Tasmanian Oak a Favourite Signature

Constantly striving to push the boundaries to deliver projects that are different and unique is the driving motivation for Nathan Wundersitz, Owner and Design Director of South Australian firm SpaceCraft Joinery.

SpaceCraft was established in 2008 by Nathan and his wife and Managing Director Ellen, when after working in the industry for years, Nathan realised he would only ever be satisfied working with his own clients in his own way to deliver a standard of product and service he could put his own name to.

Despite being known for a willingness to try different materials and combinations, Nathan describes Tasmanian Oak as one of his favourite signatures, and he has incorporated the timber through a diversity of SpaceCraft designs and projects.

“Tasmanian Oak has a beautiful linear grain, it is durable, sustainable and performs well possessing good longevity,” says Nathan.

For projects such as SpaceCraft’s Coach House, the restoration of a 1915 barn and stables that once belonged to a magnificent manor in the Adelaide Hills, Tasmanian Oak was used to create subtlety and nuance in the custom-built kitchen cabinetry.

Stained just a little lighter than charcoal to reveal the grain and texture of the timber, Nathan says the lightness of Tasmanian Oak provides an exceptional base for achieving the true colour of a stain, and that it is a timber that responds well to this treatment. In Coach House, this culminated in a toned aesthetic grain sympathetic to the character of this beautiful historic home.

In contrast, Tasmanian Oak brought a warm hue to the monochromatic glamour in SpaceCraft’s Catriona project. Working to client Catriona’s brief of ‘theatrically dramatic with a monochromatic combination of marble, black and white’, Nathan incorporated the soft caramel tones of Tasmanian Oak to temper the bold materials used throughout the kitchen in this modern two-storey townhouse in Aldinga Beach.

“Tasmanian Oak is extremely versatile and provides good contrast and colour,” says Nathan, who uses Tasmanian Oak for a variety of applications including linings, ribbing, as a pliable veneer, and as a hardwood feature.

For clients Natalie and Anthony, Nathan used Tasmanian Oak to add light and warmth to the gloriously original 1971 architecture displayed throughout their split-level modern masterpiece with soaring cathedral ceilings.

Tasmanian Oak veneer with the grain aligned vertically was used in cabinetry across the kitchen and bathrooms and for the desktop in the study. Custom-made solid Tasmanian Oak handles formed part of a statement showpiece in the curve-block open shelving cabinetry in the entryway and featured throughout other parts of the home.

Nathan doesn’t just specify Tasmanian Oak for its exquisite aesthetic, but also its provenance.

“When we are working with our clients to design their dream space, the use of Australian materials is integral to creating the story or next chapter of their home.”

First and foremost, drawing inspiration from his clients, Nathan is also a self-confessed Mid-Century Modern tragic, drawn to the strong use of timber throughout this architectural era, a material he says is always in vogue.