Crafting furniture with skill and sensitivity
Brand story by Gerrit Terstiege
Wolfratshausen, Germany
25.05.23
Using traditional Alpine materials and craftsmanship, Zeitraum turns a love for solid wood into sustainable, continuously repairable furniture made to last through the generations.
It's all about details and fine workmanship: When it comes to realising the furniture designs of international designers, Zeitraum is prepared to take its time
It's all about details and fine workmanship: When it comes to realising the furniture designs of international designers, Zeitraum is prepared to take its time
×In Alpine regions, wood has a long tradition as not only a raw material but also a cultural asset. Zeitraum, which is based in this part of the world, uses this unquestionably sensual material in the manufacture of its furniture, during which process, it passes through numerous competent hands. And anyone running their fingers over the wooden surfaces of its products experiences the grace of this natural resource.
A good eye, imagination and a great sense of form: a picture of the finished tabletop is created in the mind as soon as the right wood is selected
A good eye, imagination and a great sense of form: a picture of the finished tabletop is created in the mind as soon as the right wood is selected
×Working with solid wood requires great concentration and skill. This already begins with the selection of the wood, which requires a trained and sensitised eye. The picture of the finished tabletop must already be formed in the mind when the raw boards are put together, because it's difficult to make anything that hasn't been thought through beforehand.
In the Zeitraum workshop, working with solid wood requires great skill and a lot of experience in working with natural materials
In the Zeitraum workshop, working with solid wood requires great skill and a lot of experience in working with natural materials
×Material honesty, high-quality workmanship, reparability (and thus longevity) and sustainability are the basis of the entrepreneurial and design decisions made at Zeitraum. Because all these aspects are interrelated, indeed they are mutually dependent, if you want to create things that are passed on from generation to generation.
Founded in 1990 by designer Birgit Gämmerler, the company is based south of Munich, in the town of Wolfratshausen. This means they have a wealth of experience to draw from when it comes to the centuries-old woodcraft that is typical to the region. A love of the material, as well as an aspiration to make each design a valuable one with a long future, characterise the company's output.
Above: with the help of numerous templates, the shapes defined by the designers are drawn and then implemented. Below: the lacquering of a Zeitraum chair is also carefully done by hand
Above: with the help of numerous templates, the shapes defined by the designers are drawn and then implemented. Below: the lacquering of a Zeitraum chair is also carefully done by hand
×In order to achieve sustainability, the reparability of the furniture is a decisive factor. Zeitraum is therefore in the process of establishing a network of partner workshops in German-speaking countries. Of course, users can also carry out simple repairs themselves and every product comes with a care and repair kit. This short film shows how solid wood furniture can be repaired even after many years of use.
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