Florence Table and Bench

‘Florence’ is the first all-timber furniture range to be designed by Billings Jackson. It was inspired by US-sourced solid wood construction and the prototypes are in use less than half a mile from where the cherry used was felled in West Michigan. All joints are timber and the assembly keys the elements together without glue or further fixings, making the range highly sustainable.

The Florence range is marks a departure for Billings Jackson Design and is also a very personal celebration of the company’s recent success in the USA.

Founding partner Duncan Jackson relocated to New York from London to develop Billings Jackson’s market stateside and in 2007 he married in Michigan. He designed the Florence table and bench in exchange for the use of a barn on an organic blueberry farm for his wedding reception.  The Farm is off grid and the workshop is solar and wind powered, further inspiring Duncan.

“I selected the planks of cherry and designed the tables so that they used all the wood with the minimum waste. I found the idea of the natural way the furniture was made very satisfying and of course being in the workshop for me is like being on holiday.”

The Florence range currently includes tables, benches and chairs while desks and storage are under development.  The range is custom made by craftsmen in Zeeland, Michigan and is available in most species of indigenous wood.  Lead times vary depending on finding and selecting the width and lengths of timber required for the furniture. Florence launched at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York in May 2008.