Swedese x Morakniv – An Homage to Craftsmanship

At Swedese’s factory in Vaggeryd, Småland, craftsmanship is part of the very foundation. It has been that way since the 1950s, when Yngve Ekström and his brother Jerker moved in with their newly founded furniture company, Swedese. But Yngve’s journey in craftsmanship began much earlier.

Before Swedese, before Lamino, and before the factory in Vaggeryd, Yngve was a woodcarver. By day, he created ornate details for table legs, cabinets, and chairs. By night, he returned to the carving bench in his basement at home, shaping bowls, mirrors, and wooden sculptures, as described by Brita-Lena in the book In Search of Lamino.

To honor our heritage and history of craftsmanship, we’ve begun a collaboration with another Swedish company that shares our deep love of craft: Morakniv.

Together, we’ve challenged 11 designers to put their mark on a wooden stool – using nothing more than a carving knife.

But this is more than a design project. It’s a story about the power of craftsmanship, the importance of sustainability, and the creativity that will shape the future. By working with sustainable materials, we explore what tomorrow’s craft and production might look like – creating furniture where each piece carries a personal touch.

The stool the designers are working on is crafted entirely from leftover wood. Sturdy spruce beams, once used in construction, have been cut into legs and seat, designed by Louise Hederström.

The eleven designers come from different backgrounds. Some are traditional craftspeople, others work in furniture, fashion, or industrial design. The result will be 11 stools, 11 stories, and 11 completely unique expressions – all to be showcased during Stockholm Design Week before being auctioned off. The proceeds will be donated to charity.

The designers spent a day with us in Småland, where they finally got to see the stool they’ll be working with, learn how to care for their Morakniv carving knives, and share a meal cooked over open fire in our pine forest.

“It was great to finally see the stool. I didn’t know if it had three legs, four legs? But it’s a really nice stool as it is, so now I’m super excited. Carving a stool isn’t exactly something you normally do,” says Simon Mattisson, who usually spends his days 3D-printing wooden components for furniture sculptures.

“This feels really exciting! The material didn’t seem too hard, which is good. But it will be interesting to carve into the growth rings of the hardwood. The difference between the light and dark rings can be quite striking. I’m imagining a natural connection, patterns. I’ll really let the knife do its work,” says Molly Sjöström, an experienced craftsperson.

“Carving is far from what I usually do, but that also means there are no rules – it’s very free. It could turn into anything. I already have half a notebook full of ideas, some good and some bad. I’ll have to stare at the stool a bit at home, walk around it, sketch some more, and then choose one idea,” says Erik Nohlin, industrial and bicycle designer.

Participating Designers

Björn Nordin – CEO, Svensk Form

Maria Erixon – Founder/Head of Design, Nudie Jeans

Rasmus Wingårdh – Designer

Erik Nohlin – Designer

Louise Hederström – Designer

Roger Persson – Designer

Simon Mattisson – Designer

Matilda Lindstam – Designer

Molly Sjöström – Craftsperson

Jenny Soddu – Craftsperson

Per Norén – Craftsperson