norm architects interviewed by openhouse magazine
“The thing about rattan is that you don’t really know what the material is capable of before you have seen it being processed by hand by a skilled furniture maker. Visiting the factory of Expormim was crucial for the outcome of the Cask collection”
Inma Buendía: How would you define Cask collection in a simple sentence?
Nicolaj Friis: The Cask collection is a modern take on a historic craft that combines the refinement of the rattan with the softness of the upholstery coming together in a collection of unique pieces of furniture.
Inma Buendía: The name, Cask, in my mind is related to a refuge, a place where someone may find calm and feel safe. Where does this name come from? What does it mean for you?
Nicolaj Friis: Our design inspiration came from the concept of round furniture and there are so many examples of iconic furniture pieces among them Lina Bo Bardi, Nanna Ditzel, Pierre Paulin to name a few. So obviously the name cask came from the shape of the round rattan circles, but it also comes from the craftsmanship that goes into each piece, it takes years of practice to master in this case a wooden barrel or a piece of rattan furniture.
Inma Buendía: I’m being very subjective but for me, the 3 pieces that conform Cask have very different personalities: the armchair is formal, elegant and sober. The sofa is more cheerful, evoking the 1970s decade. The puf has a very strong presence and character. What was the idea you had for these three different options/shapes?
Nicolaj Friis: Our sketches started out as a lounge chair with the clean unbroken circular shape, but we wanted to strengthen the iconic presence of each piece so they together will stand as one collection but individually are free to be a part of different contexts as singular icons. Whether it is a chair, sofa or pouf we like the idea of having a combined collection that could go together in a home setting but also having these individual pieces that gives the interior different character depending on size, color and shape.
Inma Buendía: How was your relationship with Expormim team during the process? What did you learn about rattan by the hands of Expormim expertise?
Nicolaj Friis: The thing about rattan is that you don’t really know what the material is capable of before you have seen it being processed by hand by a skilled furniture maker. Visiting the factory of Expormim was crucial for the outcome of the Cask collection learning how the rattan can bend, how far it stretches and how it assembles.
We benefited a lot from the expertise of Expormim and were in ongoing dialogue on how we could constantly improve the collection. Working with a material that only a few companies in the world can handle you have to rely on their competence and skills. Trying to combine an upholstered sofa with a delicate material as rattan was truly a challenge.
“The thing about rattan is that you don’t really know what the material is capable of before you have seen it being processed by hand by a skilled furniture maker. Visiting the factory of Expormim was crucial for the outcome of the Cask collection”
Inma Buendía: How would you define Cask collection in a simple sentence?
Nicolaj Friis: The Cask collection is a modern take on a historic craft that combines the refinement of the rattan with the softness of the upholstery coming together in a collection of unique pieces of furniture.
Inma Buendía: The name, Cask, in my mind is related to a refuge, a place where someone may find calm and feel safe. Where does this name come from? What does it mean for you?
Nicolaj Friis: Our design inspiration came from the concept of round furniture and there are so many examples of iconic furniture pieces among them Lina Bo Bardi, Nanna Ditzel, Pierre Paulin to name a few. So obviously the name cask came from the shape of the round rattan circles, but it also comes from the craftsmanship that goes into each piece, it takes years of practice to master in this case a wooden barrel or a piece of rattan furniture.
Inma Buendía: I’m being very subjective but for me, the 3 pieces that conform Cask have very different personalities: the armchair is formal, elegant and sober. The sofa is more cheerful, evoking the 1970s decade. The puf has a very strong presence and character. What was the idea you had for these three different options/shapes?
Nicolaj Friis: Our sketches started out as a lounge chair with the clean unbroken circular shape, but we wanted to strengthen the iconic presence of each piece so they together will stand as one collection but individually are free to be a part of different contexts as singular icons. Whether it is a chair, sofa or pouf we like the idea of having a combined collection that could go together in a home setting but also having these individual pieces that gives the interior different character depending on size, color and shape.
“The thing about rattan is that you don’t really know what the material is capable of before you have seen it being processed by hand by a skilled furniture maker. Visiting the factory of Expormim was crucial for the outcome of the Cask collection”
Inma Buendía: How would you define Cask collection in a simple sentence?
Nicolaj Friis: The Cask collection is a modern take on a historic craft that combines the refinement of the rattan with the softness of the upholstery coming together in a collection of unique pieces of furniture.
Inma Buendía: The name, Cask, in my mind is related to a refuge, a place where someone may find calm and feel safe. Where does this name come from? What does it mean for you?
Nicolaj Friis: Our design inspiration came from the concept of round furniture and there are so many examples of iconic furniture pieces among them Lina Bo Bardi, Nanna Ditzel, Pierre Paulin to name a few. So obviously the name cask came from the shape of the round rattan circles, but it also comes from the craftsmanship that goes into each piece, it takes years of practice to master in this case a wooden barrel or a piece of rattan furniture.
Inma Buendía: I’m being very subjective but for me, the 3 pieces that conform Cask have very different personalities: the armchair is formal, elegant and sober. The sofa is more cheerful, evoking the 1970s decade. The puf has a very strong presence and character. What was the idea you had for these three different options/shapes?
Nicolaj Friis: Our sketches started out as a lounge chair with the clean unbroken circular shape, but we wanted to strengthen the iconic presence of each piece so they together will stand as one collection but individually are free to be a part of different contexts as singular icons. Whether it is a chair, sofa or pouf we like the idea of having a combined collection that could go together in a home setting but also having these individual pieces that gives the interior different character depending on size, color and shape.
norm architects interviewed by openhouse magazine
“The thing about rattan is that you don’t really know what the material is capable of before you have seen it being processed by hand by a skilled furniture maker. Visiting the factory of Expormim was crucial for the outcome of the Cask collection”
Inma Buendía: How would you define Cask collection in a simple sentence?
