Maasto Range

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.’

Designer Ronan Bouroullec moves between mediums, materials and scales with ease. To each new project he brings a philosophy of thoughtful, empathetic design. We asked Ronan – in conversation with writer Laura Houseley – how the Maasto family of furniture for Vaarnii reflects his design ethos, and how he got away with introducing plywood to the Vaarnii range.