Tag Archives: woodwork

This hidden train side table is a design and engineering masterpiece

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We’ve seen a few desks and tables with hidden features, but this DIY project takes the cake when it comes to revealing something that you least expect from a side table.

Side tables may have started out as simple, functional pieces of furniture, but they quickly turned into decorative assets in any room. Of course, these smaller tables went through their own minimalism phase before they started to become more multi-functional and expressive. Some side tables still retain their clean forms, using ingenious tricks to hide additional functions until they’re needed. To be fair, this table doesn’t exactly offer any additional useful functionality, but no one will be able to deny how amazing it is to see it transform from useful furniture to intricate movie reference. It’s even more amazing when you find out just how much work was needed to make this seemingly magical dual-purpose table to life.

Designer: Peter Waldraff

We’ve seen our fair share of DIY projects utilizing wood, electronics, or artistic skills, but very few actually required intensive applications of all those. In some cases, much of the work is done by a 3D printer, sometimes even outsourced to a 3D printing service, and some of the woodwork involved in other projects were pretty minimal. In contrast, you can’t help but be awestruck by this particular maker’s persistence and skill in shoving a miniature movie set into a deceptively simple wooden table.

The creator, for example, had to cut no less than 16 wooden rings that were glued together to create the hidden compartment for the model train set. A system of hidden pulleys had to be designed to raise and lower the platform, transforming the table into a moving diorama. Pieces of foam had to be cut, assembled, and painted to create the mountain centerpiece that would serve as the backdrop of the set. That’s also not mentioning yet the tricky wiring and electronics involved, especially to make the moving train trigger railroad bells as if by magic.

The mini train set tries to recreate an iconic scene from the film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and it ingeniously uses the underside of the table’s elevated wooden top to play the role of a UFO. LED lights not only give it an otherworldly appearance, it also illuminates the train to make it look more visible. The effect is best observed at night, of course, but the mini train table is mesmerizing any time of the day.

This project won’t win any sustainability awards due to its use of foam and some chemicals, but it would have admittedly been harder to pull off without those. This isn’t the first time this engineer slash electrician slash woodworker has dabbled in hiding model railroads inside tables, but this might be the most enchanting one yet. Watching a seemingly innocuous wooden round table split apart and reveal a mini-train system and alien spacecraft makes for an experience that is truly out of this world.

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Revisit the ancient art of woodturning with this line of furniture that gives a modern take to traditional design!

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“A different turn,” is a line of furniture pieces created by Koen Boersma from the art of woodturning, an ancient craft that’s Boersma revives through modern design and traditional tools.

The craft of woodturning has been around for centuries, but today, the art is slowly dying out. For as long as it’s been in use, the art of woodturning has varied in form over the years. Only requiring a few woodworking tools, like a lathe and cutters, woodturning can transform wood blocks into an array of different shapes and patterns. Returning to the ancient craft to design their new series of furniture, Koen Boersma created “A different turn,” a line of furniture produced from Boersma’s modern take on woodturning.

Starting out with a rectangular block of wood, Boersma spins each piece into alternating patterns of round and square shapes. Boersma describes the process, “When making this series, the rectangular shape of the starting piece was used, and patterns were developed from this shape.” Spurred by the Netherlands’ specific love for and connection to the craft of woodturning, Boersma turned to traditional tools and cultural building methods for the foundation of “A different turn.”

Beginning with a single, rectangular block of wood, Boersma creates undulating patterns to expose the wood block’s natural, unstained grooves and grains. In showcasing each block of wood’s natural grain, each piece of furniture is unique in its own light. Describing this in their own words, Boersma explains, “The patterns on the straight, black flat sides of the objects flow into the soft, round shapes of the turned away wood. A confluence of the designer’s signature, and the natural beauty of the wood itself.”

Designer: Koen Boersma

The post Revisit the ancient art of woodturning with this line of furniture that gives a modern take to traditional design! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This minimal fan’s stripped down design is crafted from sustainable materials to last for generations!

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It’s that time of year again– it’s getting hot and the fans are coming out. Finding the right fan for your living space means finding one that’s practical and blends in with the rest of your furniture and architecture. As consumers, we tend to make a lot of stylistic compromises for the sake of practicality, which leads to products getting discarded before they reach obsolescence. Inspired to create a standing fan that’s not white, plastic, and likely to end up on the sidewalk come September, design group Ttato built Aura.

Minimal by conscious design, Aura’s build was stripped down to its bare components: cage, propeller, base, and motor. Built to be a home appliance that can be used throughout the year, Aura was specifically built for optimal functionality. Constructed with materials that were selected for their sustainability, durability, and beauty, Aura exudes a sophisticated air and follows that through with detailed functionality.

