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Form & Refine Embrace Slowness with New Blueprint Chairs
“We embrace slowness,” says architect Jonas Herman Pedersen. Jonas is one half of Herman Studio, and he and his wife see function and aesthetic as two sides of the same coin. That coin lays the foundation for the durable furniture they’ve built a name on since 2012. They’ve churned out to a number of brands, but most recently to Form & Refine, a design brand where, helpfully, Jonas and Helle are part-owners. Form & Refine choose materials from neighbouring workshops…maple, ash and oak come from the forests of Funen, and Portugal is their source of clay. They also support a cooperative of alpaca farmers in the highlands of Bolivia. ‘Blueprint’, Form & Refine’s latest chair, is both sculptural and discreet. It’s stackable, the seat is comfortable, and the backrest is strong.
“‘Blueprint’ is a chair that very precisely incarnates the mission of Form & Refine,” Jonas explains. “It’s made of top-quality European FSC-certified wood. In addition to a sculptural expression, it has several special details. For example, there are no visible screws to break up the aesthetic or scratch the chairs when stacked.” Jonas says the backrest had to be at an angle that works for people of all sizes – it took them many attempts and countless tests. That’s why, he explains, he particularly enjoys working with product development at their in-house studio. “As soon as our products are finished in the workshop,” Jonas explains, “we have a close dialogue with our partners and manufacturers.”
Form & Refine is a network of signed-up designers. But, as co-owners, Herman leads the way. Their ‘Blueprint’ chair is a celebration of simple design: practical and pleasing in a material that only gets more beautiful with time. Helle Herman Mortensen confirms Jonas’ point that slow living is the premise of everything they make. “Slowness lets us cover every angle a product,” she explains. “That’s our privilege and our responsibility. It’s not like there aren’t enough tables and chairs in the world. So, the furniture we create at Form & Refine has to have durability as its basic DNA.” In a market still obsessed with simplistic Danish design, it takes time to stand out. But time is something Jonas and Helle have in abundance.
Shop the beautiful ‘Blueprint’ chair online HERE.