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A sustainable, eco-friendly chair that blends plant-based textiles and biodegradable plastic.
Back in 2010, Christien Meindertsma embarked on a quest to explore the potential of the humble but versatile flax. At the beginning of the Flax Project, the artist and designer bought the harvest of a Dutch flax farm. She then worked with different companies in Europe to process the crop into an environmentally friendly textile. In the end, the project brought to life damask napkins, table cloths, and carpets, among other products. The award-winning Flax Chair is the centerpiece of the project.
Commissioned by Label/Breed and made in a collaboration with the natural fiber experts from Enkev, the chair has an ingenious build. It features four layers of the woven flax fabric as well as five layers of a new type of felted flax textile. Heat pressed alongside a biodegradable plastic, the plant-based materials make the chair strong and durable but also lightweight. The flax textile also gives a distinctive texture to the design. Crafted from one sheet of the composite material and with only three separate elements, the Flax Chair minimizes waste. A great example of affordable, sustainable, and eco-friendly furniture.
The Flax Chair has received the Dutch Design Award and the Future Award in 2016. Produced by Label/Breed, the design is currently in the collections of the Vitra Design Museum, National Gallery of Victoria, and Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. Photographs© Christien Meindertsma.
