Today, collectors’ choice is original Nordic pine furniture. The 1960s Nordic design is more popular than ever.
“We need to know, understand and deal with history. We can use the knowledge to create sustainable designs that cause less damage and aid the green transition,” explains Professor of Design History at the University of Oslo Kjetil Fallan.
One of the main trends at this year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair was the use of pine, with designers using heat-treated pine for outdoor furniture, creating lighting from pine veneer and reevaluating waterlogged pine.
Long viewed as cheap, pine is changing in people’s perceptions. Today, young brands as Helsinki-based Vaarnii are shifting the narrative by using it for tables and chairs in bold forms inspired by mid-century pieces.
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Related: Architectural Woodwork: The Latest Trends In Scandinavian Interior Design
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In his book Ecological by Design: A History from Scandinavia, Professor Fallan addresses the topic of the environment through the narrative of Scandinavian eco-design.
In Scandinavia, pinewood has become more popular in recent years as younger generations begin to appreciate the material. While it previously had connotations to the lacquered, yellowing pinewood furniture of the 1970s, pine is being reappraised by many designers for its ease of use and local availability.
It’s also helping collectors’ attention to original pine furniture from the 1960s and 1970s. Fallan’s research shows how Scandinavian designers started to question consumerism in the 1960s and 1970s. They saw – and reacted to – the dark aspects of design objects being created, used, discarded and continuously replaced.
At Stockholm Furniture Fair, there was a wide selection of pinewood furniture in different shapes and forms, with some designers using untreated pale wood that will weather with age while others chose to heat treat or stain the material.
Finnish brand Vaarnii, which works solely in pine, showcased its collaboration with British designer Faye Toogood as well as a new chair by French designer Ronan Bouroullec.
One case in point was a dining chair by Ilmari Tapiovaara from London-based Chase & Sorensen.
Founder and CEO Antti Hirvonen at Varnii thinks the reason for pine’s newfound popularity is that it feels like a more unusual option since the material has languished in the background for a while.
Collectors’ Choice: Original Nordic Pine Furniture, written by Tor Kjolberg
Feature image (on top): Dining chairs and table designed by Fredrik Paulsen for Vaarnii