John G Williams is a craftsman-designer living and working in Johannesburg, South Africa. John mainly designs furniture that features local hardwoods. In 2018 John was an A' Design Award winner for his dining chair - ZENE.

Zene Dining chair by John G Williams Zene dining chair takes its inspiration from indigenous timber and Danish Modern design. The light ash frames are simple and robust and support hardwood seats and backrests that appear to float on the frame. The curved forms of the seat/backrest are not formed by bending the wood but rather by joining and shaping solid hardwood timber. As a series the light ash frames provide cohesion, and different local materials selected for the seat/backrests generate interest and relevance.

Beke Dining Chair by John G Williams Beke means 'peace' and 'to be connected to'. The Beke dining chair design supports an ergonomic and aesthetic sense of peace, and at the same time a sense of connection with the space at the table. The design respects the simplicity of the Danish Modern philosophy, and yet incorporates a shaped solid hardwood seat and back; integrates South African Cape Dutch architectural motifs with a sweeping architectural profile; and uses a clean ash frame to showcase the richness of local and international hardwoods.

Beke Kitchen Bar chair by John G Williams Beke is a kitchen bar chair designed for use at a kitchen counter or breakfast bar. The name Beke means peace and to be connected to. The geometry of the seat, backrest and footrest is tailored for comfort during long periods of use. The seat is a custom plywood laminate finished with walnut veneer. The rear legs are steam bent in two parts and then laminated for long term dimensional stability. The backrest is coopered from shaped staves. The clean ash frame is shaped to give the chair a light and calm appearance.

Repose Lounge chair by John G Williams Repose is a lounge chair made from solid hardwood timber. The frame is American ash, and the seat and back are American walnut. The deep curved seat is formed by laminating shaped pieces of timber with angled edges, an extreme version of the coopering method used to build barrels. The inner curves are machined smooth with custom tooling, while the arm tops keep a segmented texture. The rear legs are steam bent and help to stabilize the arms. Draw bore tenon joints add strength. The aim was to reach the comfort of an upholstered chair using solid wood alone.

John G Williams

Private Bag X033, suite 170

Gauteng

F: South Africa

John G Williams is IAD member since 2018, with 8087 IAD rating.