Details: Designed by Max Lamb, Planks is a furniture collection for Benchmark that includes a table/ bench seating set and a wall storage unit, both with clever storage and construction. Of note, the dining table with room for tableware under easily removed planks in the center.

Says Benchmark, “Planks is all about working furniture. Its roots lie in the humble carpenters workbench and 17th and 18th century English country furniture such as boarded chests, box stools and dough troughs. Common to all is the additional function of storage to which legs are attached, providing easily accessible storage and preventing clutter on the working surface.”

“Max Lamb’s approach starts with materials and processes involved. Planks shows his understanding of log to boule and economically uses the different widths of wood in the construction of each piece; the most visible surface with the widest boards showing uninterrupted wood grain, and the narrower pieces for the legs and structural support.”

“Planks acknowledges the fact that a milled tree yields boards of varying widths by utilising multiple sizes in the construction of each piece of furniture. Three wide planks side-by-side offer a generous surface with uninterrupted wood grain whilst the impressive scale of the tree remains visible. Narrower planks are joined to form structural rails to support the top. By adding a fourth plank to the underside, a hidden storage box makes good utility of the otherwise wasted space below the surface. Four simple L-shaped legs, structurally strong yet physically light, connect to the side of the box and support the cantilevered top.”

Says Lamb, “I started with a rigorous understanding of the processes involved from log to boule and then stripped away all superfluous detail. I’ve used full width planks as the defining feature, both structurally and visually, with the key intention being to make a collection of furniture with utility, strength, durability and economy of material.”

The collection consists of: dining table, bench, lounge table, console, shelving (with or without storage).

Source: Photos by Petr Krejci.