Leadwood Buffet Server

By Adrian Lombard

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Designer

Gys Potgieter

Woodcrafter

Darren Myburgh and Ernst Mittermair

Tree

Combretum Imberbe

Common name

Leadwood Tree

LEADWOOD BUFFET SERVER

The powerful design of this piece was enhanced by the contrasting use of leadwood, silver oak and pure white. The shape and grain of the leadwood tree adorns the front and side of the server, creating a unique disparity between the rustic tree stump and the clean, white and modern server. This buffet server adds style and a modern touch to your dining room and the drawers open effortlessly on smooth hinges for all the storage space you need.

DESIGNER

“Design is intelligence made visible.” This personal expression embodies the life and work of Adrian Lombard. The founder of Essential Earth Global and Essential Curiosity is a connoisseur of personal branding and specialist in designing products, spaces and experiences. He combines fast-paced, high-level intellectual thought with authentic, creative and soulful creative talent. Each project Adrian creates has meaning, ritual and history etched into the space and fabric. He gets his inspirational ideas from international trends, global travel, world cuisine, playing the piano and the simply joy of living.

Adrian Lombard

LEADWOOD BUFFET SERVER

THE TREE

The Leadwood Tree is a protected species and varies from a shrub to large tree. Some larger trees are estimated to be over 1 000 years old and can reach up to 20 meters. This is a slow growing tree and found from the southern regions of South Africa as far up as Tanzania. The bark is pale to dark grey and rough and blocky in appearance. Even the leaves are greyish green on both sides adding to the pale look of the tree. The Ovambo people from Namibia never pass a Leadwood without paying their respects, believing that the tree represents the great ancestor of all people and animals.

USING THE WOOD

Leadwood is extremely dense and is the only wood that will sink, not float, when dropped in water. The denisity of the wood makes it very strong and durable and was used in the past for railway sleepers, mine props and hoes. Although it is extremely difficult to work with, the wood is beautiful and very valuable for commercial use. It works extremely well when carving and doing inlay work.

WOOD PROPERTIES

Leadwood is greyish-brown to dark brown. The wood has a coarse texture and a straight to interlocked grain. The wood dries well although boards of 25 mm thickness take up to five months to air-dry. It is a durable wood and resistant to fungi and borer. The wood is very difficult to saw due to its hardness. It glues well, and can be polished and varnished to a high gloss finish.