Dutch designer creates flexible wood for furniture range

Each piece of furniture in Laro’s Spring Wood collection sets a new standard for what an artist or craftsman can do with wood. The designer transforms solid pieces of wood into a soft, pliable material, and in doing so she opens up a range of endless possibilities for furniture design, product design, and even architecture.

Laro developed the springy ash wood together with woodworking company Ritmeester. To make the material, layers of wood are glued together to form a single, durable panel. Grooves are then cut using CNC milling into the top and underside of each wooden panel, giving the wood its elasticity. The top or “pillow” of the seating designs require more than 480 CNC groove-milling steps.