Brace by Samuel Wilkinson is a contemporary chair that embraces and promotes British quality manufacturing. The chair is fully produced in a factory within 100miles of the studio and all the materials have been locally sourced.
Steam-bending wood is a traditional process steeped in history. It is low energy, ecological and a truly economical method for manipulating wood. It has a reduced scrap rate since smaller pieces can bebent into shape rather than machined from larger blocks. There are only a small number of skilled manufacturers who can produce steam bent products on any scale and these are expensive due to rising labour costs and the handmade discipline required.
The name Brace derives from the traditional arch bracing used for many classic steam-bent designs. An “arch brace” is a curved piece of wood that acts as a secondary fixing to strengthen the structure. A series of arch braces in their purest application have been used to create the chair’s minimal form negating the need for a cross structure making it lighter, leaner and allowing the curved seat pan to appear to float in the middle of the frame.
Brace will be made available in a variety of finishes including the Matte black, Cobalt blue and Lime washed Ash. Each has a heavy sandblasted finish to highlight the solid wood construction and enhance the natural grain.
