Clare Ng, Revival Shelves (FURNITURE 2025)
- Photos:
- Clare Ng
- Country
- United Kingdom (Great Britain)
A plant shelving unit crafted entirely from teak offcuts produced by Computer Numerical Control (CNC) processes. It is designed to minimise waste and reveal the potential of repurposing materials that are often overlooked in automated manufacturing. Each shelf is fully customisable in height and orientation, supported by hidden clamps that provide both stability and a clean, seamless appearance. This versatility accommodates plants of various heights, encouraging healthy growth and offering a visually engaging, all-around viewing experience. The entire unit can be flat-packed, allowing for easy transport, relocation, or storage. The design is guided by two core principles: first, to maximise the use of offcuts by altering their shape and texture as little as possible; second, to enable flat-packing, extending its lifespan through easy assembly and disassembly. To follow these principles, the shelves are crafted from thick minor arc offcuts, which are originally the negative space left from curved CNC components. Their uniform shape and textured edge, which is a result of the CNC process are preserved. By slicing and book-matching these arcs, leaf-shaped shelves are formed. A lightly textured dowel made from the centre of a long, profiled strip containing sapwood, serves both as a stem and a grip-enhancing feature for the hidden clamps. The clamps and base are made from short, square-edged offcuts discarded for safety reasons for further machining. Through sequential cutting and careful arrangement, these pieces form a base that echoes the growth rings of a tree stump. By embracing the offcuts' original shape and texture, it preserves the story and celebrates the beauty of reclaimed timber. More than just a display for plants, it’s a statement on thoughtful reuse and design-driven sustainability, where overlooked waste becomes a platform for new growth and lasting impact.
Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.