Contrast Nightstand
‘Contrast’ is a nightstand where I tried to merge two completely different materials and looks into one complete product.
The dark part is made out of concrete which you can get from any hardware store, but by mixing pigments into the mix and applying a layer of darkened epoxy I managed to make the concrete look like a weathered rock with an effect of crystallization.
Combining this complex look with ash wood for a bottom shelf and legs in a minimalistic way, I created this massive contract.
Process
Constructing the mold
Creating the concrete structure
Post-processing the Concrete
Woodworking
If we ignore my huge researching and designing investments, the entire process can be divided into five big segments: constructing a mold, creating the concrete structure, post processing the concrete, woodworking and finally assembling the two contrasts.
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Making this nightstand required me to delve into materials I had not used before and learned a lot of new techniques. Making a solid mold, welding rebar together, pouring concrete and how to take care of it, mixing pigments into various materials, taking account for a correct weight distribution, I could go on for a long time about every minor/major problem/solution I came across during this process; If I also went into deep detail on them I would probably need more storage on my website!​​
CAD Visualization
End product
The two contrasts assembled
Starting with making the frame; I chose to construct it from cnc-milled layers of plywood to achieve neat, rounded edges. After stacking these layers, drilling holes in the right angles and applying multiple layers of paint my mould was ready to be used, all that was left for me was to weld rods of iron together. I bent a set of rods in the same angle as the mold welded them together. I attached some fishing lines from the iron rods to a brace on top of the mold, so the rods would stay centered.​
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I mixed dark pigments into my concrete mix and filled my mold with it. I dragged it inside to harden for a month while spraying it with water every now and then.
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After impatiently waiting for the concrete to harden, I started the application of epoxy. I chose to add a layer of epoxy for three reasons; One is to prevent the edges from weathering off, two is the achieve a crystallisation effect and three is to pack the concrete in an airtight layer. I would not want for extra liquid or gasses to reach into my concrete to mess up the chemical structures.
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Lastly I assembled the wooden parts to the concrete part by letting long steel rods run through intentional holes in the concrete, which made the entire structure extremely solid.
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I am extremely happy with the end result and very satisfied with the skill, knowledge and experience I achieved with this project, especially since it is one of my first ones.
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