Pine is a material to be reckoned with in modern interior design. This is clear at the design event of the year, the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, where pine makes an appearance in many contexts. Architecture and design agency Neri & Hu, this year’s Guest of Honour, has used solid, black-stained pine for its village of the future, while design agency Anderssen & Voll has chosen pine and spruce for the fair’s Design Bar. Designer Lisa Hilland has also opted for pine in her sustainable furniture collection Mylhta, which she is presenting at the fair. In addition, pine has been the preferred material for Carl Malmsten Furniture Studies, whose students are joining forces with design agency Blå Station this year.
For Swedish Wood, the trend is clear. Swedish pine is on the up. Curiosity and demand from manufacturers, interior architects and designers is steadily growing.
There are several factors contributing to this trend. Environmentally, it is a fantastic material: the forest absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows, wood products store carbon throughout their life, and there’s no shortage of wood as we plant two new trees for every tree harvested. 70% of Sweden is covered by forest, and we are proud of the high degree of protection afforded to this asset. Of the 28 million hectares of forest land in Sweden, around 25% is excluded from forestry in various ways.
Wood is pleasing and tactile. Furnishings made from wood not only smell great – they also seem to have a calming effect on us humans. The fact that wood contributes to healthier indoor environments is an extra bonus.
The forest grows slowly in our cold climate, which gives both pine and spruce a fine texture and high strength. This in turn makes them easy to shape and work on. Due to its high quality, pine is often used for interior features, furniture, flooring, mouldings, windows and decking, while spruce is more commonly used for structural purposes, as showcased in Anderssen & Voll’s Design Bar.
“We’re also noticing considerable interest in developing and refining our Swedish pine. Innovations and modern technology are producing new finishes that have never been seen before. Pine is already being manufactured with dark, charred surfaces that provide extra depth and greater shine than traditional surface treatments. Reading the signals from the industry, I would say that we’re only at the beginning of this growing trend,” concludes Björn Nordin.
