Rachel Hutchinson is a furniture designer, sculptor and maker based in Wiltshire, working where digital craft meets fine hand-finishing. She starts with oak that already has a history, machines it precisely, then finishes it by hand. It is a way of working we recognise, because it is close to our own.
Monolith began with her material rather than ours. At its heart is a serving board in reclaimed British FSC oak, cut to a concentric arc profile that is Rachel’s own. No two boards are identical.
The board is made to be used, not just looked at. Grooves cut into the surface give the food a natural resting place and quietly guide the act of serving. In Rachel’s words, the piece is designed to elevate everyday preparation into a considered ritual, and to reflect the communal experience of sharing food.
That is the sensibility the whole project is built on: a material with a past, worked with most of the effort going into the part the eye barely registers.
Two knives were made to sit with the board, both handled in matching oak. The Grand Fromage is a cheese knife, finished with a hand-stitched leather case by Tiffany. The Mako is our mid-sized Santoku, resting in a stand of Richlite and oak when it is not in use.
Monolith comes three ways: the board on its own, the board with the Mako, or the complete set with both knives. Each is made to order, and like the board, no two are quite the same.
In collaboration with Rachel Hutchinson.