Paying attention to home furnishings has transitioned from a job to a hobby. I’m even embarrassed to admit that I love this aspect of home life. It’s not just about a poor guy placing a few pieces of furniture and claiming to like it. Rather, it has subtly become an indispensable lifestyle for me, without having undergone systematic education to form my own aesthetics. Aesthetics vary from person to person, just as we look back at ourselves ten years ago and exclaim, ‘What was I thinking?’ However, people’s likes for things are based on certain foundations that neither heavy rain nor vacuum cleaners can erase.
My fascination with home furnishings all began with marine plywood. In the words of a carpenter, marine plywood is as ordinary a material as can be. My infatuation with it started with an Artek stool 60 chair. I believe I’m not the only one who loves Artek; I don’t need to introduce too many details, as everyone can often see this chair. A few years ago, IKEA even replicated their chairs, achieving sales results. As for why they didn’t continue, it remains a mystery. Or perhaps mass production couldn’t bring IKEA high profits. My love for this chair comes from its core design, which uses three curved wooden sticks to support a round disc, achieving a craft with only two materials, which is undoubtedly the best design—enduring, timeless, and unobtrusive, forming Artek’s most usable brand label. Except for the high price, haha. Coincidentally, their raw material is multi-layered board, which is further processed to make the entire surface look more textured and durable. I once chatted with a domestic replicator about Artek, and his response was that even the replicated version would be a loss if not sold for thousands of dollars. This further suggests that a good marine plywood is not cheap. So, what are the advantages of marine plywood? Load-bearing, texture, and durability are all undeniable justifications for its price. Based on a premise of excellent quality and various cases adopted by Casa designs, I became infatuated with marine plywood. Therefore, raw wood is comfortable, like a gentle skin enveloping me, and layered boards are regular, like piles of stacked books. So, when I learned about this, the images that came to my mind told me, perhaps you can make your own furniture. This thought has followed me from living in an inconspicuous old and dilapidated house to moving to a hundred-square-meter house in the suburbs. In this process, I completed two crude pieces of furniture myself.It has become my favorite here. I didn’t know how to name this work and study table, so it didn’t have a name at first. The initial inspiration came from the most famous table of Richard Lampert, the Milla high table. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the same table legs. However, the length of the tabletop met my requirements for a desk, so I decided on the tabletop I wanted. But the original surface of the plywood is relatively rough.
Later, I customized a piece of PU leather myself, which will also improve the comfort of use, and the PU leather surface is dirt-resistant. Similarly, Jasper Morrison, a designer in the Hermes furniture series, combined saddle leather and solid wood to present a warm and comfortable feeling, seemingly finding a good balance between the two. Since there is a precedent, I am more confident in combining plywood and PU leather, even if it’s not a saddle, haha. The final effect met my expectations. However, the table corners I was inspired by in Popeye magazine didn’t look so textured and didn’t meet my requirements in terms of stability. So, later I bought other table corners on Taobao myself. The initial transformed look and the current overall look are as shown in the pictures below. Help! I can’t capture the effect with my mobile phone. But overall, I’m quite satisfied. This new attempt has filled me with infinite possibilities for ocean board. So, this time when moving, I’m going to do something big and customize a bed for myself. And complete a bed using only one material. In recent years, the popular modular design has entered our lives. Whether it’s USM String or Montana, furniture is assembled by splicing. So, can my bed also be realized in this way? @depart studio Without hesitation, because I found an ID on IG that also loves ocean board like me. To my surprise, @depart studio has brought ocean board into various aspects, with a complete range of furniture. Before making the bed, I also referentially looked at the products they made and, combined with the height I like, chose a reliable carpenter to complete this task. And the following are the issues I considered when customizing this bed, providing a reference for those who need it. ️First, determine your own needs. I like the feeling of having no headboard and leaning against the wall. It’s quite comfortable, and increasing the number of pillows can also achieve the same comfort level. So, I made a bed without a headboard.When selecting the type of wood for your furniture, there are various options available such as imported Russian birch wood and domestic multi-layer boards. I personally opted for Russian birch wood due to its superior texture and the finer details on the layered surface.
As for thickness, it’s a matter of personal preference. Considering the effect of grooves, aesthetics in photography, and practicality, I chose a 3cm thickness.
Regarding moisture resistance, I added a height of 10cm to achieve a hassle-free effect and to facilitate cleaning.
Applying a clear lacquer is essential for a smoother appearance and to prevent damage to the mattress when in contact. This is not an area to skimp on, as it greatly affects the user experience, as I learned with a previous DIY desk project where the absence of a leather tablecloth significantly impacted comfort.
Aesthetics are subjective, with some preferring beds with headboards and others without. I believe in choosing something that is enduringly appealing.
Stability was a primary concern. Initially, I thought of simply placing a board down, but considering long-term use and movement, I decided to groove it for a more secure fit.
For the groove design, it’s important to determine the dimensions and the desired effect. Generally, a sketch is enough for a carpenter to understand your vision.
Even without a design background, one can achieve a satisfactory result.
The key to a successful custom bed is finding a reliable carpenter and communicating your desired outcome effectively, as there can be discrepancies between what you want and what the carpenter understands. Make sure the final product is to your liking, not just what the carpenter finds visually appealing. Communicate your needs and the outcome you wish to achieve.
I hope this is helpful. The photography may not do justice, but the actual product is quite satisfactory. Thank you for watching.
So, customizing a piece of furniture is not as difficult as it seems.
