The trend is definitely not just seen in Ikea, but now it seems that every furniture and design shop is peddling the latest plywood designs. The rebirth and appeal plywood design is obvious; its clean and organic lines, simple joinery and (theoretically) it’s at a minimal cost. Who couldn’t resist an Eames knock-off chair in their living room?

Bent Ply - The Art of Plywood Furniture (2003) by Eric Pfeiffer and Dung Ngo is a fantastic little book devoted to the history of plywood in modern design. The book spans from the earliest uses of wood veneers, through the Industrial Revolution, to design today, covering everything from how plywood is made to how it is molded into furniture. A detailed look into the making of the Wave Desk is explained from begining stages of harvesting and selecting the trees in Eastern Europe to the final stages molding and finishing of the plywood in Italy. The contributions to plywood design by Alvar Aalto, Michael Thonet, and Charles and Ray Eames is clearly explained and illustrated. But of equal importance is the presentation of this book; incased in an extremely striking hardcover made from plywood itself.