Didi Ng Wing Yin adds "humorous approach" to furniture made from construction lumber
A pair of apple-sized fruit bowls were built into Helsinki designer Didi Ng Wing Yin's latest coffee table, which was on display at Spazio Rosanna Orlandi during Milan design week.
The coffee table forms part of Ng's latest furniture and lighting collection, In Between Wood and Fire.
Known for his experiments with timber, the designer crafted the five bespoke pieces in the collection by splitting, carving and charring 10-by-10-centimetre hunks of solid-sawn construction lumber.
"Normally, this type of wood isn't used to make furniture because of its tendency to crack and deform," Ng told Dezeen. "But with the right way of splitting, the wood behaves more stably."
Called Rocket, the coffee table features a ridged top and playful flame-shaped feet made from spruce and pine.
To achieve the bumpy texture on the table's surface, Ng worked with a mixture of axes, chisels, froes and gouging tools.
The designer used ink to colour the feet a distinctively ombre shade of red, while the neutral-hued wood was charred black using a blow torch and then painted to enhance the effect.
Ng carved a duo of circular indents into the table top as his version of petite bowls shaped for round fruits like apples or oranges.
"This collection has a more humorous approach than my previous work," he explained.
"My work has always been inspired by firewood splitting for saunas in Finland, so I always want fire to play a part in my projects," said the designer.
The Rocket side table is another piece in the collection that follows a similar form. Complete with the same fiery feet, the table features a chunky body and recessed top that Ng charred with the blow torch.
Pith is a tall floor lamp, also made from spruce and pine, with a delicate, shard-like body crowned by a small globular lightbulb. The designer finished the lighting's charred surface with lacquer.
The final two pieces are a duo of spruce stools, also called Pith, which were made in the same way as the rest of the collection, carefully carved to reveal the timber's fractured qualities.
"The black ink can't get into the wood's dents, which creates a nice effect," said Ng.
Ng has been steadily making a name for himself in Helsinki's design scene as a solo practitioner and also one of nine members of Vallila woodworking studio Minestrone Workshop.
The studio is set to create the exhibition for this year's Habitare furniture fair in Finland, where Ng first showed his pieces in 2023.
Considering how his practice has evolved in recent years, Ng said, "I used to be really concerned with the delicacy or finesse involved in honing techniques."
"But over the last few years, I have started exploring beyond technical know-how. I'm always thinking about how to maximise the presentation of the materiality of wood and let it speak for itself," he continued.
"I feel freer without so many practical restrictions and have reaffirmed my faith in craft."
Ng was crowned emerging designer of the year at the 2024 Dezeen Awards.
The photography is courtesy of Didi Ng Wing Yin.
In Between Wood and Fire by Didi Ng Wing Yin was on display from 20 to 26 April 2026 as part of RoCollectibe at Galleria Rossana Orlandi, Via Matteo Bandello 14, Milan, Italy. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
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