London, UK

British designer Jan Hendzel’s new Bowater Collection, comprised of nine pieces of furniture, from a chest of drawers and sideboard to a series of desk trays and decorative sculptural objects, is a celebration of British craftsmanship and natural homegrown materials.

Bowater is made exclusively with British timbers—and is an exploration into the untapped range and variety of timbers present in the UK’s woodlands.

The entire collection features stunning textures and woodgrain detail, as well as honest joinery.

It’s a warm, human, and playful design.

The studio has long been committed to sustainability; and with this collection, Hendzel has been keen to focus energies on preventing waste. 

A signature ripple is a playful detail that runs along the surfaces of many components and emboldens the pieces with humor, sensitivity, and soft textures ever-present in this designer’s portfolio.

Here, the texture becomes functional, allowing objects to fit together snugly and form in an in-built modularity to the range.

Smaller offcuts have been used to create a range of accessories, which can support the function of larger pieces or work as decorative objects. 

For example, the Bowater Desk Tidies and Trays can fit into the signature ripples, which have been designed into pieces like the Desk, Chest of Drawers and Side Table. 

Part of the project involved experimenting with and coining the term “Baked Ash” and “Baked Sycamore.” 

Hendzel says this is a new material process using thermal modification which allows timbers to be heated chemical-free. 

This results in a more durable material, but also allowed the designers to produce a range of different colors in the final pieces, from burnt umber to black walnut. 

Waste unsuitable to the project has been donated to charity Men in Sheds—an organisation that encourages older men to come together and work together to benefit the local community.

Project: Bowater Collection
Designers: Jan Hendzel Studio
Manufacturer: Jan Hendzel Studio