Our enthusiasm for colours is one of our closest visual references for our emotions. When it comes to deciding the spaces we live in and the things we surround ourselves with, colour defines the tone and atmosphere of our chosen spaces.
Hunting & Narud is a studio very in tune with their choices of colour, from the consideration of materials and textures to their interplay with light. They seem to strike a balance in finding the right combination for any given space. This kind of nuanced attention to our environments is the type of empathy that our shifting office cultures need to pay more attention to.
Amy Hunting and Oscar Narud are the pair that make up the studio Hunting & Narud, and they were involved with the HÅG Tion project right from the beginning. Through a series of workshops and a close collaboration with Anderssen & Voll and Big Game, the trio of studios collectively arrived on the design of HÅG Tion. For Amy and Oscar the process was not only “an eye opener in terms of working across teams and design studios”, but also something they took great joy out of - the energy of which can be seen reflected in the design of HÅG Tion.
The intentions are for the HÅG Tion to fit into any work-related settings. With the commencement of hybrid era of working, we now transition between home, office or coworking spaces. This sentiment is very clear to the studio, especially in reflection of the ongoing pandemic: “There is such a huge demand for a chair that fits in with your life, does not take up too much space and works just as well in your home office as in an actual office. Since the pandemic, it is obvious the flexibility of the home office is here to stay.” This notion requires a chair to be adaptable to all our work settings. To not just fit comfortably but pair generously with everyone’s personalities. This is where material choice becomes one of the distinct identifying characteristics of HÅG Tion.
Conscious material selection
With HÅG Tion we were very conscious of the material selection. The simplicity of the chair allows each of its constituent parts to read clearly as its own material, assembled with just a few screws. This mono-material nature of the chair is intentional so that each of the parts can be removed and recycled respectively and easily replaced when new parts are needed. The back and the seat are available in wood, wool, and recycled plastics. In contrast, the structural elements are complementarily made of recycled aluminium. It is HÅG’s most sustainably assembled chair to date, 75% of the plastics and 96% of the aluminium are made with recycled materials, and all wood is sourced responsibly.
This circular intention of material decisions acted as the foundation that inspired the combinations for HÅG Tion. Amy and Oscar say with a tone of enthusiasm that, “We had really pushed and explored colour options with recycled plastics and we are so pleased we could get such a huge range. So much work has gone into this development and learning about recycled plastics and their qualities has been incredibly useful. Flokk’s work with sustainability and recycled materials is impressive. For one of the HÅG Tion versions we have created a chair made from recycled plastic and post-consumer waste textile. It comes in a range of colours and it is a version we feel very proud of.
The option to configure the chair to our desires has the potential to not only establish our moods during work, but it can also set the tone and intentions behind the work we do. Hunting & Narud are very aware of these effects and have carefully curated a few colourways to inspire different work settings. In all these suggested configurations, they were inspired by the long-lasting ethos of the material choices.
Read - How to choose environmentally friendly furniture
Inspiring colour choices
As an example, for one of the configurations they have paired wood of the Ash variety with recycled cast aluminium. The ash wood with its light and pure finish adds a familiar sense of durability through its staggered and softly rippled wood grain. The cast pieces are tumble-finished, leaving a unique satin sheen peppered with interesting textures that catch the light enough to give the material a sense of depth and dimension. This example represents Hunting & Narud’s deep respect for crafts and traditions, a reference of a time when things were made to last. This warmth and durability could pair perfectly into our home.
Another variation plays with fabric choices that add a softer and comfy alternative. A version that pairs a chequered fabric of green and white for the backrest and seat, along with chestnut red coated aluminium supports. This pairing can add more spirit and energy to an otherwise dull office space.
For another set of suggestions, they have made use of the seven different colours of recycled plastics. Paring them chromatically as harmonious colour matches between all the materials. This calls for settings that are more sober, suited for even institutions that want to suggest a softer tone all the while offering and maintaining focus for work.
Read - The power of colour: Interior design ideas with Koi Colour Studio
A further example of this colourway highlights a collaboration with Gudbrandsdalens Uldvarefabrik of Norway, who have created a unique wool collection that combines perfectly with the colour choices of HÅG Tion. It brings together a blush red plastic backrest with a matching red cushioned wool seat. These options can lead to endless combinations, to match and play to one’s desires.
Hunting & Narud echo this versatility with very intentional choices. All in the effort, they say, “HÅG Tion is a chair that should not feel too corporate, too sterile or too bland. So often colours from industrial products are taken from a RAL chart without a narrative. For HÅG Tion’s palette, we thought it was important to draw inspiration from domestic settings and homes. To make sure the chair could have these qualities we have researched and studied interior colour palettes from English heritage until modern times. The result is a range of colours with a nod to domestic settings that hopefully stand the test of time.”
All these considerations towards material choices come together to create a unique sitting experience. We need our workspaces to feel comfortable, reliable, and trustworthy. This not only depends on the interior spaces we find ourselves in but in the chairs we sit on throughout our workdays. HÅG Tion attempts to bridge this emotive connection by offering a chair that is adaptable not only in its sitting experience but in its available choices of materials and colours. A chair that can virtually fit into any one of our chosen workplaces.
The HÅG Tion is now available worldwide.
Visit our website where you can not only see all the various colour and material combinations chosen by Hunting & Narud, but you can also design your own chair choosing from a wide range of options to make a chair perfect for your home or workspace.
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