Hyunjae Noh · CLIENT: Hyunjae Noh
The Mushroom project is an eco-friendly initiative that repurposes wood scraps from furniture manufacturing into a uniquely designed small side table. Instead of discarding the scraps, they are carefully shaped into wide panels and arranged to form a three dimensional end grain pattern. The tabletop showcases an eye catching cross sectional design using three different types of wood, while the smoothly curved legs resemble a mushroom stem. With a height of 380mm, Mushroom functions as a coffee table or bedside table, giving new value to discarded wood while minimizing waste.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- During the furniture crafting process, a substantial amount of wood scraps is generated, often appearing in irregular shapes and small sizes, eventually being discarded. Mushroom is a small coffee table crafted by utilizing these wood scraps, presenting a unique mushroom shaped design. The tabletop is created by recycling three different types of wood scraps, forming an intriguing end-grain pattern.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 380mm x 380mm x 400mm
- Tags
- wood, craft, coffee, table, eco friendly, sustainable
- Production Technology
- To efficiently utilize wood scraps, the end grain technique was used to create wooden panels. This approach not only allowed the creation of larger panels from smaller pieces but also showcased the unique patterns characteristic of end grain wood. The panel was then shaped into a circular tabletop and finished with oil to ensure durability and longevity. The table legs were crafted by laminating multiple layers of wood together and refining only the edges using a lathe, minimizing waste. This method significantly reduced the amount of discarded material during furniture production.
- Design Challenge
- To create the end grain pattern, the small wood scraps had to be shaped into consistent forms. While the wood pieces were too small to safely use a table saw, I was able to make a template using a laser cutter. By combining the template with the wood scraps, I was able to shape all the pieces into the same form.
- Project Duration
- This project was initiated in November 2022 and completed in December 2022 at OCAD University in Toronto.
- Operation Flow
- Mushroom is a small table with a height of 380mm. It can be used as a coffee table or a bedside table and is characterized by its use of discarded wood to create a beautiful patterned wood panel, which is then used in its construction.
- Research
- The Mushroom project is an initiative to recycle wood scraps generated during furniture manufacturing, rather than discarding them. The scraps are carefully shaped to create wide panels, and then arranged to form a three dimensional end grain pattern. Through this project, discarded wood scraps are given new value, and the amount of waste wood is minimized, making it an environmentally friendly solution.
- Inspiration
- While taking a furniture-making course at OCAD University, I learned that the production process often generates a significant amount of wood scraps, most of which end up being discarded. These wood pieces were of high quality but were overlooked due to their small size. At OCAD University, these scraps were collected in one place for students to use freely. Seeing this, I was inspired to gather various wood pieces to make furniture.
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