Matthew Jones’ Lofting Table merges creative construction methods with classic style. There’s a nautical feel to it, perhaps because the name comes from the lofting technique used to plot curves in boat-building.
Jones is one of the new breed of British furniture designers who are applying mass-production techniques to traditional functions, emphasising that ‘more is less’ by using 3D modelling and 2D laser cutting to shift the focus from the labour-intensive craft element of production to the up-front problem-solving of the design process. The optimised cutting also reduces the material wastage so often associated with modern and/or complex designs.
So the construction of this coffee table uses layers of plywood which are laminated together by hand (using dowels) to form a continuous composite, with the exposed lamina edges part of the style. All the individual pieces are formed from straight lines; the curves come from the cutting and assembling – and when all the pieces are combined, the shape gives the table an overall stability which allows for the thinness of the members. The table is hand-finished and sealed with a natural wax to enhance the exposed plywood grain.
