CONTEMPORARY WOOD PANELS AND FURNITURE – INSPIRED BY THE MASTERS OF THE 20TH CENTURY

  • Historically, Ukraine is home to many forests. With wood in plentiful supply, it is no surprise that handcrafted wooden furniture is commonplace in Ukrainian homes.

  • For female entrepreneur Yuliya Korelska with her love of natural beauty and ecological values, wood was always going to be the material of choice. With its environmentally friendly properties, warmth, texture, and raw beauty, in Yulia’s eyes, it consistently came out on top.

  • After the onset of war in Ukraine, in her quest to renovate her own home, she found herself searching unsuccessfully for bespoke wooden panelling. Many carpentry businesses had closed, and she struggled to find a supplier. Exploring a gap in the market, and undeterred by a predominantly male industry, she seized the opportunity to start her own business. Shortly after YourFoRest was borne (named aptly after her connection with the forest).

  • For Yuliya, it was not only a business but a way of life and a mission that embodied her belief that by working closely with nature we can all live a better life.

‘I believe that each of us can make a difference, starting with our immediate surroundings, and this makes our world a better place to live in’.

Yuliya Korelska

  • In search of inspiration, Yulia was keen to spread her wings beyond Ukraine. Her company incorporates multi-national influences in her designs in particular Italian influences which can be seen in her panelling. Yulia is keen to pay attention to the surrounding environment.

  • At University she studied ‘The History of Design’ and here she developed her inspiration from wood design icons George Nakashima and Wendell Castle and found herself drawn to Danish design functionality and comfort. Exploring Yulia’s design idols further we can identify the specific elements that shaped her relationship to wood.

  • George Nakashima was born in Washington US with Japanese ancestry, at the turn of the century. He is thought to be the first generation of ‘Studio Furniture’ makers specialising in one-off handcrafted furniture as and became one of the world’s highly influential woodwork designers during 20th Century. This was era of the Arts and Crafts Movement and American Arts furniture. His most famous design, The Knoll Nakashima Straight Chair, first produced in 1948, is still on sale today.

  • Taking inspiration from his global travels, he was most inspired by his ancestral home Japan where he studied Japanese architecture and design. Later, during his time in the US camps in the Second World War, he was introduced to Japanese carpentry by a native carpenter and spent time practising the skills and acquiring the patience to perfect the art using traditional hand-made tools.

  • The Japanese tea ceremony, Zen Buddhist ideals of beauty and American Shaker furniture were all instrumental in shaping his designs. Nakashima is renowned for his signature large-scale tables whose smooth surfaces have unfinished raw edges. His love for the natural organic movement of wood with its raw knots, gnarls, and grains inspired his designs as he often selected pieces of wood that had been rejected by other carpenters, celebrating their imperfections as a thing of beauty.

  • He sought to capture the spirit of the tree, sourcing mature trees which may otherwise have naturally decayed, choosing instead to recycle them into beautiful furniture. It is perhaps this love for the organic movement of wood and its raw natural beauty that inspired Yuliya.

  • Wendell Castle was also born in US and like George a prominent figure in the Arts and Craft movement. He is famous for pioneering new techniques with wood using a process known as stack lamination to bond together pieces of wood and change their sculptural form. As well as receiving a BFA in Industrial Design in 1958, he also received an MFA in Sculpture, which influenced his designs.

  • Wendell was renowned for breaking barriers in furniture design and pushing the boundaries of artistic design.

Drawing parallels to how Yulia started her business, Castle remarked:

‘The only way I could make what I wanted to make was to make it myself.’

  • His organic fluid designs were ahead of their time with their strikingly sculptural forms.

  • 3D Rack Wall Panel

  • Kliko Wall Panel

  • Matrix Wall Panel

  • Diamond Wall Panel

  • Yuliya’s design inspiration was also taken from the Danish movement in furniture which emerged in the early 20th century and embodied immaculate craftmanship with an emphasis on functionality and minimalism. Every piece of furniture was crafted with practical form in mind. Though details were kept simple, the final finish was flawless. Natural materials, most often teak and oak, were used to create timeless designs that are immune to changes in fashion. This same ethos still exists today with the very popular Scandi furniture which embodies the core values of beauty, ecology, and nature.

‘YourFoRest is a fusion of art and functionality where each item becomes a part of your interior story’.

  • Their main focus is on the design and production of luxurious furniture collections and wall panels using mainly ash, walnut and oak to achieve a harmonious space where the beauty of wood can be appreciated. The result is a blend of flawless luxury created by meticulous joinery coupled with timeless design with a blend of mid-century, Scandinavian and Italian influence

  • In collaboration with Juanny Barcelò Borges, they have created a series of Italian inspired contemporary designs including the Italy Classic, Prism, Matrix, Pontelli, Oblique, Dance, and Nuage.

  • Italy Classic Wall Panel

  • Prism Wall Panel

  • Matrix Wall Panel

  • Pontelli Wall Panel

  • Oblique Wall Panel

  • Nuage Wall Panel

  • Juanny is an Italian designer with Cuban origin who strongly believes in the power of design as a source of inspiration. What sets him apart is his ability to transform ancient yet classic art into contemporary forms which is tantamount to his designs. With a thorough understanding of contemporary trends and ongoing commitment to market research, Juanni is an expert in his field providing design services to forward-thinking companies embracing sculpturally graphic aesthetics. His proactive approach and love of classical design has resulted in collections that have gained worldwide recognition.

  • Pictured below are wall panels made from the beautifully composed ‘Dance’ panels named after the lively play of patterns that depict spontaneous dance movements. The collection was originally designed for children’s rooms and playrooms to reflect their playful nature but equally makes a sophisticated and luxurious statement though wall panels, large-scale framed art or headboards. The natural combination of solid and veneered ash is precision cut to reveal warm tonal shades and the visibly textured grain gives a flawless classic quality that exudes luxury.

  • A collaboration with established interior designer and custom product designer, Yuriy Zimenko, led to the creation of the ‘Carre’ wall panels. His design studio has won numerous awards including The International Property Award for Best Interior Design Apartment in 2015. He gained recognition at the SBID International Design Excellence Awards (2018) and is a popular award panellist, most recently at the ELLE Decoration International Design Awards 2019. The Carre is a simple yet timeless design resembling classically square wall tiles made with one obvious difference. The warmth of the wood and the natural markings provide an added layer of depth that would elevate both a bedroom and living space. Made of ash it is available in dark or light shades.

The items used in the project

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