Last summer, I attended DIS Copenhagen to study furniture design, where I learned under professional furniture designers who were so passionate about Scandinavian design that I found myself obsessing over chairs. During the course, we toured companies like Ikea, attended lectures on Scandinavian furniture, and spent the last two weeks designing and building our own chairs.

I had never done something like this before. At STAMPS I had opportunities to make furniture, but never from my own designs. The design that I came up with was a two-legged stool that spiraled inward. It took inspiration from some of the architecture I had seen around Copenhagen: swirl patterns were everywhere from buildings to manhole covers. Scandinavian furniture is also known for being sleek and simple, which was something I wanted to reflect in my piece. Composed of right angles and square proportions, I accomplished the elegant style that I was aiming for. The two legs and disconnection at the base gave the stool the illusion of floating, which I pushed by blacking out the seat with stain. This enunciated the structure of the frame and legs, which were the focal points of my piece. The construction of the stool was aided by my instructors who advised me on what types of joints would be strongest to accomplish this illusion. I ended up using finger joints, which were both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Each aspect of the design reflected what I had learned about the city and Scandinavian design.

Looking back now, I have a much bigger appreciation for all the planning that goes into making even simple-looking furniture pieces. While Scandinavian design looks simple, everything from physics to aesthetics is meticulously thought out to perfection. These principles of design reflects Scandinavian culture as well: practical and beautiful.