Last June, the Norwegian “Fluffy” lounge chair became available in an “UnFluffy” version with textile. Meet Norwegian design chairs Fluffy and Unfluffy.
“We have been working on customizing Unfluffy for the market all winter,” says founder of Eikund, Morten Hippe (47).
Morten Hippe has worked for the Danish furniture manufacturer Carl Hansen & Søn, known for a number of furniture classics. When he was refurbishing his own apartment in 2016, he contacted the cabinetmaker Frode Tingbø, and they started talking about the Norwegian design furniture that was designed in the 1950s and 60s. How about starting a company that collects the best Norwegian design classics – and put them into production again?
A year after, the new Norwegian furniture company Eikund was re-launching Norwegian furniture classics that definitely impress. The scope of creativity blooming in Norway around the mid-twentieth century is unknown territory for many. Pulled into the spotlight again, there is no doubt that these objects fit perfectly into contemporary interiors of today, both in public and private sector.
The Fluffy lounge chair by Fredrik A. Kayser is characterized by its ultra-soft upholstery in Norwegian sheepskin, and its sloping armrests leaning you into a welcoming embrace. Kayser graduated from National Academy of Craft and Art Industry back in 1945 and the lounge chair was designed while being employed at Rastad & Relling Tegnekontor. It combines both art and function into one, a floating cloud of fluffiness that builds on the past for the present. This is a brand-new species that can live anywhere!
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Related: Be Seated the Norwegian Way
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The UnFluffy lounge chair is characterized by its sloping armrests leaning you into a welcoming embrace. This is the more versatile sibling of the Fluffy lounge chair.
“This product has great potential, as several people have expressed that they could imagine a slightly more “toned-down” version of Fluffy”, says Morten Hippe.
Norwegian designers from this period were clearly influenced by the modernistic trends rushing through Europe and joined the common mission to create simple and functional furniture for the masses. Like the pioneers from neighboring countries, such as Hans J. Wegner and Alvar Aalto, they never lost sight of the refined and cultivated aesthetics that characterize many of these pieces today and have made them into collector items at auction houses worldwide.
“As a trained industrial designer, I long had design history as a hobby, and immersed myself in everything to do with Norwegian as well as international products and designers,” says Hippe. “I knew there was a lot of Norwegian gold out there.”
Transforming the Fluffy Chair to the UnFluffy Char has been done relatively easily, according to Hippe. “We were two people who worked through the solutions together. One person with a background as an industrial designer and the other person with training as an upholsterer. We planned most of it before we started, based on an original chair and how the core casting looks. After two prototypes, we were able to fine-tune all the necessary details to bring it up to a “high-end” level”, adds Hippe.
While UnFluffy is based on the original Fluffy drawings and manufacturing process, there are subtle differences all around. With the thick, raggy sheepskin gone, the basic shapes and clean lines becomes the center of focus. Fitting the fabric without creases around the armrests and creating elegant seams were two problems that had to be solved. The shapes of the seating and back have also been tweaked to compensate for the brand-new look without fluff.
“We have chosen Elle and Safire as our standard textiles. This is based on their aesthetics, texture and thickness, as well as how they fit the shape of the chair. Both fabrics are from our partner Kvadrat and have the Greenguard Gold environmental certificates. Elle is a type of boucle with a nice structure, and it is quite soft. While Safire is on the edge of being boucle without being it. Safire is a bit tighter than Elle, but with nice texture and structure. The chair gets a visible softness with these textiles”, says Hippe.
Meet Norwegian Design Chairs Fluffy and Unfluffy, written by Tor Kjolberg, based mainly on information published of Eikund official website.