Lars Tornøe

Lars Tornøe is a Norwegian designer devoted to furniture and related fields of product design. With an approach to design that’s built on strong integrity, Tornøe creates truly unique products with a distinct personality. Though his products often require innovative technical solutions, his studio enjoys tackling these design challenges and is very closely involved in the process of bringing his design concepts to life. Lars Tornøe has won several awards for his work, including Designer of the Year in Norway and the Award for Design Excellence.

How does the Scandinavian design tradition impact your work?

I think it has more to do with geography than tradition. We Norwegians have a strong love for nature, and to truly experience it we go somewhere wild, remote and pristine. I think there is a parallel to the products I work on; I want them to have a sincerity, whether it’s in the form of the material, a story or logic. I guess my work is influenced by many things on a subconscious level, and these influences translate into concrete ideas when I am working on my projects.

How can you, as a designer, use your work for positive change?

Being involved in the business of mass production, I think we as designers have a responsibility to influence both the brands we are working with and the consumers. During the initial phases of concept and product development, we have the power to affect the main direction of the product, whether in materials, production techniques or assembly/disassembly solutions. While constructing Dees for flat-packing, it was easy to include the possibility to change every part of the table in case it should brake at some point. Hopefully, this will add many years to the lifetime of the product. Also, we made sure to use certified materials and surface treatments.