tomaz tijerina konja
i am an industrial designer who works across disciplines, combining hands-on making with a deep interest in discursive and experimental design.
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3. Wood + Leather, 2024
Designer
Traditional Sketching
Model Making
Woodworking
Willis Leather
Commercial
Product Statement
Wood + Leather is a chair designed around the quiet transformation that occurs when natural materials age with grace. Patina is the project’s driving force—the idea that an object becomes more meaningful, more expressive, and more personal through years of touch, wear, and daily use.
Crafted from solid wood and finished with hand-worked leather, the chair celebrates materials that reveal their history rather than hide it. The leather seat and backrest were created in collaboration with a local leather artisan, whose craftsmanship brought depth, nuance, and authenticity to the piece. This partnership allowed the material’s natural variations and future aging to be treated not as flaws, but as essential qualities that will evolve uniquely for each owner.
Through its honest construction and thoughtful material choices, Wood + Leather invites users to embrace objects that improve over time—pieces that gather stories, develop character, and embody the beauty of lasting design.
Process
The creation of Wood + Leather began with a close study of an existing chair. I recorded its dimensions to understand its proportions and ergonomics, then used that information as a starting point to develop my own design. Initial ideas took shape through sketching, which helped clarify structure, balance, and the overall direction of the piece.
These sketches were followed by full-scale cardboard prototypes. Working at scale allowed me to test angles, refine joinery concepts, and evaluate how the chair would feel in physical space. Once the form was resolved, I moved into building the final piece in wood. The construction used traditional woodworking techniques supported by standard shop power tools, rather than CNC or digital fabrication. This kept the process hands-on while allowing for precision and efficiency.
After the frame was completed, I coordinated with a local leather worker to define the final look and feel of the seat and backrest. We discussed material choices, construction details, and the vision for how the leather would age over time. That collaboration shaped the final expression of the piece and ensured that the leather and wood would complement each other both immediately and as they develop patina.
Through this process, Wood + Leather became a synthesis of thoughtful design, traditional craft, and meaningful collaboration.