Bronze Furniture Design · 2025
Mushroom Side Table
by Hyunjae Noh
- A' Design Award 2025 Bronze Winner in Furniture Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Hyunjae Noh
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 11,590
- Verification code 9E530C659E · Verify this award
About Mushroom Side Table
The Mushroom project is an eco-friendly initiative that repurposes wood scraps from furniture manufacturing into a uniquely designed small side table. Instead of discarding the scraps, they are carefully shaped into wide panels and arranged to form a three dimensional end grain pattern. The tabletop showcases an eye catching cross sectional design using three different types of wood, while the smoothly curved legs resemble a mushroom stem. With a height of 380mm, Mushroom functions as a coffee table or bedside table, giving new value to discarded wood while minimizing waste.
Hyunjae Noh's Mushroom Side Table engages longstanding furniture design traditions that celebrate the intrinsic beauty of natural materials while demonstrating sophisticated formal intelligence through geometric abstraction and precision craft execution. The work positions itself within a contemporary studio furniture movement that draws inspiration from mid-century Scandinavian design principles, particularly the emphasis on organic form, material honesty, and restrained decorative vocabulary that characterized the work of designers who sought to bridge utilitarian function and aesthetic contemplation. The circular tabletop, composed of meticulously arranged hardwood segments in a chevron or herringbone configuration, showcases diverse wood species ranging from pale blonde ash or maple through warm amber cherry and teak to deep chocolate walnut or wenge, each piece precision-milled and joined to create seamless transitions that reveal both technical mastery and sensitivity to the inherent character of each material. This chromatic and textural diversity across the surface creates rhythmic visual movement that invites sustained observation, the zigzag pattern establishing dynamic energy while the radial organization maintains coherence and visual resolution. The cylindrical pedestal base extends the material vocabulary of the top but reorients the wood grain to vertical alignment, creating bold striping that emphasizes structural purpose while maintaining aesthetic unity through chromatic repetition, the subtle taper as the column rises suggesting both stability and refinement. The proportional relationship between the generous circular top and the supporting pedestal evokes the organic form referenced in the work's title, the mushroom providing a natural metaphor that connects human craft traditions to botanical morphology and suggests the designer's interest in biophilic design principles that seek harmony between built objects and natural forms. The technical accomplishment evident in the lamination process, the precision of the geometric patterning, and the refined surface finish that allows each wood species to retain its distinctive grain figure while contributing to a unified whole demonstrates craft fluency that honors woodworking heritage while pursuing contemporary aesthetic goals. The work invites consideration of how functional objects can transcend utilitarian necessity to become vehicles for material exploration, geometric meditation, and the celebration of natural beauty revealed through thoughtful making. One might observe how the repetitive angular pattern creates a visual rhythm that rewards close examination, each wood segment contributing to a larger compositional whole that suggests both order and organic growth, discipline and natural variation, precision and warmth. How does the interplay between the decorative complexity of the tabletop surface and the structural clarity of the pedestal base create a balance between visual interest and formal restraint, and what does this tension reveal about contemporary approaches to furniture design that seek to honor craft traditions while pursuing fresh aesthetic expressions?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- During the furniture crafting process, a substantial amount of wood scraps is generated, often appearing in irregular shapes and small sizes, eventually being discarded. Mushroom is a small coffee table crafted by utilizing these wood scraps, presenting a unique mushroom shaped design. The tabletop is created by recycling three different types of wood scraps, forming an intriguing end-grain pattern.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 380mm x 380mm x 400mm
- Tags
- wood, craft, coffee, table, eco friendly, sustainable
- Production Technology
- To efficiently utilize wood scraps, the end grain technique was used to create wooden panels. This approach not only allowed the creation of larger panels from smaller pieces but also showcased the unique patterns characteristic of end grain wood. The panel was then shaped into a circular tabletop and finished with oil to ensure durability and longevity. The table legs were crafted by laminating multiple layers of wood together and refining only the edges using a lathe, minimizing waste. This method significantly reduced the amount of discarded material during furniture production.
- Design Challenge
- To create the end grain pattern, the small wood scraps had to be shaped into consistent forms. While the wood pieces were too small to safely use a table saw, I was able to make a template using a laser cutter. By combining the template with the wood scraps, I was able to shape all the pieces into the same form.
- Project Duration
- This project was initiated in November 2022 and completed in December 2022 at OCAD University in Toronto.
