Trends & Traditions 2021

It has been over a year since we touched down on European soils to attend the much-missed furniture fairs and shows that our industry is known for. In late August we attended Trends & Traditions in Copenhagen, an event hosted by Holmris B8 which brings together the latest in inspiring design under one roof. The Future is Now! was the theme at this years' event, highlighting how, through design, architecture and furniture, we need to take action to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. From the innovative use of materials to embracing circular production methods, here are a few of our highlights from the 2021 edition of Trends & Traditions.

Ocean OC2 Collection, Mater Design

Having adopted a circular production model in 2006, Mater use waste and timeless design to make furniture in more responsible and sustainable ways. Designed by Joergen and Nanna Ditzel, the OC2 Collection is the latest reinterpretation of the Ocean Collection made with upcycled materials. The slats of the furniture are made from plastic beer kegs from well-known brewery, Carlsberg. Deflated beer kegs are granulated and cast into the green coloured slats – to make one seat of the OC2 Ocean chair, 3 Carlsberg beer kegs are used.

PlanqTextile, .Planq

Sustainable furniture maker, Planq, use a circular approach to create furniture pieces from waste materials. Their ethos and designs are centred around adding value to leftovers, utilising local resources and a circular model to transform trash into treasure. Going one step further – PlanqTextile is a self-developed material made from various waste textiles, including jeans, army uniforms and coffee bags, and can either be shredded into fibres to use for acoustic solutions or pressed into a veneer-like material.

Bit Stool, Normann Copenhagen

Made up of small pieces of 100% recycled household & industrial plastic, the Bit stool is a playful and versatile addition to any environment. By heating the plastic fragments to melting point, it makes it possible to reuse and reheat the material without changing its properties; resulting a stool available in four distinct colour combinations.

Informal, Aart Architects for Holmris B8

The result of a brilliant collaboration between Holmris B8 and Aart Architects – Informal is a new, ultra-flexible furniture system for the future-thinking office. The system is made of four simple wood modules that can be interchanged to create several different settings, comprised of recycled materials including coffee, cocoa bags and reused textiles. Informal is a truly simple and architectural solution that can be easily upcycled to suit ever-changing environments.

A New Wave, Ege Carpets

With most of their range made from recycled or regenerated yarn, Ege Carpets are certainly ahead of the game in sustainable flooring. A New Wave is an eco-minded collection designed by Séché Studio. The collection is reminiscent of the designer duos upbringing on the Danish coastline, creating three designs – Sand, Grass and Ocean that possess elements of nature in the carpet texture and pattern. It’s only fitting that the collection is made from industrial plastic waste, such as abandoned fishing nets.

dB Modular Sofa, Abstracta

Designed by Thomas Bernstrand, the dB Modular sofa is the perfect solution to create soft and welcoming work and public spaces. The product is easily adaptable for different usages or formations, whether that be linear and geometric or more of an organic curving shape. The acoustic filling is made of textile waste from Abstracta’s own factory, resulting in a sofa that reduces both its environmental footprint and the surrounding low-frequency noise at the same time.