Silhouette
Cabinet inspired by
Korean Traditional Door
Year: 2024
Client: -
Type: Furniture
Material: Beech wood, color finishing
Size: W392 x D446 x H783 mm
‘Silhouette’ is a cabinet inspired by traditional Korean Changho—wooden lattice doors finished with translucent Hanji paper. I was deeply moved by the geometric yet serene patterns of the wooden lattices and the subtle, changing shadows they cast onto the Hanji surface as the daylight shifts. This inspired me to reinterpret these traditional elements into a contemporary piece of furniture.
To achieve this, I transformed the original two-dimensional lattice patterns into a three-dimensional wooden structure. The linear lattice shapes became flat wooden slats, offering unique views of the traditional 'Aja-sal' pattern from each of the four sides. These transformed slats create various interior spaces within the cabinet: narrow, delicate gaps neatly hold books upright, while wider open areas provide flexible surfaces to lay or openly display objects.
The cabinet includes two doors, each covered with Hanji paper, further echoing the traditional Changho inspiration. When the doors are closed, the lattice structure gently casts shadows on the Hanji surface, creating delicate silhouettes that shift throughout the day. These subtle changes in light and shadow quietly bring ‘Sal’ to life, infusing the surrounding space with a calm vitality. Both doors rotate smoothly up to 270°, allowing one side of the cabinet to be displayed openly, while the other remains elegantly concealed. This design lets users showcase objects from a desired angle, emphasizing either the contents within or the poetic shadows created by the wooden lattices.
