Know Your Local Designer: On A Cedar Log With Brent Comber…

Something spectacular happens where nature meets the urban, and Brent Comber knows all about that. Growing up on Vancouver’s North Shore, the designer’s childhood world was both city living and forest dwelling. Inspired by his surroundings, he began his career in landscaping, working with the raw materials that surrounded him. He acquired his knowledge of landscaping the same way he later acquired his woodworking skills: through his hands. Yet it was through his heart that his work began to transform. When Brent first introduced his work at an outdoor garden show in Vancouver, a woman approached his booth and sat on one of his benches. The woman closed her eyes and ran her hand across the smooth wood. When Brent approached her, she revealed that the fragrance of the cedar transported her back to her childhood, when she and her grandfather would spend hours walking on the the logs that had washed up on the shore. In that moment, Brent discovered the capacity of the wood to tell stories in its own rich and expressive language, and he resolved to continue to craft his pieces with a story in mind. From the 18 foot, one-piece communal table at Salt Tasting Room to the soaring western maple wall sculpture at Yew in the Four Seasons, his artistry can be found in many iconic Vancouver locations.

Indie Profile

Three things about your neighbourhood that make you want to live there: My home is in the Hollyburn area of West Vancouver. I love being able to walk to the beach, to great restaurants and to my children’s schools.

When you finish a piece of furniture intended for a specific space, what do you hope to feel? I feel proud when our work compliments the designer’s vision and excited to see it in context.

What inspires your choice of wood for a given project? It really depends on the particular feel or story I wish to convey. Each wood species can engage people differently, depending on the texture and the finish. For example, our Shattered collection is about the physical energy and thought required to organize the split timber into cubes. It is about the process – the choice of material is secondary.

If wood can tell a story, which one of your pieces carries your favourite story? The Alder Cube. It’s an evocative piece constructed from very simple materials. It also conveys a beautiful story of how a forest can change you as you pass through it. People are fascinated to discover that the piece is constructed from vertical stacked branches and it appears that air is the only thing holding the sticks together. For a moment, you find yourself inside the cube trying to unravel this mystery much like your state of mind when you are in the deep woods. There are other stories hidden within each piece – it all depends on where you look. Read more