Designer Sketch: Lea Hein
The Swedish cabinetmaker and furniture designer gets inspired by urban gardening, sustainability and shapes in art and nature
Lea Hein's veggie pot made the cut of student work showcased at the Stockholm Furniture Fair in February 2012. This year's theme was "grow," and the design challenge was to find unexpected and creative ways to bring vegetable growing into homes.
"I had to make something for indoor growing, something that would help urban dwellers find a way to create indoor gardens," says Hein, a student at the Steneby craft and design school at Gothenburg University in Sweden. "The veggie pot was what I came up with. "It's made of honest materials but is still aesthetically appealing."
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"I had to make something for indoor growing, something that would help urban dwellers find a way to create indoor gardens," says Hein, a student at the Steneby craft and design school at Gothenburg University in Sweden. "The veggie pot was what I came up with. "It's made of honest materials but is still aesthetically appealing."
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When did you know that you wanted to design furniture and products?
I’ve always seen the craft [of furniture design] as a very important skill. When I knew I wanted to go on this route, I studied cabinetmaking for almost three years before I even entered Stenebyskolans' furniture design program at Gothenburg University.
I’ve always seen the craft [of furniture design] as a very important skill. When I knew I wanted to go on this route, I studied cabinetmaking for almost three years before I even entered Stenebyskolans' furniture design program at Gothenburg University.
Chieftains Chair by Finn Juhl
Which iconic furniture designer would you want to work with?
I would have loved to work with Finn Juhl. I’m very inspired, as I am by a lot of Danish architects and designers, by his knowledge of the craft and his
deep understanding of aesthetics.
I would have loved to work with Finn Juhl. I’m very inspired, as I am by a lot of Danish architects and designers, by his knowledge of the craft and his
deep understanding of aesthetics.
What inspires your designs?
My design is often inspired by a form. I guess you could say that I work a bit opposite from the idea that form follows function. I get my inspiration mostly from art, nature and geometrics. I have worked a bit with graphics, and people tell me that they see the graphic influences in my work.
Where's your go-to place for inspiration?
I love going to flea markets. You can see so many fun and interesting things there.
Where in the world do you want to go next?
I'd like to go to Alaska, to get lost in nature for a bit.
Do you still draw, or is everything on the computer now?
In the beginning of a project I always draw freehand. I always carry my sketchbook with me everywhere I go. But the clearer my idea gets, the more I use the 3D drawing programs. To present products, I always use rendered pictures.
My design is often inspired by a form. I guess you could say that I work a bit opposite from the idea that form follows function. I get my inspiration mostly from art, nature and geometrics. I have worked a bit with graphics, and people tell me that they see the graphic influences in my work.
Where's your go-to place for inspiration?
I love going to flea markets. You can see so many fun and interesting things there.
Where in the world do you want to go next?
I'd like to go to Alaska, to get lost in nature for a bit.
Do you still draw, or is everything on the computer now?
In the beginning of a project I always draw freehand. I always carry my sketchbook with me everywhere I go. But the clearer my idea gets, the more I use the 3D drawing programs. To present products, I always use rendered pictures.
Nelson Swag Leg Desk
Who is one of your favorite artists?
A Norwegian artist, Magnus Pettersen.
The most important thing on your desk is ...
A glass of red wine.
What's your favorite classic furniture piece?
The Nelson Swag Leg Desk.
A Norwegian artist, Magnus Pettersen.
The most important thing on your desk is ...
A glass of red wine.
What's your favorite classic furniture piece?
The Nelson Swag Leg Desk.
If you could change one thing about furniture design, it would be ...
To mandate that everyone read and use the cradle-to-cradle approach. Essentially, cradle to cradle is a way of honoring our planet in the design and production process, but it can be applied to social systems and industries outside of design.
What's your favorite new website?
Made in School
What's your favorite up-and-coming design company?
We Do Wood in Denmark. Henrik Thygesen and Sebastian Jørgensen are cabinetmakers and furniture designers who share my design philosophy: sustainability and design principles should really go hand in hand. We Do Wood creates honest and simple design.
Your ideal client is ...
A client who values quality and cares for the environment. It's really important for me not to abuse the world when I do product/furniture design. This usually means that the price of my furniture pieces might be a bit higher, as you cannot compromise quality in sustainable materials. But if you care about sustainability, you will probably be willing to pay a bit more.
Find an architect or designer
More Designer Sketches: Josh McCullar | Jean Dufresne
To mandate that everyone read and use the cradle-to-cradle approach. Essentially, cradle to cradle is a way of honoring our planet in the design and production process, but it can be applied to social systems and industries outside of design.
What's your favorite new website?
Made in School
What's your favorite up-and-coming design company?
We Do Wood in Denmark. Henrik Thygesen and Sebastian Jørgensen are cabinetmakers and furniture designers who share my design philosophy: sustainability and design principles should really go hand in hand. We Do Wood creates honest and simple design.
Your ideal client is ...
A client who values quality and cares for the environment. It's really important for me not to abuse the world when I do product/furniture design. This usually means that the price of my furniture pieces might be a bit higher, as you cannot compromise quality in sustainable materials. But if you care about sustainability, you will probably be willing to pay a bit more.
Find an architect or designer
More Designer Sketches: Josh McCullar | Jean Dufresne
The veggie pot, together with Daniel Eidhagen and Kristoffer Nolgren, the Swedish guys behind the huge window-farm display at Kulturhuset. The window farm was a really inspiring project that used a hydroponic technique. I felt like I wanted to do something similar, to spread the word to people in the city about building an urban garden. However, I didn't like how plastic bottles were used in the window farm, so in coming up with the veggie pots, I conceptualized something that used trustworthy materials but was still attractive.
My end goal is to make the veggie pots available for purchase, but first we have to find a company that can actually produce the pieces and refine the parts a bit more.