【Sunday Slow Time】Taichung’s “Lele Wood” – Handcrafted Wooden Pieces in Simple, Natural Colors

As you enter Lele Wood’s exhibition space in Dongshi, an indescribable sense of tranquility washes over you. The wooden items on the display shelves are simple and unadorned, their natural colors and stacked forms exuding a serene aura that puts you at ease. It’s hard to turn around and leave—you can’t help but stop and draw closer. “I like simplicity. I don’t use any color or chemical paint, just oil, to showcase the wood’s natural hue.”

Meng Yi admits that her woodworking style is heavily influenced by Japan. She has read extensively from Japanese books and admires how the Japanese highlight the raw texture and color of wood. Additionally, with a background in industrial design, she considers practicality—simplifying the manufacturing process, shortening production time, and reducing costs are all key design considerations. “Does that sound too commercial?” Meng Yi laughs, insisting she’s not an artist and doesn’t want to be one. Though her starting point is rooted in production, the truth is, the simpler the design, the harder it is to execute.

 

During our chat, we pointed out the wooden flower stand by the window in the exhibition room, with its sleek hollowed-out design. We loved it. “That’s leftover material,” she said. What!? After Meng Yi explained, we learned that the hollowed part was originally cut by a factory to make a cup holder. The remaining piece of scrap wood was picked up by Meng Yi. After observing and thinking it through, she decided to turn it into a flower stand. “It’s not for sale yet—I’ll add supports to reinforce the structure.”

It’s truly incredible how what might seem like worthless scraps can take on a whole new life in Meng Yi’s hands. “Woodworkers always keep leftover and offcut materials,” Meng Yi added, pointing to a doorstop shaped like a woodpecker. “This was a triangular offcut. I thought about what I could make with it, so I turned it into a doorstop. Later, I realized it could also work as a bookend.” Taiwan has a logging ban policy, so most wood is imported, and every bit is used as efficiently as possible. “It helps reduce deforestation—small pieces still have their uses.”

 

On the day of our visit, Meng Yi took a square piece of wood and, through simple cutting, drilling, and sanding, turned it into a business card holder and pen stand. There were no flashy decorations or complicated processes—the block of wood became a functional household item, one that fully showcased the texture and charm of its natural wood tone.