PHOTOS: Dook | PRODUCTION: Klara van Wyngaarden | WORDS: Alma Viviers
Gauteng plywood whizz Peet van Straaten believes that plywood is the new solid wood – only… better.
This Pretoria-based furniture designer inherited his desire to work with wood from his grandfather, a skilful cabinet-maker who created amazing woodwork for churches across South Africa. His father and brother also took a keen interest in the craft, so Peet grew up with a well-equipped workshop at home.
But his talent was really developed during his six-year apprenticeship with Nic Godaurd of Swiss Joinery in Pretoria.
“I drove Nic crazy with my out-of-the-box ideas for art-furniture pieces,” Peet recalls. “At first he’d say they were impossible but he’d then come up with solutions – a process in which we learnt from each other.”
Peet honed his design and joinery skills during a subsequent six-year stint in Rotterdam where he was influenced by the “simplicity, elegance, functionality and thriftiness of Dutch design”.
A diploma in Advanced Environmental and Energy studies in the United Kingdom also entrenched an innate consideration for sustainable products and processes. “My eyes were opened to how environmentally damaging most production processes are and I came away determined to keep my products as earth friendly as possible.”
In 2005 Peet began Raw Studios where his client-driven designs are infl uenced by user needs, production processes and modular expansion. “I recently completed a plywood-clip office system for TriBeCa Coffee Company that is completely modular, user friendly and expandable, yet works seamlessly within their brand experience and ergonomic requirements.”
This Gridlock™ system, along with Peet’s wood locker Ikonik™, will be on show at the Design Indaba Expo at stand B4.
• Raw Studios: www.rawstudios.co.za
