Bue Brushes Poppy Lawman

Poppy Lawman is a Norwegian designer who experiments with shapes and materials. His latest project is proof of this: the Bue Brushes, table brushes whose wavy handles question.

Designed entirely from biodegradable materials, these brushes consist of an oak handle and coconut fiber bristles sewn with linen thread. To make the handles, U- or S-shaped, the wood is treated using the traditional artisanal technique of steam bending. The vapor first reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius), the temperature at which lignin, an organic polymer that naturally strengthens the cell walls of wood, becomes flexible. After the wood is removed from the heat, the designer has about a minute to reshape the pieces before they harden again. ”The S-shaped brush has almost the tightest curvature that can be achieved with oak using the steam bending process. There is a certain pleasure in pushing a technique and a material to its limits. ”Poppy explains.

Handcrafted by the designer herself, these brushes encourage a slower, more conscious lifestyle. Through them, she wishes to rekindle a deeper connection with utilitarian objects, while encouraging us to decrease the speed at which we throw them away or replace them.