Handcrafted, sculptural timber design is changing how our spaces feel

Furniture often sits quietly in the background, supporting the architecture, holding the pieces of daily life without demanding attention. Other times, the right pieces can step forward and anchor an entire space. Dining tables are one of the clearest examples of this: they act as a central gathering point for families, one where special occasions and the rhythms of everyday life take place.

For Nathan Goldsworthy, there’s a curiosity in the way people spend time in a space, and perhaps it’s an answer to why dining tables are such a core part of his work. “It’s about more than making furniture,” he says. “I’m very interested in space, and human behaviour in spaces. I think furniture is the most perceptible experience and expression of how a space is organised.”

Whether it’s a dining table, a set of bar stools, a chair or a shelving unit to hold books and mementos, it’s timber that Nathan has always been drawn to. 

“Timber is really alive to me,” he says. “I think, as our lives become more digital, we’re more drawn to things that connect us to the natural world. A wooden piece of furniture offers a glimpse of the experience of walking in the forest or climbing a mountain.” 

Rather than approaching his designs as static objects that will simply be placed in a room, he sees each piece as one that should be a blend of beauty, usefulness and durability. Usually, new designs come together slowly over many years, with lots of thought given to how the material can be manipulated and crafted into something beautiful, while considering who will use it and how. “It’s a dance between those things.”

For many years, Nathan's creations have been making their way into projects, small and large, across the country. The reception desk at Chapman Tripp is a favourite. “ Large pieces of timber, like any noble material, have a distinct presence,” he says. “Wood is an extremely useful material, and I think having been useful in so many ways in the past, essentially aiding our species in its survival, has imbued it with a certain status in our collective perception. Seeing it in its raw form, with its unique grain and colour, immediately connects us with the natural world, as other materials like stone, metals and animal skins do.”