Get to know Gärsnäs - a world crafted from a passion for wood & a love of furniture

FURNITURE THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME 

Family-owned since 1893, the factory in Österlen, southern Sweden, has been producing furniture since the beginning and since the beginning the vision was clear - furniture should be for people today, tomorrow and beyond. Perhaps this is the key to Gärnäs’ success? The brand has always had people and the future in focus, creating furniture that can live generation after generation, where needs and style interact in a well-balanced way in everything from materials to form and details. 

Another key factor in the brand's success is its approach to sustainability, conserving resources and a well thought out production process, from start to finish. An approach that is necessary in a market where new players and furniture are emerging at an increasingly rapid pace. Gärsnäs works on the basis of the question: how can we make a difference?  

Gärsnäs works closely with prominent designers who keep close communication with the factory. When big names in furniture design come together the result is a line of well-known design icons. The material used is locally sourced from southern Sweden and Denmark and is then refined and moulded by the skilled cabinet makers, together with modern technology that creates furniture efficiently, while maintaining the craftsmanship and high quality that the brand stands for. 

RECYCLE AND RENOVATE 

For Gärsnäs, quality and durability are intertwined - it's all about ensuring that the furniture can live a long life after it has left the factory for its new home. When time has taken its toll and trends have changed, the furniture is welcome back to the factory – because, for Gärsnäs, quality and sustainability means caring for the furniture they produce and restoring what is possible, to create a circular system where to refurbish and reuse is something to strive for. By offering furniture renovation, Gärsnäs gives each piece of furniture the possibility of a new life and the opportunity to embellish homes and rooms with its presence for generations to come. The brand takes great pride in this approach, and it is an important part of how they have worked and continue to work towards sustainable furniture production. 

GÄRSNÄS – FROM SOUTHERN SWEDEN TO THE REST OF THE WORLD 

The furniture factory in Gärsnäs was founded in 1893 and at that time produced period furniture for local homes in the south of Sweden, using timber from neighbouring forests. After World War II, major changes took place and Gärsnäs embraced the modern Scandinavian style, and from the 1960s onwards, production went from creating furniture for the home only to taking over the public environment, something that became and remains a major part of Gärsnäs' strength today. 

Since 2003, the brand has been owned and run by Anna and Dag Klockby, as well as Åke Axelsson, Anna's father, an interior designer and cabinetmaker. Åke is known for his chair designs, that he developed during his 60 years in business and which helped put Swedish furniture design on the world map. Some of his most famous pieces of furniture are the Light & Easy, Akustik and Gästis chairs, to name a few. What many people may not know is that some of Gärsnäs' furniture can be found in government buildings and UN headquarters, largely due to Åke's vision for furniture design. Besides Åke, Gärsnäs boasts a number of big-name designers associated with the brand, such as Nina Jobs, Pierre Sindre and Matti Klenell. 

A PASSION FOR WOOD & CRAFTSMANSHIP 

In the factory in Österlen, the passion for furniture craftsmanship and the love of wood has never wavered. Even today, they work with carefully selected materials, mostly locally produced timber where each plank is carefully inspected ensuring it is of the highest quality - something Gärnäs refuses to compromise on. Once the material has been inspected, it is sent to the heart of the factory, where the creation of Gärnäs’ furniture takes place. Every piece of Gärsnäs furniture that leaves the factory has undergone a thorough process - handmade, the wood is carefully selected, assembled, measured, cut & dressed to create what ultimately becomes a Gärsnäs original. While it is not simple Gärnäs proves time and time again that it is possible to maintain production in Sweden and they take enormous pride in being able to create furniture that goes on to find a place in homes around the world as well as some of the world's finest places. These are the things that make Gärsnäs one of the leading players in the furniture industry and truly at the forefront of sustainable furniture craftsmanship - created to last for generations. 

WHERE THE MAGIC OF FURNITURE NEVER ENDS 

Now that we have opened the door to Gärsnäs' wonderful world of furniture magic, where love of wood and passion for craftsmanship interact in perfect harmony and where fantastic furniture comes to life, we can see that the story that began 130 years ago is far from over. The heart is still beating in the factory and the endeavour to create sustainable furniture for generations is perhaps more relevant than ever in a world that needs to change. Here, a chair is not just a chair, it's a craft and a part of life - meant to be used, worn and loved, and then taken care of and loved again and again. So step into Gärsnäs' world of furniture and let yourself discover all the beauty that only solid craftsmanship and true furniture magic can achieve!