THE ORATOR TABLE. FROM THE WOOD AWARDS 2010

When Bristol based furniture designer Toby Howes designed the Orator table he wanted to create a modern piece which combined his usual simplicity of style with a real edge.

An advocate of the William Morris design philosophy that we should have nothing in our houses that we do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful, Toby wanted the table to fit both those criteria.

In his Orator table each of the three American black walnut inlaid arcs slide out to become side tables in their own right, revealing flashes of red and leaving the central zebrano piece to become increasingly sculptural as each arc is removed. The zebrano wraps round the inside of each of the funnel shapes of the central piece, drawing the eye through the centre, particularly effective when light streams through. The designer is working on a version with a light built into the heart of the table to create that effect.

Toby Hawes’ original career as an ecologist informs his approach to design and materials and influences his use of elegant lines to create practical function.

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Notes to Editor:

The Wood Awards is the UK’s premier architecture and furniture competition celebrating excellence in design in the world’s most sustainable material. Now in its eighth year the Wood Awards is the most respected award for building and design in wood. AHEC is a major sponsor of the Awards.

American Hardwood Export Council
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is the leading international trade association for the US hardwood industry, representing the committed exporters among US hardwood companies and all the major US hardwood product trade associations. AHEC concentrates its efforts on providing architects, specifiers, designers and end-users with technical information on the range of species, products and sources of supply.

AHEC produces a full range of technical publications which are available free of charge by visiting www.americanhardwood.org or by faxing (44) 20 7626 4222.

For more press information, please contact:

Lucy Peacock
American Hardwood Export Council
Tel: (44) 20 7626 4111
Fax: (44) 20 7626 4222
Email: lucy@americanhardwood.org