Aura’s rotor blades, for instance, were formed from the overlaying and bending of birch and ash veneers, lengthening the rotor blades’ lifespan while celebrating the craft of woodworkers. Then, the aluminum frame is coated with powder and designed to be lightweight and easy to assemble. The three legs of Aura are carved from solid ash wood and can be easily dislodged so that Aura can be transported anywhere. Designed to outlast and redefine our relationships with household furniture, Aura is in it even for the long winter.

Named after the mythical deity that represents ‘the gentle breeze in the early morning,’ Aura was built to move large quantities of air at low speeds. Aura’s built-in controller allows users to choose from five different speeds and outfitted with a swivel and tilt function, users can adjust the direction of airflow as well. During the winter, Aura can be used to move the cooler air from the floor to the ceiling by tilting the fan upwards so the rotor can draw in cool air and the blades can propel the warmer air back down towards the floor.

Designer: Ttato Design

Aura’s minimalist design merges a slim build with a wide area for an elegant addition to any living space.

Aura’s powder-coated aluminum frame is lightweight and durable.

Coming in an array of different colors, Aura has the right look for your space.

By turning the fan upwards, the rotor draws in the cool air and propels the warmer air to the ground.

The 5-speed controller comes with summer and winter modes.

Aura’s 5-speed controller allows users to adjust the strength and mode of the fan’s airflow.

This no-screws Dougong Table assembles like Lego and looks like art

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Alright, who is ready for a table that looks like art and does not come with a frustrating IKEA assembly guide? Because Boston-based designer Mian Wei has created this beautiful piece of furniture that marries minimal aesthetic with cultural heritage. The Dougong blocks from ancient Chinese architecture play a central role in the build and concept of the grid table – think of it as an advanced Lego challenge! Mian Wei won the Silver A’Design Award for this grid table in the homeware and furniture category, showcasing his exceptional skills as a multimedia artist who brings to life ideas that blend industrial design and emotions seamlessly.

This is a no screws assembly – yes – there is no need to keep a track of the different screw sizes and the tiny anvil! The grid table relies on the ages-old Dougong method of interlocking blocks so effectively that it not only distributes weight evenly but also lays a strong foundation while experiencing history. The supporting structure (Dougong) is made of modular parts that can be easily disassembled and reassembled in need of storage and moving. The bracket connectors (Gong) slide easily into the beams (Dou) to form the weight-bearing structure and retain structural integrity when the table is being lifted. It is made of ash, maple, and plywood which brings tone and texture ‘to the table’ (I just had to take that opportunity!).

“This project, on the one hand, tries to go back to the root to reinvestigate the practicality and scalability and bring new life to the ancient tradition. On the other hand, the project seeks to explore new aesthetic possibilities of the structure with modern forms and production techniques” says Mian Wei. The grid table gives form to the visual of wisdom and can be a stand-alone accent piece in the room (while also holding your tea and books!) without being too bold. The table is minimal yet so intricate in what can only be described as ‘engineered art’. As the owner builds the table, the complexity fades away, and the sensible nature reveals itself – the complete opposite of what I have ever felt while assembling the simplest chest of drawers in my home.

Designer: Mian Wei

This vintage vinyl table with a tambour door will take you on a trip down memory lane!

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Though I may not be one myself, I am well aware of how protective owners of Vinyl records are. Add a turntable to the mix, and it’s almost like a tigress protecting her newborn cubs. Understanding this very emotion intricately, the furniture designer Stian Herdal (or you may know him by his alter ego HRDL) decided to create ‘The Vinyl Table’. A mid-century inspired modern record player stand, cabinet, and storage unit, the piece is made from a combination of Oak and Valchromat. The vintage piece allows you to display your turntable and all your vinyl records that may have been gathering dust in storage. Oh, and did I mention it’s made to order? The handmade piece can be customized on request, and you have a choice between spider legs or pencil legs!

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. This blast from the past can store about 200 of your most prized records, but that is only one of its highlights. Herdal has packed in another surprise; a distinguished ‘sliding tambour door’. Now, using this door is not only functionally brilliant but is also an experience by itself. Every aspect of this well thought out design captures the old world charm, including the rustle of wood panels as they slide smoothly to reveal the cabinet within. The tambour door gives you access to the interiors of the cabinet, providing a perfect hideaway to store your amplifier and other equipment while this beautifully designed woodwork is bound to evoke nostalgia for modern-day design enthusiasts and audiophiles.

Simple, finely-crafted and timeless, the Vinyl Table is bound to capture not only your attention but your heart, allowing you to give your records the royal treatment they deserve. It is not a piece of furniture, but an experience providing you with an opportunity to worship all things vinyl!

Designer: Stian Herdal