Trendspotting /
Woodcrafters
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goingplacesmagazine.com / 60 / August 2016
6 5. Lisha Sahar, with her husband and her father 6. Harith Ridzuan prefers using recycled or reclaimed materials in his furniture 7. High level of attention to the smallest of details 8. The founders of Fine Grit, Daniel (with the apron) and Khairul 9. Putting the finishing touch to marquee letters made for a client
Another self-taught woodworker (Youtube is the new college), Lisha and her husband make bespoke pieces according to client specifications. They use a lot of reclaimed pine in their work, which is lighter and easier to work with, but produces its own challenges, says Lisha. The wood can warp over time, especially with the country’s high humidity, and she has had to adapt to these properties. Using recycled or reclaimed material is part of the package for these new breed of woodworkers. Harith Ridzuan, also known as Harith Green Carpenter (HGC), aims to spearhead the way in this department. “I personally feel that the world is moving too fast and Mother Nature just can’t keep up. I had the idea five years ago to recycle and reuse wood as there’s a lot of it lying about in construction sites, just discarded as waste,” says Harith, a sought-after carpenter who has worked with cafés, restaurants and corporate clients around town. Ideally, he would use reclaimed pallets and metal in his work, but when new material is requested, he will suggest the use of Malaysian-grown and made bamboo planks. Currently, most bamboo planks come from China and Taiwan. “I’ve done research on the materials and design. We experimented with a lot of different things, and went through a lot of mistakes and hefty costs before offering the best selection to our clients,” says Harith, who comes
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from a family of woodworkers. While his family’s business is in furniture manufacturing, Harith has chosen to work with his hands. “The unique aspect of handcrafted furniture is that it is a customised one-of-a-kind item, which means you are the only one in the world that would own that piece,” he says. “The imperfections of the detailing derived from handcrafting also make these pieces perfect for certain interior concepts like industrial, raw and rustic themes. The care we put into our products also gives them warmth and soul.”