Sustainability Reigns at 2019's Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair
'Anti-design' and furniture made from offcuts and sustainable materials were the stars of this year's Nordic design fair
We’ve been talking about the growing trend of sustainability in Scandinavian design for a few years now, and of course natural wood and simplicity are classic features of Nordic design. However, it seems that all this talk is now turning into action. This year’s Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair (SFLF) showed that even manufacturers – who, after all, need to sell new products and make a profit – are taking a big step into this new world. Here’s how they’re doing it.
Table by Front for Swedese
The influence of another iconic Swedese piece, the Lamino chair, can be seen in the company’s new range of tiered side tables, with their bent wood handles. It is likewise made of discarded wood – the height of responsibly sourced timber.
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The influence of another iconic Swedese piece, the Lamino chair, can be seen in the company’s new range of tiered side tables, with their bent wood handles. It is likewise made of discarded wood – the height of responsibly sourced timber.
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Innovation with natural materials
One of the more sensational new sustainable products was found in the fair’s so-called Greenhouse area, where up-and-coming designers and design schools get the opportunity to showcase their prototypes. Young Danish designer Nikolaj Thrane Carlsen, along with his company TangForm (SeaweedShape), presented The Coastal Furniture chair, which has a shell made from two different kinds of seaweed. Its legs are made of recycled bamboo flooring, and the piece is assembled using only four sets of screws and brackets.
“I simply wanted to create an environmentally friendly alternative to today’s furniture industry, where most products are made of wood, metal and plastic and where only very little is recycled,” says the designer. He found inspiration on the small Danish island of Læsø, where the eelgrass seaweed along the coasts has traditionally been used for roof building. Some of the material has lasted for over 300 years, demonstrating that this is a truly sustainable solution.
One of the more sensational new sustainable products was found in the fair’s so-called Greenhouse area, where up-and-coming designers and design schools get the opportunity to showcase their prototypes. Young Danish designer Nikolaj Thrane Carlsen, along with his company TangForm (SeaweedShape), presented The Coastal Furniture chair, which has a shell made from two different kinds of seaweed. Its legs are made of recycled bamboo flooring, and the piece is assembled using only four sets of screws and brackets.
“I simply wanted to create an environmentally friendly alternative to today’s furniture industry, where most products are made of wood, metal and plastic and where only very little is recycled,” says the designer. He found inspiration on the small Danish island of Læsø, where the eelgrass seaweed along the coasts has traditionally been used for roof building. Some of the material has lasted for over 300 years, demonstrating that this is a truly sustainable solution.
In order to make the seaweed into a material that’s firm and durable enough to last as a chair, Thrane Carlsen experimented with different kinds of glue until he came up with the idea of using carrageenan, an extract from red edible seaweeds, which is widely used in the food industry for thickening and stabilising food. “By mixing carrageenan powder with water then adding eelgrass, I ended up with a ‘seaweed dough’,” he says. After shaping it by hand and leaving it in an oven on low heat for two days, it turned into a material that’s strong and firm enough to be used as a chair. “And no, after the long drying process the design does not smell of seaweed,” says Thrane Carlsen with a smile.
Thrane Carlsen invented the double-seaweed material and created the chair as his graduating project – a materials study – for The School of Architecture in Copenhagen. The Fair’s Greenhouse jury named it the Best Performance of 2019.
The young designer hopes that his chair – along with a lamp, bar stool and a side table in the same seaweed material – is just the beginning of a sustainable adventure in the design industry. “So far my main focus has been on the material, so there are still endless opportunities to explore when it comes to designing and shaping furniture,” he says.
The young designer hopes that his chair – along with a lamp, bar stool and a side table in the same seaweed material – is just the beginning of a sustainable adventure in the design industry. “So far my main focus has been on the material, so there are still endless opportunities to explore when it comes to designing and shaping furniture,” he says.
Another statement for sustainability comes from the Swedish firm Baux, which vests materials that are usually confined to hardware-store shelves with a high level of design sensibility. Their eye-catching stand at SFLF was built out of sound-absorbing Acoustic Pulp panels, which are produced from 100 percent organic materials. And with a sustainability champion like Stella McCartney using Baux materials in her shops, their credibility factor is high.
