with the grain

At abd, raw materials shape our work as much as our minds and hands do. Wood, with its quiet resilience, is a material that tells its own story, in its own way. The textures, tones, and idiosyncrasies of nature, radiate a sense of its origin.

Each piece in the abd furniture collection celebrates this by exploring various cutting techniques and treatments, where each method coaxes out a different narrative. For example, Poppy’s flatsawn detail accentuates the grain, while the treatment options enhance the richness of it.

Our appreciation for natural materials begins with a respect for their origins and the care taken in their journey. We have worked with our millworker to ensure that every piece honours this commitment, using ethically sourced wood and toxin-free materials, while each cut and detail quietly shapes the character of the final creation.

To deepen your connection, here is a guide to four distinct lumber-cutting techniques:

flat sawing
In this approach, the wood is sliced parallel to its growth rings, which gives varying grain patterns. Our Poppy table in sky grey highlights this beautifully and accentuates the grain dramatically. Go ahead- put your feet up… or put your drink down.

quarter sawing
Quarter sawing involves cutting the log at a right angle to its growth rings. This method produces a straight grain pattern, giving it distinctive rays of wood cells.

rift sawing
Rift sawing is a variation of quarter sawing that minimizes the angle between the growth rings and the face of wood. This method produces a straight grain, similar to quarter sawn, but without the distinctive ray pattern. Abd utilizes this cut on several custom pieces like the star table and easy desk.

live sawing
Live sawing involves cutting the log without any predetermined pattern. It produces a mix of flat, quarter, and rift-sawn boards from a single log, and results in a variety of grain patterns within the same batch, offering a more diverse visual appeal. 

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