Didi Ng Wing Yin's charred lumber furniture debuts at Milan Design Week

Helsinki-based designer Didi Ng Wing Yin presented his collection 'In Between Wood and Fire' at Spazio Rosanna Orlandi during Milan Design Week 2026. The five-piece furniture and lighting line is crafted from solid-sawn construction lumber—typically avoided for furniture due to cracking—by splitting, carving, and charring 10x10cm hunks. The centerpiece, a coffee table named Rocket, features a ridged top, flame-shaped feet in ombre red, and two apple-sized fruit bowl indents. Other pieces include a side table, a tall floor lamp called Pith, and a duo of stools. Ng describes the collection as having a 'humorous approach' compared to his earlier work, inspired by firewood splitting for Finnish saunas. He used axes, chisels, froes, and gouging tools for texture, and applied ink, blow-torch charring, and lacquer for finish. Ng is a member of Minestrone Workshop, which will design the exhibition for this year's Habitare furniture fair in Finland. He was named emerging designer of the year at the 2024 Dezeen Awards.