- Operation Flow
- Mushroom is a small table with a height of 380mm. It can be used as a coffee table or a bedside table and is characterized by its use of discarded wood to create a beautiful patterned wood panel, which is then used in its construction.
- Research
- The Mushroom project is an initiative to recycle wood scraps generated during furniture manufacturing, rather than discarding them. The scraps are carefully shaped to create wide panels, and then arranged to form a three dimensional end grain pattern. Through this project, discarded wood scraps are given new value, and the amount of waste wood is minimized, making it an environmentally friendly solution.
- Inspiration
- While taking a furniture-making course at OCAD University, I learned that the production process often generates a significant amount of wood scraps, most of which end up being discarded. These wood pieces were of high quality but were overlooked due to their small size. At OCAD University, these scraps were collected in one place for students to use freely. Seeing this, I was inspired to gather various wood pieces to make furniture.
Colors of Mushroom Side Table
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G0E23 ShopGrand Interview about Mushroom Side Table
While exploring ways to recycle wood scraps generated during the furniture production process, I considered assembling small pieces into a single panel. During this process, I discovered that by using the end grain technique, I could not only create a unique pattern but also combine multiple pieces into a larger panel. This approach led to the creation of the tabletop for the Mushroom Side Table.
The Mushroom Side Table features a pattern made from three types of wood: walnut, hard maple, and cherry. I chose these materials because they were the most readily available and offered a harmonious contrast in color — from light beige to reddish brown to dark brown — which helped create a balanced and visually appealing pattern.
To recycle irregular wood scraps, I needed to cut them into trapezoidal shapes with a 4cm top, 7.5cm bottom, and 3.5cm height using a table saw. At first, I drew each shape by hand with a pencil directly on the wood and cut them one by one. However, due to the small size and irregular shapes of the scraps, it became very difficult to use the table saw accurately and safely.To solve this issue, I laser-cut a thin wood sheet into a trapezoidal template, which I could attach to each scrap piece. This allowed me to cut all the pieces into a consistent shape with much greater precision and efficiency.
Since the Mushroom Side Table is inspired by mushrooms, I wanted to design the legs with an organic form instead of typical straight wooden legs. To achieve this, I laminated the three types of wood used for the tabletop to create a patterned block, then shaped the top and bottom parts into smooth curves using a wood lathe. By keeping the middle section thicker, I was able to maintain structural strength while minimizing waste, resulting in uniquely curved legs that balance form and function.
At OCAD’s Wood Studio, there is a wide range of woodworking tools available, and a technician is always on site to ensure safe use of the tools and to answer any questions during the furniture-making process. Additionally, instead of discarding wood scraps, there is a dedicated box where people can freely take these scraps to create their own projects.The idea for the Mushroom Side Table began with the thought that although the wood scraps in the box were not the ideal size for making something on their own, perhaps they could be used to create patterned furniture.
Although there are many different end grain patterns, I wanted the Mushroom Side Table to have a three-dimensional feel. To achieve this, I arranged three trapezoidal pieces of different colors to create a 3D-like pattern.
I believe the sustainable design approach demonstrated in the Mushroom Side Table can encourage the furniture industry to rethink waste as a valuable resource rather than just discard material. By creatively repurposing wood scraps and using techniques like laminated end grain panels, manufacturers can reduce material waste while still producing beautiful and structurally sound pieces. This methodology promotes a shift toward more eco-conscious production practices that balance environmental responsibility with design innovation. Over time, I hope it inspires wider adoption of sustainable processes throughout the furniture manufacturing sector.
Through designing the Mushroom Side Table, I learned that functionality and environmental responsibility don’t have to be at odds—they can actually enhance one another. By working with reclaimed materials, I had to think more critically and intentionally about the form, construction, and purpose of each element. This process taught me that sustainable design is not just about reducing waste, but also about making the most out of limited resources while still achieving a high level of craftsmanship and utility.
One of the most unexpected discoveries during the development of the Mushroom Side Table was realizing how limitations—like working with irregular wood scraps—can actually fuel creativity rather than hinder it. Initially, I saw the scraps as a challenge, but finding ways to repurpose them into something beautiful taught me to embrace constraints as opportunities.
My advice to emerging designers looking to incorporate sustainability into their work is to start by truly understanding the materials they use—including what is often discarded. Look for opportunities to repurpose or upcycle scraps creatively rather than seeing them as waste. Embrace constraints as a way to fuel innovation, and don’t be afraid to experiment with unconventional techniques.