William Warren » ash

upholstered sunray chair

William — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:50:42 +0000

This is an extremely comfortable arm chair for prolonged sitting. It is ideal for use in waiting areas or in places to relax, such as conservatories or librariarys.

The chair has a seat made from a single plank of Ash, carved into a comfortable bottom shape. Like the Sunray chair designed at the same time, the seat’s spindles all run into the lower rails of the chair, rather than the seat block, as they would in a traditional windsor chair. The back bow is formed by steaming long sections of green ash (not fully dried timber) before bending around a former.

The upholstery strips are jute webbing, which is a standard upholstery material, but normally hidden under springs, cushions and fabrics. In this chair the webbing is left exposed, woven in a three way pattern and joined to the lower rails and the upper bow.

This chair was designed during a weekend factory visit to Sitting Firm, a manufacturer of traditional windsor chairs near coventry, as an extension of the Bodging Milano project.

Please contact me directly if you are interested in buying one of these chairs.

sunray chair

William — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:46:33 +0000

The direct development from the chair originally made in the woods for the Bodging Milano project, this is a traditionally constructed windsor chair in ash, with a carved seat, spindles and a steam bent back bow.

The spindles in the back do not run into the seat block, but instead fan out from the lower back rail giving a sun rise effect. The top of the seat has nothing joining into it, allowing the curve back and seat to sit comfortably together without touching.

The chair can be used for dining as part of a set with the Sunray Table (not yet finalised), or used individually.

This chair is manufactured by Case and will be sold through the John Lewis department stores.

It will be launched at London Design Festival 2010

Cov Bodge

William — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:47:07 +0000

As a direct development of the Bodging Milano project, the same nine designers were invited to traditional chair manufacturers Sitting Firm in coventry. The designers were given the run of the factory for three days and allowed access to the well stocked stores of component parts and the specialist chair making equipment.

In the three days, I managed to produce three chairs; two armchairs of the same design and a dining seat.

bodging milano

William — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:39:55 +0000

From 30th March to April 5th 2010, nine designers went in the woods of deepest Herefordshire. With the help of Gudrun Leitz and her assistant Paul, each designer had to make a greenwood chair in the outdoor workshop. The challenge was in getting out of the studio, away from drawing boards, computer screens, and mechanised equipment and back into the hands-on world of the original country chair-makers. In the woods there is no electricity, only pole lathes, steam benders and some very old school hand tools.

At the end of the exhausting week a van arrived in the woods to take all nine chairs to Milan, where they were exhibited with Designersblock at Spazio Revel, during the Milan Furniture Fair which took place 14th – 19th April 2010.

The designers were: Amos Marchant, Carl Clerkin, Chris Eckersley, Dave Green, Gareth Neal, Gitta Gschwendtner, Rory Dodd, Suzanne Barnes and William Warren.

Link to press about the project

Link to Crafts Council review of the project

Weave Stool

William — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:33:35 +0000

Inspired by traditional woven topped seating, this stool is made from four identical plywood forms that weave together to form the seat and legs. The stools are veneered in natural ash or black ash.

The stools were launched at the British Design Embassy during the Milan Design Festival in April 2009.