Olga

Measure twice, cut once, the old saying goes. But if you’re in a hurry, designer Pål Rodenius saves you the tape and the time with these pre-measured patterns for plywood furniture.

His project is called “2440×1220, Saw, Assemble,” and it’s basically a DIY furniture choose-your-own-adventure. The project’s base is a sheet of plywood covered with a giant sticker of color-coded lines. Follow the right ones with your trusty band saw, and you’ll end up with a collection of parts that can be assembled into shelving, benches, tables or chairs.

What’s leftover can be transmogrified from a set of directions to colorful line art. By leaving the markings on the wood, the pieces are elevated from simple furniture to a constant reminder of what could have been. It’s an object lesson in the Taoist idea of the uncarved block.

At present, the lines come pre-attached to the plywood, but it’s not hard to imagine the stickers being sold separately. Once you do that, you’ll be able to slap them on anything—so long as you can cut it.