Spin Footstool

When Staffan Holm displayed the precursor to SPIN foot stool at the Il Salone del Mobile in Milan many people approached him angrily, saying they were fed up with young designers showing pieces that is impossible to produce. But at the fair he also met Elisabeth Johansson, owner of Swedese and Jan Berger, director of product development. Together they took on the challenge to convert this stool “not possible to produced” into a commercial product and proved that wood indeed can be bent in three directions without breaking.

After the initial drawing stage, verifying the basic design idea and that the spiral stacking pattern was achievable then, and after meeting Swedese in Milan, as Staffan Holm himself puts it, “after many experiments and a great deal of effort” the correct balance of the supporting ring, the three bent veneer legs and the seat were successfully joined through a gluing process. Real challenges were bending veneer in three dimensions and chamfering off the legs to perfect harmony while not breaking the wood, maintaining strength, fitting them to the ring and seat without any gaps or cracks to the seat.

SPIN is a commercial success in both the private and commercial sector meeting the demand of a unique design in the high end segment of foot stools. Intriguing, easy to use, transport and store, difficult to copy. Certified sustainable veneer, water based glue and lacquer, produced in an environment where no masks or filters are required, using a minimum of resources both for production and transport, it is the ultimate environmental friendly and sustainable product. Possible to understand, yet challenging the user to a closer look and discussion. The surprise element of seeing SPIN stacked in its characteristic spiral pattern.

Sometimes SPIN is subject to “unintentional use”, as it makes a wonderful side table. SPIN is virtually handmade, where each piece requires a lot of individual attention. This manifests itself in the quality of the craftsmanship, where the carpenter when possible even align the grains of the legs with the grains of the seat. When in this way considering SPIN as a handmade design object made in Sweden and not just a foot stool, it is very well priced.