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BJØRN STUDIO

OUR PLACE TO EXPLORE IDEAS ON CONTEMPORARY LIVING
*All posts are for educational and noncommercial purposes.

Just right

A well-crafted and scaled piece of furniture can set the mood, revel in materiality and innovation, and ultimately unify a room. Here are a few examples from our work.

Set the mood. A home starts at the front door. Setting the personality of the inhabitants, introduce the material palette, and/or bringing together existing treasures with a perfectly scaled piece.

A walnut and oak bench introduce the material palette, echoing the architecture.
A custom, clean lined console table hints at the curated interior mixed with contemporary and mid-century classics, like these Gio Pointi Superleggera Chair.

Develop a theme. For Decorator Showcase 2018 powder room, our theme of roman, from fountains, materiality and film were grounded in ancient history and the French avant-garde. The lines of the Colosseo Quadrato  inspired this simple, functional table, while the inversion of materiality was a nod to the Italian avant-garde:  prioritizing the inexpensive to the rare.  An inexpensive Ash, a typical structural material for fine furniture is on the exterior, with the highly polished Rosewood floats from the interior.

Perfectly proportioned sculpted Ash contrasts with the thinness of the floating Rosewood.

Exquisite + utilitarian detailing. Inset leather, marquetry, joinery. An understanding of new and traditional techniques, deployed in a new, contemporary vocabulary provides furniture with deep meaning and enduring use.

Leather inset provides a tactile and durable finish for displaying art or serving food, with plenty of hidden storage below.

A time and place to reflect. Smartly deployed, reflective metal, glass, lacquer and mirror can reflect surroundings, blurring boundaries between interior/exterior or doubling the impact of a  prized piece of art.

A table top embraces its surroundings, reflecting a magnificent charcoal drawing, while the oak and brass base recede. Knowing how to reflect and enhance or recede and yield is a delicate balance.

Technological finesse. A slight of hand can achieve the seemly unachievable with sophisticated engineering and design. With a network of artisans, metalsmiths and carpenters, we are able to explore ideas and develop an actionable design.

A 16′ floating bench spans wall-to-wall, providing additional utility to a dining room. A span of steel structural struts connected to the side walls is hidden behind the teak and custom woven-wool cushion.
A hidden mirror enhances the lightness of the bench, while plaster walls pick up the changing light off the bay.

Floating in space. Almost lighter than air, a cantilevered cabinet, vanity or desk lightens the mood, visually expanding a room. Done with grace, a floating piece of furniture provides needed utility without a heavy, full feeling.

This bedside tables hangs off of an acoustically absorbent fabric wall panels.

Shou Sugi Ban.  Controlled fire used to char wood is an ancient Japanese exterior siding technique that preserves wood. This is a technique that I have employed for years to expose the grain of wood, and provide a deep patina with luxurious touch when waxed. 

The durability of teak combines with the smooth touch of Shou Sugi Ban to suite this walk-in shower wrapped in Quartzite.
A Japanese soaking tub completes the vibe.

Scale. The right piece of furniture needs to take into account the overall shape and volume of a room, providing clarity and unity. Sometimes the move is counter intuitive…all is dependent on each individual space and how it relates to adjacent rooms, the architecture, light and place.

A low-hugging, floating sofa maximizes seating, while providing room for Brett Reichman’s oversized artwork to capture the potential of this 16′ high space.

David Bjørngaard, October 2020

Check out more of our work, at Bjørn Design

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