The pretty filly bench is a solid timber bench that is part of a furniture range, including a table and sideboard. Most of Koop’s furniture is inspired by an idea of how it is made. It expresses a method of engineering timber to gain structural gravity and aesthetic lightness. The bench is an example of fine craftsmanship without compromise to proportion, scale and comfort. It is a celebration of the life of a tree, the natural beauty of timber and the elegance and simplicity that can be achieved with the material. The design has a playful distortion; a changing feel and appearance as the viewer moves around it. A series of visual contradictions; lightness and weight, fragility and strength, straight and offset create interest and delight.
The Pretty Filly bench was a finalist in the 2009 Most Beautiful Object in South Africa curated by the Design Indaba Expo.