Retired Cabinet Maker Henk Creates Fully-Functional Furniture That ‘Looks’ Broken
Furniture design has become more than just focusing solely on functionality. Today, furniture designers are merging functionality and aesthetic elements to craft practical furnishings that also double as stylish ornaments. And when it comes to woodwork design, a piece doesn’t necessarily have to be seriously elegant. A whimsical approach to furniture design can be as appealing as those with sophisticated styles. And just like any forms of art, a woodworker can bring his imagination to life through wood, just as a painter does through painting.
If you’re not convinced that wood could make an awesome work of art then let Henk Verhoeff dispel your doubts. Henk is from Auckland, New Zealand and he has been working as a cabinet maker for over 50 years. Although he’s already retired from his job, his love for the craft never diminished. He still spent most of his time making cabinets and other wooden furnishings as a hobby. But this time, he is able to craft the dressers using his own design and style.
This unique woodwork may look broken but it is fully functional
Unlike conventional cabinets, Henk’s creations are truly remarkable. The dressers may look like they’re damaged but that’s the concept behind it all. Disproportionate structure with large cracks, one might think that his creations are about to fall apart. But each unique-looking dresser is fully functional and is intricately designed to trick your mind. Indeed, these weird pieces are something we don’t see in any shop. If anything, these furniture really look like they came straight out of a Disney movie.
Henk’s daughter Linda created a Facebook page dedicated to showcase her father’s whimsical yet functional creations. Due to the uniqueness of the pieces, the Facebook page quickly gained a huge amount of attention. And Henk’s one-of-a-kind furniture creations eventually went viral. People who saw his amusingly peculiar cabinets assumed that Henk got his inspiration from classic Disney movies and fairy tales. But Henk revealed that his seemingly broken and weird furniture design are simply products of his ‘twisted brain’.
Henk Verhoeff showing one of his furniture creations
Based from the elaborate design, even professionals would agree that these pieces would take a lot of skill, time and patience to make. And this just shows how the retired artist is in a league of his own.
“It’s hard to say how long each piece takes me.”, Henk shares. “It’s unset times during the week and it could easily be 80-100 hours. Sometimes details or angles don’t work and I have to start again. I use recycled New Zealand pine, mostly, but if I can get my hands on some Rimu, I will also use that.”
Many people have been asking if he’s offering his fairy-tale like creations for sale. But Henk explained that he created these unusual furniture for the pure love of the craft without the intention of selling them, for now. The one-of-a-kind cabinets are now decorating Henk’s home and he has no plans of selling them to anyone. However, he might consider putting them up for sale or for auction when he runs out of space. So, stay tuned for that possibility in the future.
