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The Value of Good Design

American red oak to take centre stage at IFMAC

The American Hardwood Export Council will be presenting a stand with a difference at IFMAC in Jakarta next week. Indonesia’s leading furniture and woodworking event will take place at the Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran from 9-12 October.  Designed by Singapore based designer Jarrod Lim and created entirely from American red oak, the AHEC stand explores apartment living from a new perspective. 

Says Jarrod Lim of his design “I wanted to show how you could put a complete apartment into a 6m x 6m space without it feeling cramped and to show that American hardwoods are perfectly suited for this type of application. I didn’t limit myself to small furniture and looked to design the space optimally, focusing on how people actually live and how furniture can perform multiple roles.

The stand includes a platform style sofa with raised coffee table which can become a dining table, play or work table. The raised platform bed features a ladder style guardrail, a modified gymnastics ladder creating an exercise space beneath the sleeping area. 

Not only does the design show how small spaces can be functional, they can also be beautiful. Creating the space in sustainable American red oak adds a sense of warmth and comfort and acknowledges the importance to our wellbeing of incorporating natural materials into our living spaces, particularly in busy urban environments. “Its easy for me to design products with American species” says Lim “Most people are already in agreement about their beauty and value. In terms of strength and other characteristics, red oak is equal in every way to white oak. The colour is also not very different form white oak and most people would not be able to tell the difference even if they are placed side by side

American red oak is the most prolific species in the US forest and is gaining significant interest around the world. The species is growing more quickly that it is harvested which means an increase in net volume of 21.3 million cubic metres each year. The positive environmental credentials of this species are particularly relevant in today’s world as consumers’ interest in the environmental impact of their behaviours is at a peak. 

American Hardwoods expert and long standing Director of AHEC for South East Asia and Greater China, Mr John Chan, says of the upcoming event: “Indonesia’s furniture industry is very strong at the moment and in addition the domestic demand for quality materials is growing. American species have a very positive reputation around the world for being excellent quality at a good price. In addition they are truly sustainable and that matters a great deal, particularly to importers of furniture across major markets such as Europe. We are excited to unveil Jarrod’s design next week and open the conversations with prospective customers about what American red oak combined with excellent design has to offer consumers in Indonesia’s domestic and export markets”.

 

Find out more about Jarrod Lim    https://www.jarrodlim.com

 

Find out more about American red oak here >>