A project utilising local skills, pride & passion. By Jeremy Walton. (Københavns Møbelsnedkeri & Mai-Britt Eschen) 2010

Made with Corian, Wool, Old Woollen Jumpers, Pride & Passion. As part the SE 2010 WHITE OUT exhibition.

I’ll cover the longer story behind the chair below, the most important thing about the project for me, was asking if the pride and passion of the local needle felting artisan can be utilised in the process of furniture making? Can local hobby artists be utilised by larger industry? The result of the project is a time consuming Zen like process of drilling holes and then pulling loops of wool through them, followed by the freedom to sculpt wool.

The longer story.

It may need explaining that the original title of the SE exhibition, when the brief first came out, was DANISH NOW – WHITE OUT. For graphic simplicity the exhibition title was cropped to WHITE OUT.

The overall form of the ‘We Love Freedom’ chair is a combination of perfect milking stool and honest big beautiful butt. This was some deeper elaborated personal reflection about my own view of Scandinavia. After 14+ years I am pretty much resigned to being DANISH NOW.

The milking stool reflects my original, probably naive, typecast and limited image of Scandinavia, based on beautiful milkmaids, perfection, naturists and an energetic freedom of running through long grass. (I’ve since learnt Denmark is not part of Switzerland and milk stools are in fact much lower to the ground, to enable one to get under the cow and milk it).

The felted arse part of the stool is a reflection of knowing better. The exhibition WHITEOUT rules, (under the guise of being a theme), lead me to thinking along the lines of ‘the Danes relaxed attitude to exposing their white bits’.

So that all make sense now, yes?

oh well.

The looping process involves taking pleasure in drilling holes. A loop of wool is pulled through the hole; this is enough to keep it in place. Anyone is welcome to use the Looping technique as a folk art technique. One day I’ll get around to illustrating Looping as a folk art technique, but until then, get in touch and I will be happy to talk you through some tips. I have some projects in mind.

It is a simple, yet time consuming pleasure. I like to think that the process could be passed on from generation to generation with each generation felting their old woollen jumpers into the chair. It is basically a simple upholstery process that anyone can quite easily and affordably get involved with.

For more practical use, the looping process is better reversed, so the loops are on the outside and the layered area, that can be replenished and patched, is used to sit on as padding.

I was lucky, in that it turned out that Københavns Møbelsnedkeri had contacts in their families that are fans of needle felting, not only on their door step, but living with them. So they put us in touch with Mai-Britt Eschen. She had never done anything quite as big as this before, but we got some advice from Denmark’s professional needle felt artisans and we worked things out.

The brief for the Butt was to make a big beautiful butt, it is meant to be a well formed arse that is scaled up a little. Like a big stone sculptural arse. We could have used a slightly cheaper wool in building up the form, had we know at the time. We did however use old jumpers to help build up the form. Plus we used the old jumpers and some black wool to give the Butt a slight texture. It is also soaped, which all helps to prevent it from looking like a big teddy bear butt.

For developing commercial designs involving free forming and felt looping please also get in touch. Even better if it will utilise local passion and improve the enjoyment of furniture production.

A process of beading by Jeremy Walton and Jette Mellgren 2009

Chairs made using the simple process of threading beads on a string. Exploring the enjoyment, pride and passion in the production process. Originally made for the 2009 Dialogue exhibition at The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen to coincide with the COP 15 climate change summit.

Jette Mellgren is an expert at weaving anything that can bend.

The chair is made of urban drift wood, reclaimed cables, beads, willow, pride and passion.

The original concept was to make the leg beads from scratch after a set design. These legs are then tied together using extra beads as spacers. The original leg beads allow the easy weaving of various materials on to the frame.

The original leg beads never happened (not yet anyway, one day) The idea was to work with an industrial furniture producer and explore how to make the process of making furniture can incorporate a little more skill and passion for their workers. We are still working on that idea. So in the mean time old chair parts have been used to get started and move one step closer to testing out the overall idea of producing chairs using the process of beading.

No one makes water fountains anymore.

