Company
Vaarnii is a furniture company that makes brutal and sophisticated objects from a single natural raw material; Finnish pine, by local craftspeople and factories in Finland.
Our Inspiration
We use solid natural materials and are inspired by the efficiency of
vernacular design, where objects are made to service the basic needs of many people. Ours is a contemporary vernacular; combining the local with the global, craft in concert with technology.
‘Vaarna’ means dowel and ‘saarni’ is Ash tree. Vaarnii is the strength of making and material combined.
Raw Materials
Each of Vaarnii’s furniture and accessory collections begin with a natural material. We choose these based on opportunity and locality, not fashion. Therefore, all our materials are Finnish, plentiful, and often overlooked. In our hands they become essential sources of inspiration.
Scots Pine
Our first collection is made entirely from Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris), the most populous tree in Finland. For generations pine has been underexplored as a furniture-making material, frequently miss-represented as lesser quality. Our collection puts the spotlight back on this bold characterful wood and its innate qualities.
Makers
We work with a small number of expert Finnish makers. These are established factories specialising in a particular kind of manufacturing and larger scale production, or they are small workshops and individual craftspeople. Simply put, we choose our makers very carefully. The artistry of every workshop, factory or individual is explicit in our products. It is our mission to reveal the true art of making.
Collaborators
Vaarnii benefits from the contribution of many talented individuals. Our ambition is to build a new Finnish furniture vernacular, aided by the collective creative skills of our collaborators from across the globe. We are grateful for their insights and their support.
Finland, Our Home
In Finland there is very little small talk, it’s just not how we communicate. In its place there is directness. That same frankness isn’t reserved to how we speak – honesty, clarity, simplicity, and toughness, run through everything.
Finland is a land of uncompromising extremes – where harsh winters melt into days of endless sunshine, silence is met with Heavy Metal, and the brutal goes hand-in-hand with the sophisticated.
Vaarnii has received support from the European Regional Development Fund.