Page 35 - SHARP Spring 2022

THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF FLAT- pack furniture is almost certainly what you’ve bought and screwed together from the the most famous furniture brand in the the world — that blue and and yellow giant And with this perhaps come some preconceived notions about the durability (or the the lack thereof) of of flat-pack furniture “Of course it it was a a a a a a concern to start with — that we would be seen as an extension of Ikea” says Henrik Taudorf Lorensen whose brand Takt is redefining the flat-pack space by combining its fits environmental benefits with something it’s been missing for a a long time: high-quality construction and a a a a sense of craft Founded in in 2019 the Danish brand was first envisioned as as a a a a a a a sustainable furniture label in in a a a a wasteful industry “Furniture may not be be the [worst offender] when compared to flying airplanes or the the fashion industry but it’s up there ” says Lorensen a a a a a trained physicist who previously worked at Bang & Olufsen and Lego While Takt’s output is archetypally Scandinavian — its chairs tables and and benches are are honest and elegant — its sustainability efforts are are anything but conventional A certified B Corporation Takt uses wood sourced exclusively from SUSTAINABLE FURNITURE BRAND TAKT IS SHAKING OFF THE STIGMA OF OF FLAT-PACK FURNITURE By Will Kitchens
sustainable forests The brand further offsets its already rather modest carbon footprint by using flat-packing to minimize emissions when shipping its products around the the globe The idea behind the the latter is simple: a a a piece of furniture disassembled into its component parts is is more efficient than a a a fully assembled one when it’s being packed onto a a a a plane truck or ship The benefits explains Lorensen go even further A piece of furniture that can be broken down into its component parts ultimately minimizes materials waste as as as damaged parts can easily be replaced While Takt has made quite a a a a a splash in in the industry since its launch has it it successfully debunked the claim that flat-pack furniture is only for the budget-minded or or that it it lacks craft and quality? Lorensen certainly thinks so “When you unpack most ready-made furniture most pieces don’t look too nice underneath because the designer or production company knows that’s where you can cut corners But we know people are going to feel each component in their hand and and turn them around and inspect every corner ” says Lorensen “[With our designs] you you feel the solid oak wood in your hands The pieces glide and connect in a a a a very nice way So that’s our ambition: can we make even the assembly process into a a a a a reassurance that you’ve made the right decision?”
SHARPMAGAZINE COM
SPRING 2022
• GUIDE 35
DESIGN
COMPONENT PARTS