Vaarnii is five

Your favourite Finnish furniture brand began five years ago. Back then, pine was unfashionable; an undervalued and under-used material, and new Finnish design brands were rare. Vaarnii launched with a bold mission: to bring brutal and uncompromising design to the world. Bluntly Finnish, unapologetically focused on a single material (take-it-or-leave-it folks) and skilled local manufacturing, Vaarnii was a fresh proposition. Five years later and Vaarnii is established. Although we aren’t naturally sentimental, now seems like a good time to reflect on our brand's making. Vaarnii founder Antti Hirvonen reminisces about the naivety and conviction that has brought them to be known as ‘Pine guys from Finland.’

 

Laura Houseley: Throw your mind back five years. What was the original intention behind Vaarnii?

Antti Hirvonen: Well, Finnishness was an intention. At the time, it felt as though Finland had been unable to renew itself in terms of creating viable new furniture businesses. We were interested in what it meant to be an ‘internationally interesting’ Finnish design company in today’s world. We have a wonderful design heritage here, but it starts and ends with modernism. So there was an ambition to define what the next phase of Finnish design looked like. The second thing was about making stuff responsibly. To make things that will outlast you and always have value. We wanted to do that in a very transparent way, so nothing was hidden. I think it set us apart from our competitors then, and still does.

 

Were these principles set before you had thought about pine?

Yeah, the idea of creating a new kind of Finnish brand arrived before landing on pine as the vehicle.

 

Why pine then?

Finland is 75% forest and pine is the most populous tree representing around 45% of our forests. If we wanted to use a sustainable raw material, it was obvious that it should be local timber.

 

Birch never was an option?

If you want Finnish only timber you have two choices; birch or pine. Up until the early 1990s everything in Finland was made from pine. I grew up with that; the summer houses, the schools, were filled with nasty-looking shiny yellow pine. But we thought it would be interesting to take this humble raw material, which we felt was vastly misunderstood, and make it aspirational. And I always think the best brands are polarizing. You can't be everything for everyone. We knew pine would set us apart but we were okay with that.

 

So you chose the underdog. I think we can say that it has been an excellent choice. Mono-materiality, specialism, and specialization are all valued in the furniture making business.

There is so much mileage in the pine story and focusing on one thing felt sensible. It’s the only way we could become world-class at something.

 

What has the journey from zero to specialist been like? Five years ago, when we first met, everything we discussed was just theory. Now, five years later, you are known as 'the Finnish pine guys’ and an expert on pine furniture making.

After five years I can honestly say that we still know very little about it! I feel we have barely scratched the surface of fully understanding forestry. I suppose the biggest difference from five years ago is that we now understand how little we actually know.

 

Have your feelings about pine changed? It’s been a very reliable vehicle for you, from a business perspective. But, it is also something that you have, quite literally, been surrounded by for the past five years. How do you feel about it?

We began wearing rose-tinted glasses, but today I can truthfully say that I absolutely love pine in so many ways. And now, the world is beginning to love it too. Thankfully natural materials like pine are better understood. If you want perfection, choose virgin plastic. But if you want something real, you need to embrace supposed ‘imperfections’.

 

Do you think you’ve been part of affecting that change?

In our small way, I think we’ve shifted some minds into understanding that a natural material, like pine, should be enjoyed for what it is.

 

Alongside pine, Vaarnii's next major characteristic is its Finnishness. Do you think people's perception of Finland affects how they understand Vaarnii? Or the other way around?

I don’t know. But for some reason, everyone thinks that we are a bit weird. It's something we use to our advantage. Finland's perception has improved a lot in the last decade. Nordic ideals and our societies' softer values are widely considered aspirational. The most difficult thing is talking about Vaarnii in Finland to Finns. It's a tough crowd.

 

So, a temperature check on Vaarnii right now. How are things currently?

We are doing well. The original vision was strong. We have barely changed anything. We have the same ideals and same stories. Every time we deviate from our core mission, it presents problems.

 

Like how?

For example, ever since we began, we've been asked about custom colourways. And that has always felt wrong, as though responding to a ‘trend’. And we haven’t wanted the pine to look like anything other than pine. It’s tempting, of course, from a business point of view to introduce colour. But after five years, we have the confidence to say ‘no’. The model is working as it is. We just need to drill harder into the original ideals and have the conviction that the vision will stick. Consistency is strength.

 

Well, being brutal and uncompromising is on brand. While you have maintained the same philosophy and strategy, do you think the market around you has changed? The dial has shifted on pine, certainly.

Yes, I think so. Our design language might be challenging for some but I think people now accept it, and our imperfect material too.

 

What has been a highlight of the past five years?

The wonderful designers who said yes to working with us. They are a highlight. I can't believe some of them have joined us. We hardly had a brand name at the beginning, just big dreams and big talk. And then a simple highlight is the fact that we have seen significant growth every year.

What has surprised you along the way?

I don't know if we can write this…

 

That's always the beginning of a good answer.

Trust your gut' was the advice I received from other entrepreneurs at the beginning. It surprises me how right that advice was. When you know your business and you understand your customers, trust your gut and be swift in your assessments... it’ll work out.

 

Is there anything else you want to say?

I can't believe it's been five years already.