Thursday Salute to Originals: Hair Today, Chair Tomorrow?
Finish selection can be the best and worst part of a project. Finding a material that balances performance and durability while still meeting aesthetic criteria, can be extremely challenging, especially since there are nearly endless options to consider. (It’s difficult for our clients to select the perfect onyx for their backlit features, and that’s only ONE element of a design!) If you’re suffering from finish fatigue or need some fresh inspiration, don’t worry. We have a new material for you to specify on your next project: HAIR.
Yes, you heard us right. Human hair is beginning to make its mark on the map as a legitimate material choice in everything from jewelry, to décor, to furniture, and more.
Sounds pretty disgusting right? Well turns out, while most natural resources are in drastic decline due to booming human population, pollution, etc., human hair is virtually the only natural resource that is actually INCREASING with the rapidly multiplying populace of man. But high volumes of hair aren’t the only perk. Hair is extremely fast at regenerating – 16 times faster in comparison to other materials like wood, for example – and it’s quite strong, too. A single strand can withstand almost ¼ of a lb. (100 grams); now imagine that strength when multiple strands are combined.
The designers at Studio Swine take us through a video journey through the process of fabrication with hair. In order to transform the hair into a useable material, the strands are brushed, assembled into layers, and then encased with a natural resin. Once hardened, a durable surface that can be cut, finished, and fashioned in a variety of ways is created. And surprisingly, the physical attributes of this end product is quite beautiful. Channeling the gentle ombres and grain-like textures prized in natural materials, the hair remains subtle while providing depth and delicate movement.
Watch the video below to see the full process of how this material is created, from scalp to finished product.
[Hair Highway from Studio Swine on Vimeo]
Now, we’re certainly not saying hair is a material choice for everyone or every design. There are some applications where we can see this as a good fit, and others where that simply wouldn’t be the case. (We personally don’t think it would be very appetizing to dine on a table top made from human hair, for example). For being willing to make an avant-garde material choice, we salute those who embrace human hair as a viable finish – to Studio Swine for bringing this material to our attention, and to the creatives who bravely implement taboo materials to “finish” off their designs.
Sources: Studio Swine, Design Milk, Sacramento Hair Doctor, MM Hair Fashions