The sound-absorbing interior panels were created in partnership with the technical and engineering university Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm and are made mostly from wood pulp, dyed with wheat bran. “When it became clear that we could organically mimic nature’s own characteristics, like the fire retardancy properties of grass roots, the water repellency of lotus flowers or the strength of the catalytic combination of potatoes, plant wax and citrus fruits, we knew we were onto something revolutionary,” says founding partner Fredrik Franzon.
Is that actually recycled?
At a time when there is an increasing focus on the world’s plastic consumption – and waste – you might ask yourself: can’t we reuse plastic in furniture production? The Danish design firm Houe has answered that question in the affirmative with its Falk chair, which the company says is the first chair in the world to be made of post-consumer plastic. It was designed by Danish designer Thomas Pedersen and produced in Randers, Denmark, from plastic recycled directly from Danish household waste in the local area.
Despite this emphasis on sustainability, for Houe it was crucial that the chair did not look recycled. “The design is not affected by the fact that it is made from recycled plastic, and we did not want to make a single design compromise for the sake of the recycled material,” says founder Lars Houe. “We wanted to make a chair that is just as beautiful as any other non-sustainable chair.”
At a time when there is an increasing focus on the world’s plastic consumption – and waste – you might ask yourself: can’t we reuse plastic in furniture production? The Danish design firm Houe has answered that question in the affirmative with its Falk chair, which the company says is the first chair in the world to be made of post-consumer plastic. It was designed by Danish designer Thomas Pedersen and produced in Randers, Denmark, from plastic recycled directly from Danish household waste in the local area.
Despite this emphasis on sustainability, for Houe it was crucial that the chair did not look recycled. “The design is not affected by the fact that it is made from recycled plastic, and we did not want to make a single design compromise for the sake of the recycled material,” says founder Lars Houe. “We wanted to make a chair that is just as beautiful as any other non-sustainable chair.”
Because the chair’s shell contains 15 percent glass, plus a little colour, 80 to 85 percent of the material is made from recycled household plastic that would otherwise have been burnt.
“But let’s not be overly pretentious,” says Houe. “The best thing you can do for the planet is to not buy a new chair. But if you are going to buy a new chair I believe that design companies like us have a responsibility to minimise the damage to the environment.”
“But let’s not be overly pretentious,” says Houe. “The best thing you can do for the planet is to not buy a new chair. But if you are going to buy a new chair I believe that design companies like us have a responsibility to minimise the damage to the environment.”
The Norwegian company Heymat has found another innovative use for recycled plastic. It recently launched Heymat+, a series of doormats and floor coverings with pile made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles. The company gets additional sustainability points for the doormats’ durability: they’re built to last decades.
Heymat+ rug designed by Kristine Five Melvær for Heymat
“Design could, and should, be sustainable,” says Sonja Djønne, CEO of Heymat. “We try to make a mat that has industrial qualities, but at the same time looks so good that you would like to have it in your home,” she says.
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“Design could, and should, be sustainable,” says Sonja Djønne, CEO of Heymat. “We try to make a mat that has industrial qualities, but at the same time looks so good that you would like to have it in your home,” she says.
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Raami tumblers by Jasper Morrison for Iittala
Anti-design
When something is so perfectly designed and functional that there is no need to buy anything new, a different way of thinking about sustainably is born – perhaps it could be called ‘anti-design’. British designer Jasper Morrison’s collaboration with Iittala could fall into this category. His new series of tableware, Raami, is so (deceptively) simple it almost becomes a cliché. Teapots, plates, bowls, wine glasses and tumblers take on the form of their platonic ideals – the iconic form that a child might draw.
Anti-design
When something is so perfectly designed and functional that there is no need to buy anything new, a different way of thinking about sustainably is born – perhaps it could be called ‘anti-design’. British designer Jasper Morrison’s collaboration with Iittala could fall into this category. His new series of tableware, Raami, is so (deceptively) simple it almost becomes a cliché. Teapots, plates, bowls, wine glasses and tumblers take on the form of their platonic ideals – the iconic form that a child might draw.