As if the whole pride and passion and threading beads on a string thing is not complicated enough, there is also a now slightly forgotten and left behind story behind the actual quarter form of the chair. Originating from the dialogue theme of the exhibition, the starting point of the whole project. This is in some way explained in the following story extracts. But basically the chair is meant to be a long forgotten relic from a larger, much larger object. That object being a giant tea cake stand or a little more acceptable, a water fountain. This goes some way to explain why some parts of the chair are broken or missing. Each quarter, has an outward view and room can be given for more than one person to join the dialogue. I leave it there.

Handmade Wall Display by Jeremy Walton, 2009. E-craftbook jw 003

These wall displays use the e-craftbook jw 003 (Soon available to download and make. Or these need a home for slightly more than $10.)

Exhibited at:

Copenhagen Culture Night 2009.

Made Personally by Jeremy Walton. Mooment shop.

Handmade wall display by Jeremy Walton, 2009. E-craftbook jw 002
Each quarter measurers 50 cm x 50 cm x 7 cm. 100 hundread units.

Wall Display using the DesignYouMake E-craftbook jw 002 available to down load and make yourself. (available soon). This is a wall display made up of a single unit that can be rotated to create a repeat pattern. Here I have printed the A5 cutout direct onto paper from a year account book, a Danish year account book, which is yellow and green.

Exhibited at:

Copenhagen Culture Night 2009.

Made Personally by Jeremy Walton. Moomentshop.

Designed as part of the GlobalMadeLocal project and exhibited at SE Fifty fifty.

The Allerød Slant stacking chair is a solid wood chair, designed for single unit production. Developed for the GlobalMadeLocal project. All the angles for a stacking chair that can be made by local cabinetmakers, on a commission.

The Allerød Slant has slanting back legs that enable stacking while creating a dynamic and unique style to the chair. Dinning/conference chair, with upholstery options.

The construction of the chair centers around the seat frame which creates all the necessary angles for the legs and back rest. The frame of the chair in itself, becomes a jig for forming the back rest into a hammock type curve, allowing for ease of single unit production.

Dimensions: W43 x D44 x H90 cm

The inspiration for the Allerød Slant came about from aiming to create a chair suitable for small coffee shops or conferences, where stacking of the chairs is not of up most importance but handy on occasion. The Ø debate in Allerød that I became aware of on my ‘Journey Around the Globe in 80 chairs’ added to inspiring the back slant of the legs, this in turn led to exploring the idea of stacking the chair in an internal stack. PP Møblers closeness to their home town of Allerød, probably lead to their warming to the slanting dynamic form of the chair in the early idea and selection stage.

In relation to the GlobalMadeLocal principal of limiting automation, it was very interesting to create a chair that has a formed back without needing a forming tool. Each chair in its self is, in a sense, at forming tool. Should you ever have the pleasure to visit PP Møbler in Allerød you will marvel at their store of tooling forms for forming compressed wood.

Exhibited at:

SE Fifty Fifty exhibition at Rundtaarn Copenhagen Denmark in 2008.

Design by Jeremy Walton, 2008. developed together with København Møbelsnedkeri.

Designed as part of the GlobalMadeLocal project and exhibited at SE Fifty fifty.

The unit consists of four open shelves and one drawer unit. The unit has a public facade, consisting of a thick veneer of wood. The unit also has a private side where the facade is no longer necessary and the thick (very thick) veneer comes off and acts as a utilitarian object, a pair of step ladders.

Above photo by Jeppe Gudmundse-Holmgreen

The removable steps have a wooden hinge and is credit to cabinet makers Kim and Søren of København Møbelsnedkeri. The design is developed in a way that it can be shared between cabinetmakers. In this case it presents some challenges for cabinetmakers to get their teeth into. Kim and Søren asured me that cabinetmakers would also like to make furniture that presents them a challenge and allows them to use some of their skills.

The inspiration for the Utilitarian veneer came about in relation to my journey ‘Around the globe in 80 Chairs – Islands Brygge’ part of the GlobalMadeLocal project.

Inspired by the restoration of the old industrial buildings that expose the charm of our working and utilitarian roots, set against the shiny facades of the developing quarter. Here space is at a primium and if you can’t fit a pair of step ladders in a broom cupboard then fit the broom cupboard into the step ladders.

