John Pawson’s long-term collaboration with Danish timber flooring company Dinesen has resulted in a new furniture collection that reflects their shared aesthetic of clean lines and functionality
Photography by Claus Troelsgaard featuring Hans Peter Dinesen and John Pawson at Home Farm and the duo’s new John Pawson Furniture Collection
Words by Jessica-Christin Hametner
More than 30 years since Dinesen began producing a furniture collection with British architectural designer John Pawson, the Danish timber flooring company is at it again – this time with the Pawson Furniture Collection.
Based in Copenhagen and known for its wood flooring expertise, the 126-year-old family-owned firm is sought out by architects and designers the world over. From noma to Kaj Hotel, Dinesen’s floorboards grace some of the finest establishments and most extraordinary private residences, be it the Norm Architects-designed Pavilion House in Suffolk or Pawson’s Home Farm in the Cotswolds, England.
But it was Pawson House, set in the heart of Notting Hill, which initially sparked a connection between the two when the designer approached Dinesen to order Douglas fir planks for his London home in 1992. Becoming a crucial architectural element, the planks were laid uncut, in one single piece, from the front of the house to the back and boards of corresponding width were utilised to fabricate a table and stools.
Photography by Claus Troelsgaard featuring John Pawson’s Home Farm in the Cotswolds, England
Unlike anything Dinesen had previously delivered – the company had mainly been supplying castles and manor houses in Europe up until this point – its success ignited a lifelong friendship and business partnership between fourth-generation owner Thomas Dinesen and John Pawson. Further, it exemplified the duo’s shared pursuit of simplicity and a commitment to creating pieces with enduring legacy.
Although Pawson has collaborated with the Danish brand on projects of varying scale and type since then, including his striking wooden chapel in Unterliezheim, Germany, which saw him using 61 Douglas fir logs to create a shelter for quiet contemplation in rural Bavaria, it is the original furniture series of the 1990s that has laid the foundation for the Pawson Furniture Collection today. True to his thoughtful approach and pared-back aesthetic, the natural materials and fuss-free silhouettes contribute to creating interiors with lasting presence and authenticity.
Transforming Pawson’s most timeless designs into a capsule range of modern pieces that add a quiet statement to rooms, the simple forms reflect a shared design language, which feels balanced and purposeful. However, it isn’t just an affinity for all things minimal that brought together these two design powerhouses; the collection captures Dinesen’s and Pawson’s shared history, but moreover, it seeks to embody the Danish word umage, which loosely translates as ‘making an effort’. Embracing a philosophy of dedication and a commitment to excellence, umage brings the same dynamism to the design as Dinesen and Pawson have done to projects for the last three decades.
Photography by Claus Troelsgaard featuring the new Dining Series, including a bench and table
‘It’s a dedication to the work and the material. The goal is to make something that lasts for many generations,’ shares Hans Peter Dinesen, the company’s fifth-generation brand director, who’s been spearheading the family empire since 2021 when his father Thomas stepped down. ‘When dealing with a living material, we have to respect the personality of the tree and extend its life for as long as possible by taking care of the wood and treating it as our own skin.’
Based on the span of a Dinesen floorboard, the Pawson Furniture Collection is made up of the Dining Series, which encompasses a dining table, bench and stool. Originally a design that Pawson drew back in 1992, it has now been updated with a shadow gap detail using a different variety of timber by combining Douglas fir planks with a slender insert of Dinesen oak.
Stools and benches are made from a single Douglas fir board with a solid central spine, while the raw wood is sourced from the Black Forest. ‘The tabletops are made of one plank and that takes a lot of time,’ explains Hans Peter Dinesen. ‘The collection is handmade but, for clients who are willing to wait for good quality, they’ll have these pieces for the rest of their lives.’
Photography by Claus Troelsgaard featuring a daybed, which is part of the new Lounge Series
The Lounge Series, a new complementary addition to the original Dining Series, includes a lounge chair, lounge table, sofa and daybed, expertly crafted by local cabinet makers using solid Douglas wood and finished with upholstery from fabric manufacturer Kvadrat. ‘We were lucky to find this material,’ says Pawson. ‘We’ve never seen boards like that before. You want to work with what you’ve got, which is God-given; they are such special boards that they do their work for you.’
Each piece holds the same blend of elegance and durability as the original furniture from Pawson House, while also championing Dinesen’s joinery in new and intricate ways. Using time-honoured methods to produce contemporary pieces that are characterised by simple lines and raw materials, the collection is certainly of the persuasion that less is more.
‘The joinery is subtle and hidden, which is complex to do,’ explains Hans Peter Dinesen. ‘That’s the irony of something minimal; it takes maximal work to achieve,’ adds Pawson. ‘It’s interesting that even though the furniture is built up of the simplest possible elements, put together in the simplest possible way, it’s amazing how much time and thought it takes just to do that,’ says Pawson.
Photography by Claus Troelsgaard featuring Hans Peter Dinesen and John Pawson
With their signature styles and shared love of wood, Dinesen and Pawson are guided by the same principles of curiosity, craftsmanship and care. Mastering their focus on the essentials down to the last detail, The Pawson Furniture Collection tells the story of an enduring woodworking heritage and the value of long-time partnership.
Effortlessly elegant and made to last, the collection, which will be on show during this year’s 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen, is indicative of Dinesen’s and Pawson’s commitment to preserving the craft legacies of wood.
‘The furniture is not just an object; it’s also a time capsule for memories,’ ponders Hans Peter Dinesen. ‘You can not only see the time in the forest with the wood grain but also the human experience in all the marks. It’s a reflection of your own life and your imperfections. And that’s beautiful.’
The story originally appeared in ICON 215, Spring/Summer 2024. Get a curated collection of design and architecture news in your inbox by signing up to our ICON Weekly newsletter
