Clothing hooks shaped like a goddess’s hand, vases inspired by a Chinese proverb, seesaws that turn into bookcases. 41 Furnishings Gallery’s
(四ㄧ玩作) playful designs are contained in clean, modern lines that show off the beauty of timber grown in Taiwan.
41 Furnishings was founded by Cose Huang (黃俊盈) in 2008. Huang, who worked as an architect and interior designer for 20 years, began creating furniture when he couldn’t find items on the market that fit the wishes of his clients in Taiwan and China.
Many of 41 Furnishings’ items are multi-functional, including a wooden seesaw that can be repositioned and turned into a bench, bookshelf, sofa or bed frame. Huang’s son and daughter, who are in first and fourth grade, respectively, were its inspiration.
“When we create, we are very playful,” says Huang about his five-person design team. “We try to design things that let parents and children interact with each other.”
An end table can be flipped on its side and used as a bookshelf. Another table doubles as a lamp, and candleholders transform into interlocking children’s toy blocks.
“I don’t want something to be just a sofa or a seat. I want it to be more dynamic. It should also help you feel connected to your family. Like the seesaw — you can play with your kids instead of just coming home and watching TV or using the computer,” says Huang.
Most of 41 Furnishings’ pieces are carved from sustainable timber harvested in Taiwan, including its flagship line made from acacia confusa (台灣相思). Items show off the natural textures and color of the wood. A vase made from luanta fir is painstakingly carved following the wood’s grain so that its surface is a series of undulating waves, a cube-shaped acacia confusa (also called Taiwan acacia) candleholder left unsanded looks and feels like sandstone.
Acacia confusa was once a common sight on farms, where it was used for long-burning fuel and support beams in buildings or was chopped in half to cultivate mushrooms. But the hardwood was rarely used in furniture because it is very heavy and tends to warp and crack as it dries, says Huang.
“Acacia wood is inexpensive and plentiful and we want to change consumer perception of it. I think it’s a material that can represent Taiwan’s culture and spirit,” he says.
The 41 Furnishings design team uses acacia confusa in curved objects, including the bottom of a rocking chair, to minimize warping. They also incorporate the wide, rugged cracks that form in the wood as a design element that adds texture to otherwise smooth surfaces.
“You can’t stop the cracks from forming, but if we can turn them into a design element and something that people see and appreciate, then we will have succeeded,” says Huang.
Other items inspired by facets of Taiwanese culture include clothing hooks, wall lamps and fruit bowls based on a carving of the Buddhist goddess Guan Yin’s hand by Hsinchu artist Yeh Chia-jang (葉佳讓). A wooden vase that turns into a hand mirror when flipped over is a visual pun on jinghua shuiyue (鏡花水月), a Chinese proverb that means “unobtainable illusion.” Huang plans to create a series of home accessories embellished with a red-colored magpie, which symbolizes good luck and happiness.
“If you see a cup with a red bird on it, it’s cute, but if you know what it represents, then there’s an extra layer of meaning,” he says.
41 Furnishings wants to preserve Taiwan’s environment along with its culture. The company streamlines its manufacturing process to reduce waste, with most furniture built at its eight-person factory in Taipei.
“Some furniture goes through three factories. You have the one where the wood is cut, then another where it is sanded and finally where it goes to be built. We try to finish everything in one place,” says Huang.
Huang hopes his use of Taiwanese timber and culturally inspired designs will help 41 Furnishings stand out as it expands to the international market. Last year the company attended furniture shows in France, England and Japan and they also plan on exhibiting abroad next year.
“I think you have to explore what’s unique in your own culture,” says Huang. “Otherwise you’ll never be able to compete.”
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