Eikund furniture available in US market
Timeless design built to last for generations
INSPIRED BY NATURE: Eikund has furnished The Bolder, the unique cabins overlooking the Lysnefjord outside of Stavanger, Norway. The cabins were designed by the award-winning architectural firm Snøhetta for minimal environmental impact and to create a feeling of harmony with nature.
Laila Simon
Minneapolis
Fun new plans are coming to Norway House’s Kaffebar in Minneapolis! The newly remodeled space will be furnished by Norwegian furniture company Eikund. The Kaffebar will have a modern Nordic feel with sleek lines and comfortable seating.
Eikund began in 2016 and is a current member of the Business Accelerator Resource Network (BARN) at Norway House, which helped forge this connection.
CEO Jørgen Tengesdal says that they look forward to more opportunities in the American market and that their U.S. representative, Aaron Peterson, is already making valuable contacts with stores and dealers in the States.
Eikund’s mission is to gather the very best of what Norwegian furniture design has to offer and collect these pieces together under one brand. Their company is giving fresh air to vintage designs with a focus on mid-century modern design from the 1950s and 1960s.
“This is a result of a treasure hunt that gives old icons from the Norwegian design legacy new life. Our collection of Norwegian mid-century design features iconic works by renowned masters, such as Fredrik A. Kayser, Torbjørn Afdal, Sigurd Ressell, Sven Ivar Dysthe, Torbjørn Bekken, and Arne Tjomsland, ” Tengesdal said.
One of Eikund’s most iconic designs is the Krysset Lounge Chair. With a crossed-legged wooden base and a stretched leather backrest, the chair has a one-of-a-kind shape informed by the natural lines of the wood.
You’ll find design elements that almost transport to a different time in all of Eikund’s pieces; they even reference the TV show “Mad Men” as a similar design aesthetic to some of their furniture.
In 2023, Eikund attended the 3daysofdesign festival in Copenhagen and unveiled two classic pieces alongside two limited edition designs. The classic pieces included the Mad Men-esque RY Chair, that could be found in any elegant 1960s office.
In addition to this highly anticipated release, Eikund brought a surprise element by relaunching the OMA dining table. Eikund is most well known for their chairs, but COO Morten Hippe explained, “Tables, in general, receive unfairly little attention compared with chairs. But as we all know, gathering your loved ones around the table contributes to good conversations, discussions, and laughter. And OMA is no exception.”
Eikund also offers dining chairs and stools to complement their two dining table designs.
COMFORT AND ELEGANCE: Two of Eikund’s most popular chairs were chosen for the newly renovated Kaffebar at Norway House in Minneapolis, the “UnFluffy” (left) and the “Hertung” (right).
The two edgier limited edition chairs that they brought to the 3daysofdesign festival were a “Bubblegum” Krysset lounge chair, made in collaboration with the artist Martin Whatson and a bright green and blue Fluffy chair that partnered with Norwegian yarn producer, Værbitt. These colorful pieces really made Eikund’s presence known at the popular interior design festival and in the design community as a whole.
With sustainability at the core of their practice, you can expect the highest quality materials and craftsmanship from Eikund furniture. They use only natural materials, specializing in pieces made from wood, wool, and eco-leather (leather produced from an environmentally friendly process).
Their mission includes five tenets of ethical and environmental responsibility: creating long-lasting products, responsible sourcing, reducing CO2 emissions, reducing toxic chemicals, and practicing social responsibility. For example, they are dedicated to using waste from every part of the production process, like compacting sawdust into briquettes that are used to heat their offices!
Eikund believes that the furniture in your home is made to be used and should only look better over time. They make all of their pieces to “age with grace,” welcoming the patina of human hands and always made chemical free for the safety of your home and family. Eikund puts its values into practice in each piece and the design of their furniture really speaks for itself.
VELKOMMEN: This past Christmas season, President & CEO Christina Carleton of Norway House in Minneapolis welcomed guests to the newly renovated Kaffebar, which features furniture from Eikund,
The Twin Cities community looks forward to this development of the beloved Kaffebar at Norway House. With each step, Norway House is using authentic connections between Norwegian brands and their one-of-a-kind cultural center. Just one more reason to visit and spend time in a comfortable community space.
Eikund is distributed in over a dozen countries, and the company is actively expanding their reach. Its furniture is available for domestic and commercial spaces. You can find your own Eikund pieces through their “find a dealer” tool on their website and if you are in the Twin Cities, reach out to Rypen Furniture or Fuse Mpls.
All images courtesy of Eikund
This article originally appeared in the January 2025 issue of The Norwegian American.
