What you see and feel are two overlapping elements that influence one another on a constant basis, so one must consider both when approaching a design.

Finnish is a very special language. It is not only pretty rare and friendly-sounding, it also offers some very specific words with quite an uplifting meaning. One example is muutos, which means new perspective. A perfect word to build a Scandinavian interior brand on. That’s how Muuto came into being. Designer and architect Christian Grosen joined the company as Design Director in 2014. We spoe to him about honesty in design, choosing designers to collaborate with, and how to handle the ever changing flow of trends in interior.

I was trained as an architect and industrial designer in Denmark and the Netherlands. I’ve always worked within furniture and lighting design. First as a designer on my own and then spending about 10 years at Fritz Hansen as Head of Design. Three years ago, I joined Muuto and became Design Director.

To us, enduring aesthetics is a key element of the design—it’s about striking a balance between cool and attractive with a long-lasting character. In order to do so, we need to stay true to our values rather than following any short-lived trend that comes up. Honesty is an integral part of our approach towards design. We want to use the materials we choose in an honest, simple way rather than faking it. We want for our products to have an honest appearance, for example by showing the necessary joins and screws across the designs. We work on transcending these into an aesthetic detail, rather than tucking them away for hiding.

It may sound counterintuitive, yet, to avoid falling into short-lived trends, we follow trends. We have a principle of only using materials in an intelligent way that serves a purpose for both the material and the design. Alongside this, Muuto has a strong colour profile that is both attractive over time yet relevant in continuity.

It may seem ordinary, but wood is an amazing material. You can apply so many different finishes to it and it can be engineered in different ways, giving it multiple characters.

Colour trends are constantly shifting, making it important to keep an enduring, neutral approach towards colours in design. We need to balance a rather current and eclectic string of colours with long lasting designs.

The same as today. Whether a room feels right or not is highly subjective while also being tied to the given function of the room. When creating a space, one must set the scene for whatever activity or thing should happen in it, whether it be relaxation, dining, sleeping or working and so on.

I just read about the Japanese design studio, Nendo, that has redesigned the zipper. It’s an amazing project and prompts you to consider why no one has thought about this before.

We have a small design management team that collaborates closely with our external designers. Along with this, a strong team of engineers and project managers ensures that the designs are realised in the best and most appropriate manner.

I think that the Workshop Chair by Cecilie Manz is a very special design and I’m confident that it will be around 50 years from now thanks to its archetypical appearance and sophisticated details.

I think it’s such an integrated part of our mindset that it’s not something we directly think about but rather an element that is present in our underlying approach towards design. We only want for the necessary elements to be present in our designs. Which, I reckon, indirectly prompts minimalist aesthetics.

I find that comfort can be physical as well as mental. What you see and feel are two overlapping elements that influence one another on a constant basis, so one must consider both when approaching a design.