Nicolaj Friis: The Cask collection is a modern take on a historic craft that combines the refinement of the rattan with the softness of the upholstery coming together in a collection of unique pieces of furniture.
Inma Buendía: The name, Cask, in my mind is related to a refuge, a place where someone may find calm and feel safe. Where does this name come from? What does it mean for you?
Nicolaj Friis: Our design inspiration came from the concept of round furniture and there are so many examples of iconic furniture pieces among them Lina Bo Bardi, Nanna Ditzel, Pierre Paulin to name a few. So obviously the name cask came from the shape of the round rattan circles, but it also comes from the craftsmanship that goes into each piece, it takes years of practice to master in this case a wooden barrel or a piece of rattan furniture.
Inma Buendía: I’m being very subjective but for me, the 3 pieces that conform Cask have very different personalities: the armchair is formal, elegant and sober. The sofa is more cheerful, evoking the 1970s decade. The puf has a very strong presence and character. What was the idea you had for these three different options/shapes?
Nicolaj Friis: Our sketches started out as a lounge chair with the clean unbroken circular shape, but we wanted to strengthen the iconic presence of each piece so they together will stand as one collection but individually are free to be a part of different contexts as singular icons. Whether it is a chair, sofa or pouf we like the idea of having a combined collection that could go together in a home setting but also having these individual pieces that gives the interior different character depending on size, color and shape.
Inma Buendía: How was your relationship with Expormim team during the process? What did you learn about rattan by the hands of Expormim expertise?
Nicolaj Friis: The thing about rattan is that you don’t really know what the material is capable of before you have seen it being processed by hand by a skilled furniture maker. Visiting the factory of Expormim was crucial for the outcome of the Cask collection learning how the rattan can bend, how far it stretches and how it assembles.
We benefited a lot from the expertise of Expormim and were in ongoing dialogue on how we could constantly improve the collection. Working with a material that only a few companies in the world can handle you have to rely on their competence and skills. Trying to combine an upholstered sofa with a delicate material as rattan was truly a challenge.
“The thing about rattan is that you don’t really know what the material is capable of before you have seen it being processed by hand by a skilled furniture maker. Visiting the factory of Expormim was crucial for the outcome of the Cask collection”
Inma Buendía: How would you define Cask collection in a simple sentence?
Nicolaj Friis: The Cask collection is a modern take on a historic craft that combines the refinement of the rattan with the softness of the upholstery coming together in a collection of unique pieces of furniture.
Inma Buendía: The name, Cask, in my mind is related to a refuge, a place where someone may find calm and feel safe. Where does this name come from? What does it mean for you?
Nicolaj Friis: Our design inspiration came from the concept of round furniture and there are so many examples of iconic furniture pieces among them Lina Bo Bardi, Nanna Ditzel, Pierre Paulin to name a few. So obviously the name cask came from the shape of the round rattan circles, but it also comes from the craftsmanship that goes into each piece, it takes years of practice to master in this case a wooden barrel or a piece of rattan furniture.
Inma Buendía: I’m being very subjective but for me, the 3 pieces that conform Cask have very different personalities: the armchair is formal, elegant and sober. The sofa is more cheerful, evoking the 1970s decade. The puf has a very strong presence and character. What was the idea you had for these three different options/shapes?
Nicolaj Friis: Our sketches started out as a lounge chair with the clean unbroken circular shape, but we wanted to strengthen the iconic presence of each piece so they together will stand as one collection but individually are free to be a part of different contexts as singular icons. Whether it is a chair, sofa or pouf we like the idea of having a combined collection that could go together in a home setting but also having these individual pieces that gives the interior different character depending on size, color and shape.
“The thing about rattan is that you don’t really know what the material is capable of before you have seen it being processed by hand by a skilled furniture maker. Visiting the factory of Expormim was crucial for the outcome of the Cask collection”
Inma Buendía: How would you define Cask collection in a simple sentence?
Nicolaj Friis: The Cask collection is a modern take on a historic craft that combines the refinement of the rattan with the softness of the upholstery coming together in a collection of unique pieces of furniture.
Inma Buendía: The name, Cask, in my mind is related to a refuge, a place where someone may find calm and feel safe. Where does this name come from? What does it mean for you?
Nicolaj Friis: Our design inspiration came from the concept of round furniture and there are so many examples of iconic furniture pieces among them Lina Bo Bardi, Nanna Ditzel, Pierre Paulin to name a few. So obviously the name cask came from the shape of the round rattan circles, but it also comes from the craftsmanship that goes into each piece, it takes years of practice to master in this case a wooden barrel or a piece of rattan furniture.
Inma Buendía: I’m being very subjective but for me, the 3 pieces that conform Cask have very different personalities: the armchair is formal, elegant and sober. The sofa is more cheerful, evoking the 1970s decade. The puf has a very strong presence and character. What was the idea you had for these three different options/shapes?
Nicolaj Friis: Our sketches started out as a lounge chair with the clean unbroken circular shape, but we wanted to strengthen the iconic presence of each piece so they together will stand as one collection but individually are free to be a part of different contexts as singular icons. Whether it is a chair, sofa or pouf we like the idea of having a combined collection that could go together in a home setting but also having these individual pieces that gives the interior different character depending on size, color and shape.