The original piece was made in conjunction with the Danish SE exhibition (Cabinetmakers Autumn Exhibition). Due to this,  it was decided to use smoked oak wood throughout the construction of the piece, with laminate on the private exposed areas of the shelving. The principal of the piece is a public veneer becoming a private utilitarian ladder. Different cabinetmakers may opt to use different woods and veneer.

When the thick veneer is removed, it leaves exposed a secondary non finished wood. Similar to the effect of opening a drawer on a chest of drawers, where the outside of the unit is veneered for public presentation and opening the the drawers is a private affair.The more extreme the variation in the finish, the better. In relation to the SE exhibition, I could not convince Kim and Søren the cabinetmakers to use chipboard for the internal private wood. This piece evolved into an exhibition piece and due to the complex wooden hinge and special drawer inlays becomes a specific piece of furniture that will be in the GML Grandie registration category. I have together with Kim and Søren worked out a simpler version on the same principal. We hope to add this to the collection in the not to distant future, together with a Utilitarian veneer - step cupboard, clothes horse cupboard, step chair.

]]> http://www.walton.dk/walton/exhibition/se-fifty-fifty/utilitarian-veneer/feed/ 1 http://www.walton.dk/walton/exhibition/se-fifty-fifty/shelving-beams/ http://www.walton.dk/walton/exhibition/se-fifty-fifty/shelving-beams/#comments Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:54:23 +0000 admin http://www.walton.dk/walton/?p=174 Design by Jeremy Walton, 2008. Developed together with København Møbelsnedkeri.

Designed as part of the GlobalMadeLocal project and exhibited at SE Fifty fifty.

From the larger area of the room the beams look to be rough beams, while on the inner sides the beams is open shelving suitable for books, compact discs and ornaments. The beams are quirky sculptural elements that play with the charm of architectural elements normally found in old buildings, while having a functional use and utilising overhead space in a non-heavy practical way.

The horizontal shelving Beams are mounted from wall to wall into a corner. One length fits all, the beams go into the wall at 45 degrees so they align themselves and fit any corner.

The inspiration for the beams came about in relation to my journey ‘Around the globe in 80 Chairs – Islands Brygge’ (Find out more in the gallery). Inspired by the restoration of the old industrial buildings in the area along side the new buildings that are short of the odd charming construction element.

The shorter inner beam can also be positioned ceiling to wall as a – ‘flying beam’

Above photos by Jeppe Gudmundsen-Holmgreen

See more images on GlobalMadeLocal

GlobalMadeLocal Reaches Islands Brygge.

Islands Brygge has often been referred to as the Manhattan of Copenhagen. It is the home of Københavns MøbelSnedkeri, situated in a road that is probably the last outpost of inner city industry in the area. The lease is short, but while it lasts, the small overlooked road is a charming blot on the landscape of polished glass office buildings and flats that don’t just have parking facilities for cars, but for boats as well.

Islands Bryggeis a developing area along the water edge of Åmagar over looks the skyline of Copenhagen. Already towards the end of the last century most of the industrial buildings were being converted into flats. A few well chosen reminders of industry remain, such as the large metal mooring rings down by the water edge, that are now rusty.

The new flats and office buildings that are taking over the industrial character of the area are to an extent quite refreshing, which is a credit to the new wave of architects. Yet I do miss the texture that, I can’t imagine, all the new glass will ever be able to replace.

On my journey around the globe, I come to the workshop run by Kim and Søren. In their own words they ‘make furniture with Love and Hate’. Kim supplies the love and Søren the hate. It seems to be a good recipe and they are establishing a very nice business. Yet this is no wonder, they are based in the Manhattan of Copenhagen.

Reflected in the glass facade, one can still feel the industrial roots of Island Brygge.

I wonder where all the workers have gone, or have they just changed their boots. I look up at the glass fronted flats and can see the designer furniture in the repetitive windows from the pages of life style magazines. This view is broken up by the occasional room that is full of boxes and utility items. Damn the transparent walls.

