The Fascinating World of Wowtables

The Wowtables are an ongoing experiment. After working with a considerable amount of epoxy resin on a previous table project, it was noticed that the puddles of resin that would soak into the craft paper laid down to protect the table, were much more durable and flexible then the solo epoxy. Spending many hours in car parts and hardware stores, I became very familiar with the chamois and its more commercial cousin the ShamWow, where the tables lovingly get their name. The Wowtables are constructed from various thicknesses of felt, soaked in epoxy resin and supported until cured into a solid, fuzzy yet overall plastic feeling structure. The level of Epoxy soaked up dictates the surface tactility of the tables. Full saturation achieves a bumpy and glossy plastic like surface, however If the felt is mildly and evenly soaked a stiff yet fuzzy matte surface is achieved. The Office will continue to explore the formal and structural capabilities of the Wowtables, continuing to create a wide variety of forms and proportions.

Calen Knauf is a Canadian designer living and working in Vancouver, Canada. Calen studied Industrial Design at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Shortly after graduating Calen won best student lighting for his thesis project Standard Lamp at Design Plus 2014 in Cologne, Germany. His first produced design was licensed to Esaila in 2012. He has worked closely with life long friend Conrad Brown from 2013–2019 on a range of projects including product design for mass production, furniture, custom editions, interior design and graphic design. Their work together has won several awards including The Rising Star Award at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2017 and short listed for the Dezeen Awards for Lighting Design in 2018. Calen has collaborated with companies including Tre Products, Tetra, Stussy and more. His work has been featured in many international publications including Wallpaper, Frame, and Intramuros.