tom dixon: offcut and slab bar stools

the offcut stool is made from wood which is normally burnt or discarded image courtesy of tom dixon

tom dixon has two new seating projects which will be released during london design festival – the slab bar stool and offcut stool which are new additions to his 2009 utility collection.

the wayney edge of a piece of wood is the irregular outer rim found closest to the bark or top of the trunk. it is normally the worst cut of wood and is usually discarded or burnt. offcut stool is a design which makes use of these oak scraps, utilizing the wood which is typically the most textured. its elementary form consists of a circular round seat making use of the curved offcuts, and its construction requires no screws or glue and can be flat packed for ease of delivery.

the stools are made from the most textured part of oak wood image courtesy of tom dixon

no glue or screws are required for assembly image courtesy of tom dixon

slab stool combines oak wood and cast iron in its design image courtesy of tom dixon

the slab bar stool combines materials of specially crowned oak and it has been heavily lacquered to expose the wood’s natural grain. cast iron foot rests reinforces the structure of the stool, creating a durable and hard wearing design which comes in black and natural finishes.

the cast iron stabilizes the stool image courtesy of tom dixon

the stools are a juxtaposition of warm and cool materials image courtesy of tom dixon

the canal building at the portobello dock image courtesy of portobello dock

for london design festival 2009, tom dixon will be curating an event at the portobello dock. sponsored by derwent london, the newly completed portobello dock development will play host to a series of stand alone exhibitions, pop up shops, indoor and outdoor installations presented in over 40, 000 square feet of space. the wharf building, canal building and the white building will be the three distinct spaces in which food, fashion, art, design and new media will come together.

the canal building will showcase international design including zanotta, bocci and seven studios from berlin – a collective of young german desingers. hidden art will construct a pop-up shop in the space, selling craft and design pieces, and thorsten van elten will be showcasing new work, alongside his pigeon lights.

the wharf building image courtesy of portobello dock

the wharf building will house the first tom dixon showroom. dixon’s full collection will be on permanent display along with the tom dixon by george smith upholstery pieces. it will also be the space in which the offcut stool and slab bar stool will be presented as new pieces for the 2009 utility collection.

the white building image courtesy of portobello dock

more than 26 exhibitors will be at the white building which will display a mix of emerging designers like studio toogood who has collaborated with formica to create ‘the hatch’, a pop up café which will serve food throughout the festival.

entrance to portobello dock image courtesy of portobello dock