FOLIA

INDIVIDUAL Project | 3rd-YEAR STUDIO
3 MONTHS | winter 2022

Objective

The aim of this project was to produce an entry for the IDEASxWOOD 2021/2022 Carpanelli Award by veneer company TABU. The contest brief emphasized the creation of a furniture piece that brings reassurance and warmth to a residential home through “a new touch of elegance”. An additional requirement of the project was to develop a unique functional mechanism.

Outcome

A versatile, nature-inspired side table with a rotating door.

INSPIRATION

ideation

I initially began with the vision of a taller side table, and explored different leg designs for a tabletop that had either a either a swivel or lifting top. Eventually I transitioned to multi-level iterations with more storage. After finding inspiration in rotating doors and natural forms, the leaf shape came about and the semi-rounded shape of the table followed.

PROTOTYPING

After calculating the leaf and surrounding frame dimensions, I explored ways to execute the rotating door mechanism. The biggest challenge was to determine a structure to support the hanging door, allowing enough freedom for it to rotate but not to slide sideways. This led to the addition of a rubber grip inside the rail bar to add friction along the top during rotation.

After establishing the overall form, I tried various shelf sizes and orientations until I found an arrangement that allowed for items of different sizes to be stored securely while allowing room for the hand to reach in.

I tested different shades of gold paint for the accents, and also tried several oil- and water-based wood stains to find the desired hue for the final model.

SCALE MODEL: PROCESS

The main processes and machines used during building included:

Marquetry
Wood staining
Shear cutting
Foam sculpting and painting

Laser cutter
Band saw
Drum sander
Lathe

SCALE MODEL: FINAL

Two-thirds the size of the original design. Communicates the overall form and function.

FINAL DESIGN

Folia is a versatile furniture piece that can be placed anywhere in the living room. Its offset shelving and tabletop offer space both for storage and display. The form is inspired by the soft and comforting forms of nature, including those of leaves, while the finishes allude to the luxury found in the natural world. The brass accents add a hint of warmth to the home. The rotating door allows the owner to hide some objects, while showing off others, selecting which side they would like to leave open for viewing while transitioning seamlessly in between. The face of the door features a unique veneer pattern. The different sections are selectively shaded using hot sand and the design is finished with brass inlays.