Kapten One hook by Mia Cullin för Gemla
Similarly, the Kapten One hook by Mia Cullin takes on a form that’s so pure it falls just short of being oversimplified. Need somewhere to put your keys and hang your coat in the hallway? A coat hook and integrated shelf doesn’t have to be more complicated than this. Timeless, easy on the eye and clever with materials.
Similarly, the Kapten One hook by Mia Cullin takes on a form that’s so pure it falls just short of being oversimplified. Need somewhere to put your keys and hang your coat in the hallway? A coat hook and integrated shelf doesn’t have to be more complicated than this. Timeless, easy on the eye and clever with materials.
Image by Gustaf Kaiser from the NM& – A New Collection exhibition at SFLF
New designs built to last – a return to the past
Looking back to a time when furniture was built and bought for a lifetime is also a path to sustainability, and a considerate kind of consumption that has traditionally been big in Nordic countries.
One of the biggest commissioners of new products in Sweden in 2018 was the newly renovated Nationalmuseum for art and design. The grand 19th-century building was extensively restored, but 20 different Nordic manufacturers were commissioned to produce glass, tableware, textiles and furniture for the museum under the supervision of designer Matti Klenell. Some of the pieces are now also available for purchase.
New designs built to last – a return to the past
Looking back to a time when furniture was built and bought for a lifetime is also a path to sustainability, and a considerate kind of consumption that has traditionally been big in Nordic countries.
One of the biggest commissioners of new products in Sweden in 2018 was the newly renovated Nationalmuseum for art and design. The grand 19th-century building was extensively restored, but 20 different Nordic manufacturers were commissioned to produce glass, tableware, textiles and furniture for the museum under the supervision of designer Matti Klenell. Some of the pieces are now also available for purchase.
Chapeau chair (left) by TAF Studios for Offecct; Lilla Skatt highchair by Anna von Schewen and Björn Dahlström for Articles; Putki light by Matti Klenell för Iittala
One piece stands out from this collection, both for its innovative design and for reflecting the Nordic countries’ love and respect for childhood. The highchair (in the middle of the image above) is encircled with a ring of thick, luxuriously gold-coloured plastic. This food tray therefore doubles as a kind of halo and adds a touch of elegance to this functional chair. Designers Anna von Schewen and Björn Dahlström call the chair Lilla Skatt (Little Treasure), since no matter how many treasures and pieces of art surround a child in the museum, he or she is still the most highly valued.
One piece stands out from this collection, both for its innovative design and for reflecting the Nordic countries’ love and respect for childhood. The highchair (in the middle of the image above) is encircled with a ring of thick, luxuriously gold-coloured plastic. This food tray therefore doubles as a kind of halo and adds a touch of elegance to this functional chair. Designers Anna von Schewen and Björn Dahlström call the chair Lilla Skatt (Little Treasure), since no matter how many treasures and pieces of art surround a child in the museum, he or she is still the most highly valued.
Botero chair by Matti Klenell and Peter Andersson for Källemo
Creating furniture for a public space that carries a heavy design heritage, with the remit of mixing classic looks and modernity, is no light matter. But the Botero chair by Matti Klenell and Peter Andersson does all of these things. The soft, leather-upholstered back makes you want to linger, the wooden frame wouldn’t look out of place in a 19th-century Nordic kitchen and the sweeping shape transports you to a Victorian living room.
Creating furniture for a public space that carries a heavy design heritage, with the remit of mixing classic looks and modernity, is no light matter. But the Botero chair by Matti Klenell and Peter Andersson does all of these things. The soft, leather-upholstered back makes you want to linger, the wooden frame wouldn’t look out of place in a 19th-century Nordic kitchen and the sweeping shape transports you to a Victorian living room.
Valborg light by Anna Berglund for BSweden
The Victorian period returns in Anna Berglund’s grandiose light for BSweden. Named after the designer’s grandmother, Valborg, the pendant light draws on the colours and forms of a Victorian parlour, but goes contemporary with the extended LED lightbulb and simplified shape.
