At the far end of the 100-year old building, there is a lathe. And at it, 77-year-old Åke Larsson is hand-turning a table leg with the typical paw foot that will soon be attached to a Josef Frank “Coffee Table 2139”. It does not look particularly difficult. But appearances are deceptive. Åke is turning the lathe with the naturalness that comes from 60 years of professional experience.
Here, the table top for model “2139” and other types of Josef Frank furniture receive their veneer. This is a procedure that requires great artisanal skill at every stage. They use a root veneer, which, in itself, requires knowledge. Root is the name of the part of the tree that anchors the plant to the ground, and root veneer is obtained by using a lathe to turn out millimeter-thin sheets, particularly from the root that grows above ground.