The speed at which these flats are developing, makes me wonder, how far have we really come from the reproduction furniture that emulates the high society. A public facade of cherry wood veneer to hide a private woodchip soul.

What happened to the solid functional utilitarian furniture for hard working industrious people?

These new workers need real furniture, as nostalgic reminders of our long forgotten roots.

See shelving-beams and utilitarian-veneer

GlobalMadeLocal Reaches Allerød.

The journey starts in the Danish town of Allerød, or as the locals prefer to write it, Alleryd. [1] There has been much debate in Allerød over the English spelling of Alleryd, with the majority in favour of the spelling that gives the more Danish phonetic pronunciation.
From the start you get the sense, that the people of Alleryd have a high regard for details.

The sound you are hearing is the sound of a battle signal blown on a Lur from Brudevælte, Lynge in Allerød Kommune, taken from a grammerphone recording from 1925. The local instrument is often played in the bustling neighbourhood high street of Alleryd. Quite a charming sound. For more indepth information about the Lur visit Per-Olof-Johansson site and if you can’t hear the sound try this link. Link to sound

I come to Alleryd to meet with Kasper Holst Pedersen who is the grandson of the original founder of PP Møbler or should that be Mybler? No. I actually first met Kasper about 4 years ago at a furniture trade show, He offered me sweets and invited me back to see his new showroom in Allerød. It was about a year later when Kasper was no longer a stranger, that I took up his invitation to visit the showroom.

Stig Colbjørn Nielsen head of tourism in the Allerod area, and actually being based in the neighbouring town of Slangerup, is unaware of any debate in Alleryd over how to spell Alleroed in English. Along with the raging name debate, PP møbler is not represented in any of Allerods local tourist ‘information of interest’. One would think they would value more the presence of that [2] ‘which has set some remarkable marks in Danish design history’.

[1] According to the intriguing local insights of Allerød by the Author Per-olof-Johansson. Thank you for your kind help, words and the image ‘two men playing the Lur in allerød’.

[2] According to the intriguing historical notes on the PP website.

In contrast to PP’s large world renowned collection of unavailable furniture, ‘prototypes’, I think that’s what they refer to them as, I liked the idea of developing a chair that would focus on the ability of a cabinetmaker to complete a single chair in one go. This also lead to the question, why can’t they then share it with other cabinetmakers around the globe and inturn avoid more unavailable furniture, in that lovely collection of theirs. I have my own not so renowned collection of unavailable furniture, so I was very excited about making something that could be real and available.

I like the idea of interior designers specifying a locally made chair for a small cafe or conference room. We are not talking highly functional, but neat, simple, a little bit practical, but in the most part, local and friendly.

The problematic backslash of the Ø in Allerød, the danish letters that are not web friendly, got me playing with a slant. That lead to the slightly strange internal stack which ends up giving quite a unique form to the legs of the chair. These angles are all created by some very simple cutting angles in the main seat frame. The whole chair is made, pretty much, with a rotary blade? ok plus quite a bit of planing the wood down to size. But I have tried to keep all the dimensions simple, round and repeated where suitable.

What I really liked next, is the back element which is flexible ply or steamed wood, held in position by the frame of the chair. It is quite nice to create a curve without the need for any tooling up. The chair frame becomes a form tool in its-self, forming the back rest.

PP believe that the majority of cabinetmakers can also upholster furniture. I have left the choice of fabric up to PP, as the beauty of GlobalMadeLocal offers the customers the chance to tailor the furniture to suit their wishes or maybe their curtains. I now know that I really should have checked out Kaspers curtains before giving him this freedom.

The joints of the chair are done with dowel pins that also have very small wedge angles inserted in them. I love cabinetmakers for that sort of thing, their passion is contagious.

See the Allerod Slant Chair

Start of a long slow journey.

Why do projects need to be completed instantly?

To develope 80 chairs across the globe following the GlobalMadeLocal ideology. Chair is just a term for furniture, they might not always be chairs.

80 pieces working flat out, could take about 8 years to complete, allowing for public holidays. But the chance of working flat out is not an option I have, so I will be lucky if I ever complete the journey, but who is in a rush to finish.