Made in Situ Collection Pays Tribute to Cork

When I witnessed Portugal’s devastating fires in 2017, I learned that the sombreiro, or cork oak tree, is surprisingly resistant,” says French designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, who moved to Lisbon the summer after. “That triggered the idea for the Burnt Cork collection.” Conceived for his own design brand, Made in Situ, the collection of three tables, two chairs, a stool, and a chaise longue pays tribute to the usually scuppered material. Blackened bark tissue harvested from burnt forests is transformed into agglomerated blocks with a subtle gradient of color and granule size—from large charcoal-laden cork pieces at the bottom to finer tan granules on top—then CNC-carved into sculptural furniture replete with Duchaufour-Lawrance’s characteristic fluid lines.