Tool Inlays by FormaFantasma

FormaFantasma
Tool Inlays, 2009

Formafantasma turns humble chipboard into the star of the show. Instead of hiding the inexpensive material beneath a polished finish, the designers decorate it with delicate inlays shaped like the very tools used to build the table. A layer of translucent grey resin refines the surface while allowing the wood chips and tool silhouettes to remain visible. It is a playful upgrade from underlayment to what the studio calls “Upperlayment™.”

Part of the Hidden Inlays series, the table brings slow, detailed craftsmanship into an industrially produced object. A box concealed within the surface can be lifted to reveal more of the pattern and the sawdust left behind during production. By placing these traces of making on display, Formafantasma gives an ordinary material an unexpected sense of value and character.