Wonderwall Studios is a creative studio that designs and produces wooden panelings for walls and surfaces. It exclusively works with salvaged woods and local professional craftsmen. Today, Wonderwall Studios Team answers three questions of L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui.

Could you present your firm and your latest projects?

Wonderwall Studios is a creative studio that designs and produces wooden panelling for walls and surfaces. We use exclusively salvaged wood and employ local professional craftsmen. You could say we craft locally and rock globally. Wonderwall Studios wasn’t founded, it happened. We were doing something else when we just got the idea to start making wood panelling from recycled wood. At first it was very basic: We’d come across abandoned houses on our travels in South-East Asia, take out the girders, work on them a bit and then envision this wonderful bit of wood on someone’s wall.

That was a couple of years go. We’re fully organised now and have a great group of local craftsmen working in our team to create our collections of wall panels. The thing that hasn’t changed is that we still scout the land for anything that we can upcycle. We prefer upcycle to recycle because what we do actually enhances the wood we find. We don’t just give it a second life; we give it a better one. Our collection has something for everyone. You can find our panelling adorning walls, ceilings, bars, reception desks and even floors in both commercial and residential spaces. We think it’s great that lots of people have discovered the versatility of our panels to enrich their interiors. Our collections are as diverse as the interiors they enliven.

You are participating to Maison & Objet Projets this year, which are the products and/or the innovative solutions dedicated to architects that you’ll be presenting?

What we are particularly fond and proud of is our design process. During our search for suitable woods, we always keep our eyes open for any new trends and styles. We sketch, doodle, draw, throw stuff at the wall and we discuss our design ideas with the woodworkers; it’s a true team effort. We are therefore always very proud to present new collections of panels. The orient was our inspiration this time round, but we kept the design contemporary with some sharp lines and geometrical shapes. Still – and thanks to the organic layers – the collection has that great handmade quality typical of Wonderwall Studios. The deep purple tones and rich hues give the panels a certain mystical quality.
We’ve given the new designs a smoother finish without sacrificing any of the character and depth.

According to you, what are the future changes of your activity area and major challenges to be addressed by 2020?

Since our start back in 2010 we have always gone the extra mile. For our clients of course, but also to find the best and most beautiful reclaimed woods. During our searches for suitable wood, we always keep our eyes open for any new trends and styles.
Our latest journey brought us to South Africa. Where we got the idea to repurpose the woods used for winebarrels. The bended wood, stained by the redness of the wine, is a great source of inspiration. So when we head back home we let the creative juices flow. We sketch, doodle, draw and throw stuff at the wall and we discuss our design ideas with the woodworkers. A new source makes our heart beat a bit faster, it means a new challenge for us. The major challenge for Wonderwall Studios is to find ways to make sure we can pursue what we believe in. We love working with reclaimed woods, so much so that if the wood is not reclaimed, we won’t touch it. This sustainability principle forms not only the foundation of our business; it is its beating heart, our DNA. We’re proud of this but also see it as something that should come naturally to anyone working in our line of business.

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