Martin Labbé builds screwless pine chair in Stockholm
Stockholm-based architect Martin Labbé has crafted a compact wooden chair using 45 x 95 mm pine timber without any screws or metal hardware.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Martin Labbé designed a screwless wooden chair in Stockholm
- Built entirely from standard 45 x 95 mm construction timber
- Developed alongside a fixed bar table for a compact gelato shop
- Treated with linseed oil to preserve natural grain and texture
Stockholm-based architect and designer Martin Labbé has transformed standard construction timber into a compact wooden chair assembled completely without screws or metal hardware. Developed as part of a furniture intervention for a compact gelato shop, the chair utilizes readily available 45 x 95 mm pine sections, granting them a deliberate architectural language through proportion, repetition, and exposed joinery.
The seating emerged alongside a fixed bar table engineered to make a small gelato shop feel more spacious during peak business hours. Since queues frequently occupy most of the floor area during high season, Labbé positioned the bar against the wall opposite the service counter, keeping circulation clear while offering seating for patrons who prefer to stay rather than leave immediately with their gelato.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The chairs share the exact tectonic logic of the bar but condense it into a movable object. Every structural element relies on the same 45 x 95 mm pine profile, allowing familiar construction lumber dimensions to dictate the chair's character. There is minimal attempt to conceal the material's origins; instead, its everyday quality becomes an integral part of the design concept.
Labbé fabricated each component himself, extensively sanding the pine before treating it with linseed oil. This finish protects the timber while retaining its natural grain, tonal variations, and tactile quality, keeping the seating closer to raw carpentry than polished industrial manufacturing. Its straightforward assembly shifts focus toward the physical meeting of each wooden member rather than supplementary components.
Utilizing everyday construction timber to craft furniture without concealed metal hardware highlights a minimalist design philosophy focused on resource efficiency. By exposing traditional joinery and celebrating basic materials, such projects reduce industrial processing steps and embrace circular design principles where disassembly and material honesty take center stage.
When viewed away from the gelato shop, the chair stands independently as a concise exercise in extracting more value from fewer resources: one standard timber section, traditional wooden joinery, and zero hidden hardware. What began as a practical solution for a tight commercial interior evolves into a compact argument for treating ordinary materials with heightened attention. The project, named Mesón y Silla, was created by Martin Labbé.
Source: designboom
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment