Brutalist-style furniture, lighting and home accessories made from sustainably sourced pine wood.
Founded in 2021, Finnish brand Vaarnii makes furniture, lighting, and home accessories that blend a brutalist-style aesthetic with traditional craftsmanship, in a quest to create a new vernacular design. The company takes inspiration from Finland, its cultural heritage, natural landscapes. It also gives a nod to the Finnish tendency to embrace clarity, toughness, and simplicity in all aspects of life. As a result, all Vaarnii designs incorporate these concepts in minimalist designs. The name refers to the word “vaarna”, which means dowel, and “saarni”, which translates to ash tree, providing a glimpse into the company’s focus on quality materials and handmade items.
Celebrating the beauty of Scots pine.
The brand used sustainably sourced, locally grown Scots pine wood to create its first collection, produced in collaboration with local craftspeople and factories. While it’s the most common type of tree in Finland, Scots pine had been underused there for generations. With the first Vaarnii collection, the brand puts the material in the best light, highlighting its innate qualities. Dense and heavy, Scots pine is also harder than other types of wood and has a bold character. All of these features make it a perfect choice for the company’s signature brutalism-inspired designs. To create them, the brand partnered with Finnish and international designers.
Reminiscent of concrete structures, the Vaarnii furniture range comprises chairs, tables, and benches with hefty rectangular and rounded shapes. Thick and weighty forms provide a counterpoint to the softness of the light pine wood. Outdoor-friendly furniture designs include a bench and a modular dining table. The Vaarnii collection also comprises home accessories and lighting. In the former category, Nordic design lovers can find anything from bowls and trays to mirrors and wall hooks, all crafted from the same type of Scots pine. Recreating Hans-Agne Jakobsson’s iconic designs from the 1960s, the Vaarnii lighting collection features sculptural pendant lights. While keeping the original design intact, the new versions enhance the curved, concentric shapes with the warmth of wood. Crafted to last a lifetime, all Vaarnii products showcase the true art of making, whether they come to life in factories or in small workshops. Photographs © Vaarnii.
