The history of Varier Furniture takes us back to the 1970s. After years of research, Hans Christian Mengshoel and his collaborators at the Statens Teknologiske Institutt proposed a radical idea that questioned the very conventions of furniture: sitting on a downward sloping seat coupled with shin supports could constitute a more balanced way of sitting—benefiting both our bodies and minds.
“From this insight began a revolution in furniture design,” Leif Holst-Liæker, the CEO of Varier Furniture, tells us at Localfolk. “As a result, designers were invited to create prototypes that put Mengshoel’s idea of ‘balanced sitting’—or the balans concept—into practice. One of them was Peter Opsvik, whose designs earned an important place in Norwegian furniture history.”
Opsvik advocated that sitting still in the same position isn’t what’s best for our health—nor for our ability to be creative. Instead, Opsvik suggested, when we sit, we should be encouraged to move. And to this day, Varier Furniture is still producing furniture based on this simple insight—that the conventional way of sitting puts strain on our bodies and stifles our creativity.
“The human body is at the center of all Varier designs,” Leif says. “When designing a new chair, we want to explore how it can invite us to flow between positions, instead of being locked into a single one.”
Yet, if the brand’s trademark is its ergonomic design, aesthetics are just as important. In fact, the brand’s determination to innovate both in terms of form and function has produced some of its most recognisable products—such as Ekstrem™ and Variable™, which push our understanding of what a chair can even be.
“Collaborations with some of the leading names in design—like Snøhetta and Kvadrat—have helped us produce long-lasting and visually striking products,” Leif explains, “but our commitment to sustainability has always been important too.”
The pandemic has resulted in a period of rapid growth for Varier, as the demand for home office chairs increased dramatically. Yet, Leif wants the company to go even further. “We want to become more visible in the market and reach those who are not yet aware of our ergonomic solutions,” he explains.
“With our heritage as inspiration, we want to continue to spark innovation within the furniture industry and continue to set people in motion—even while they sit.”
