Designers craft furniture from imperfect timber for No. 1 Common project

For an exhibition at 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, the American Hardwood Export Council commissioned Andu Masebo, Daniel Schofield and Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng to create furniture that celebrates the natural variety found in hardwood furniture boards.

As part of the project, the designers were challenged to work with lumber known in the United States as Number 1 Common, which typically features some defects such as knots and variations in colour or grain.

Despite offering plenty of “clear wood” that is free from imperfections, this grade of hardwood is not commonly used by furniture makers in Europe, who prefer wood with larger clear cuttings.

With the No. 1 Common project, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) aimed to make the case for overlooked hardwoods and promote a sustainable approach to material selection that encourages the use of the entire tree.

As a starting point, AHEC commissioned British furniture maker Benchmark to conduct detailed research into the technical, aesthetic and practical properties of No. 1 Common timber, which then informed the work of the three designers.

London-based Andu Masebo designed a collection of eight modular tables with curved profiles made using No. 1 Common red oak.

A set of semi-stackable stools made from brown maple accompanies the tables, forming a cohesive family of pieces that can be configured in numerous ways.

During 3 Days of Design, the furniture was rearranged to allow the space to host a talk with the designers and a workshop, during which visitors used off-cuts to craft lighting designs that became part of the exhibition.

Copenhagen-based British designer Daniel Schofield used No. 1 Common cherry wood to create a furniture family aimed at meeting the needs of modern workspaces.

The Common Room collection comprises a table, bench, stools and screens that can be used in a variety of ways to create multipurpose spaces with varying levels of privacy.

Schofield chose to embrace the imperfections found in No. 1 Common timber, using traditional joinery techniques to join splits and patch knots in the wood.

His machined joints feature rounded triangular forms that are repeated in the shapes of the stools and the supports for the table and bench.

Norwegian furniture designer Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng created a cabinet and wall mirror informed by the twisted shapes of roots and branches.

The furniture highlights the distinctive colour variations found in yellow birch wood, which the designer laminated to display its different tones and grains.

By carving the organic shapes along the grain, subtle patterns emerged that showcase the wood’s natural character. The sculptural elements contrast with simple flat surfaces, highlighting the versatility of No 1. Common timber.

The exhibition, held as part of the Material Matters exhibition at 3 Days of Design, displayed the furniture alongside an installation crafted by Danish designer Kia Utzon-Frank using offcuts from the furniture-making process.

Scrap wood from the production of the exhibits was combined using methods that allowed it to be disassembled and reused following the event.

Elements within the space referenced timber yards, forests and workshops, with the technique of stacking timber and binding it with ratchet straps clearly evident in the central shelving display.

AHEC is dedicated to raising awareness around the performance, sustainability and aesthetic potential of American hardwoods.

The trade association’s previous projects have included a communal table for pounding and serving fufu by British-Ghanaian designer Giles Tettey Nartey and a presentation of slow furniture by Spanish design students.

No. 1 Common was on show at Material Matters in Copenhagen from 18 to 20 June 2025 for 3 Days of Design. See Dezeen Events Guide for more events taking place in the Danish capital and elsewhere around the world.

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