Jintana, Imagination in Maple and Bamboo

Thai-born Australian furniture designer Nae Tanakorn's entry into the prestigious Australian Furniture Design Awards imagines a simpler, more harmonious way of life while showcasing impeccable craftsmanship

Responding to a brief of ‘Design the World That You Want’, the Jintana cabinet draws inspiration from Tanakorn's vision of an ideal existence, one of equality, respect, sustainability and peace. For this year’s ATDA’s he wanted to create a piece that would evoke this philosophy while also providing a counterpoint to society's capitalistic tendencies. "I feel everyone has a chaotic lifestyle these days and I thought, why are we doing this?" Tanakorn explains. "My piece is to reflect the philosophy that we need to live a simpler life."

The design concept centres around four connected pod-like structures, each representing a "seed" of purity, potential and new beginnings. Tanakorn elaborates, "Each pod represents an individual decentralised community, yet still connected to each other." The pods attach to a central triangular core with thin, tapered legs.

Wanting to echo the materials used in traditional, sustainable communities, Tanakorn chose to work primarily with wood and bamboo. After initially considering walnut, he settled on lighter-toned maple to better complement the bamboo. "I was interested maple because I'd been given a piece before by my mentor, Alexandra Pontonio and she had told me it was stable and with a beautiful grain and colour," he says. "I did extra research and I found it to be really strong, when I knocked it, it just didn't damage at all."

Maple proved an ideal choice for the cabinet's demanding design. Each pod features a spike and cap made from solid maple, with brass connectors. Tanakorn notes, "I had to drill the maple for the supports for the pods. I was drilling 15mm into small stems and it worked really well, it felt strong and there was no splitting." The maple for his design was donated by Britton Timbers, who allowed him to select the boards he needed from their extensive, quality stock.

To create the intricately woven bamboo doors, Tanakorn collaborated with artisans at the Traditional Bamboo Handicraft Centre in Chonburi, Eastern Thailand. There he learned about traditional bamboo basket weaving techniques that have been passed down for generations. The doors feature a delicate pattern called "Pigul Lai Thai" that showcases the craftspeople's incredible skill.

With over 72 connecting pieces and 30 timber panels, constructing the Jintana cabinet was no small feat. Tanakorn went through an extensive development process, building prototypes to perfect the door mechanisms and carefully crafting molds for the curved elements. The complex organic shapes required great precision to achieve the high level of fit and finish Tanakorn wanted.

Throughout the process, he drew inspiration from the work of acclaimed Australian designers. "Having been been trained and admired the likes of Alexandra Pontonio and Adam Markowitz, I know what sort of quality someone like that would expect or be happy with and that was what I was aiming for” he says.

Besides its striking aesthetics, the Jintana cabinet also embodies Tanakorn's dedication to sustainability. Organic, fast-growing bamboo makes up the bulk of the piece, with processing methods chosen to minimise waste. The maple was also sourced with sustainability in mind.

In the end, Nae Tanakorn's Jintana cabinet stands as a stunning example of contemporary Australian design and a testament to slow, intentional living. By combining his Thai heritage, masterful craftsmanship, and sustainable sensibilities, Tanakorn has contributed a unique voice to Australia's creative culture. The piece was shown at Stylecraft in Melbourne as part of Melbourne Design Week 2024. (WoodNewsID)