neat joinery and details. The Nightstand in white oak is my favourite as it brings the beauty of natural wood and technology together in a harmonious way. I can’t wait to get my hands on some other species like maple and hickory in the future,” said Saif Faisal, Founder, Studio SFDW.

India’s furniture manufacturers are exploring new materials, looking for long-term alternatives to traditional furniture hardwoods and also to widen their appeal to their intended markets, be they local or overseas. AHEC hopes that this collaboration will inspire and help the Indian market discover the untapped potential of US hardwoods.
Learn more about this project at: www.americanhardwood.org/en/examples/our-projects/remake

 

Bram Woodcrafting Studio, Corinthian chair, Ratio collection. "The chair emulates the proportions followed in the columns of Ancient Greece and Rome." Photo: Govind Vishwanath