Since coming to South Africa from Denmark in 1980, I have been involved in moulded plywood, furniture design and manufacturing. I have always believed that the most important aspect of furniture design and manufacturing is the people involved in the process, as the people are our craftsmen and women - the heartbeat of our business. Their dedication and skill are the foundation of our quality.

Sustainability, design innovation, and customer satisfaction are values we constantly strive towards and our goal is to deliver beautifully designed furniture that encompasses these values, creating a fusion of Scandinavian and South African design and craftsmanship.

How does one achieve real customer satisfaction when it comes to furniture? Well, in my view there are a few aspects. We have always tried to make our furniture stronger than it needs to be and ultimately good looking. But really what it comes down to, is that you have to make furniture that is comfortable, otherwise, why have a good looking chair? That’s what we have been trying to do over the last 33 years at Woodlam.

Current Trends and Insights

Last year I attended a design show in Milan and there is a wave of design focus, as well as investment, into creating furniture that is more sustainable - researching new materials using recycled materials and finishes that are non-harmful to the environment, and what was interesting to me was making furniture that can last.

The South Africa furniture industry has seen steady and relentless competition from imports coming into the country. Last year particularly saw an increase in furniture imports. Plastic and “cheaper” wood and steel variants of classically designed furniture are posing great risks to South African businesses. This is not a new trend, with the likes of Shein changing the landscape of fast fashion in our country and brands like Temu making a strong entry into the market.

What has always given me a sense of pride and hope is that over the years I have seen many of our chairs come back and back again. After years of being produced, these items make their way back into our factory to be refurbished. This is what I like about our furniture - it is able to last a long time.

Chair Range of the Month

In Milan, I also saw what furniture was still in fashion. Even though South Africa tends to be a few years behind on the latest trends, there is no doubt that the top chairs are still the tub chairs - chairs that have a moulded u-bend design. These chairs are very versatile in their usage, from cosmetic bedroom chairs for putting your lipstick or shoes on, to home office chairs (after the wave of hybrid working and working from home after COVID). In the same breath tub chairs are still classic dining pieces for any restaurant, hotel lobby or the office boardroom.

Over the past few months we have been working to reinvent our tub range; the Sky, Empire and Pinnacle. We are proud to release our chair range of the month keeping to the international trends and holding true to our design principles of, stronger than they need to be, good looking and comfortable. Explore The Range