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The Victorian period returns in Anna Berglund’s grandiose light for BSweden. Named after the designer’s grandmother, Valborg, the pendant light draws on the colours and forms of a Victorian parlour, but goes contemporary with the extended LED lightbulb and simplified shape.
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Japanordic: sustainability’s old friend
Another big theme this year, Japanordic – the happy marriage between Japanese and Nordic design – also goes to the roots of the sustainability movement. Both Scandinavian and Japanese design have always prized craftsmanship, natural materials, a minimalist and anti-consumerist approach, as well as the imperfect and changing object: long-lasting design that matures and acquires patina over time. So in many ways, this year’s other big trend both echoes and presages the current shift to sustainability.
In the Design Bar at SFLF, Norwegian designers Anderssen & Voll created an oasis of calm within the busy fair, with a courtyard restaurant and meeting place full of trees, peace and light, and fast-growing sustainable woods.
Another big theme this year, Japanordic – the happy marriage between Japanese and Nordic design – also goes to the roots of the sustainability movement. Both Scandinavian and Japanese design have always prized craftsmanship, natural materials, a minimalist and anti-consumerist approach, as well as the imperfect and changing object: long-lasting design that matures and acquires patina over time. So in many ways, this year’s other big trend both echoes and presages the current shift to sustainability.
In the Design Bar at SFLF, Norwegian designers Anderssen & Voll created an oasis of calm within the busy fair, with a courtyard restaurant and meeting place full of trees, peace and light, and fast-growing sustainable woods.
Atelier chair by TAF Studio for Artek, designed for the Nationalmuseum
The Japanordic influence can be seen in the products of many manufacturers, such as Carl Hansen or Design House Stockholm, with strict grids, black details and pieces that are incredibly pared back. Craft and handiwork were, as always, the focus for Artek (pictured above) at SFLF, where the joy of the furniture is as much in its silky-smooth finish as in its visual aesthetics.
The Japanordic influence can be seen in the products of many manufacturers, such as Carl Hansen or Design House Stockholm, with strict grids, black details and pieces that are incredibly pared back. Craft and handiwork were, as always, the focus for Artek (pictured above) at SFLF, where the joy of the furniture is as much in its silky-smooth finish as in its visual aesthetics.
The sum of all trends
Rounding out and distilling these various trends is the NM& 040 chair. This is also one of the products for Nationalmuseum, but with a decidedly Eastern look in its fretwork. Designed by Matti Klenell, it is created by the historic Larsson Korgmakare workshop in Stockholm’s Old Town, only a few hundred yards across the water from where it is now used in the museum restaurant. It is locally produced, international in style but with a simple Nordic touch, and made with sustainable materials. In short, the 2019 Nordic trends in one single chair.
Tell us
Which of these trends stand out to you? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark this story, and join in the conversation.
More
Eager to embrace some of these timeless trends in your home? Find an interior designer or decorator near you who can help you work them into your decor
Rounding out and distilling these various trends is the NM& 040 chair. This is also one of the products for Nationalmuseum, but with a decidedly Eastern look in its fretwork. Designed by Matti Klenell, it is created by the historic Larsson Korgmakare workshop in Stockholm’s Old Town, only a few hundred yards across the water from where it is now used in the museum restaurant. It is locally produced, international in style but with a simple Nordic touch, and made with sustainable materials. In short, the 2019 Nordic trends in one single chair.
Tell us
Which of these trends stand out to you? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark this story, and join in the conversation.
More
Eager to embrace some of these timeless trends in your home? Find an interior designer or decorator near you who can help you work them into your decor
Manufacturers are embracing offcuts
Swedish company Stolab is known, among other things, for their seminal Lilla Åland chair, designed by Carl Malmsten in 1942. Now, a sibling has arrived: the Lilla Snåland stool is made entirely out of offcuts from the production of Lilla Åland, with 14 offcuts in each stool. It is a perfect example of how a piece of recycled furniture can become a design icon in its own right.