Varier Furniture AS

Varier Furniture AS is a Scandinavian furniture company. The company produces chairs based on a philosophy they call “Sit down, Move on” - which combines sitting with movement, as well as design and ergonomics. The company sells chairs that are modern as well as healthy to sit on. The product at the core of the company is the Variable balans; “The Original Kneeling Chair™.” Peter Opsvik designed this chair in 1979. Today, Varier offers a range of movement chairs worldwide from several acclaimed Scandinavian designers.

Background

Formerly known as Stokke, a Norwegian company established in 1932 by the Stokke family, Varier® became its own company in 2006, when the ‘Movement by Stokke’ division of seating was separated from the collection of strollers, cribs and high chairs currently manufactured by Stokke. This was part of a more focused strategy from Stokke where also Fora Form, Wonderland and Tennfjord Lamininger were separated and sold out. Since that time Varier Furniture has established an own brand, based on a long tradition of producing furniture, while introducing modern designs to an international market.

Core Principles

When looking at the products from Varier®, it is noticeable that all chairs have an unconventional design and incorporate some mechanism to foster movement of the body.

Design

Having unconventionally designed furniture is a noticeable principle. Varier® works with internationally known designers like Peter Opsvik and Olav Eldøy (see Designers) and has won several design prices.

Movement

Movement while sitting is critical to the well-being and has the potential to reduce the risk of chronic disorders due to static sitting postures. Furthermore, dynamic sitting improves oxygen flow and physical activity helps us learn on three levels: It optimizes alertness, attention, and motivation; it prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to one another, which is the cellular basis for storing new information and it spurs the development of new cells from stem cells in the hippocampus.

Balans® concept (‘kneeling’ position)

The balans® concept was originally developed by Hans Chr. Mengshoel and Peter Opsvik for Stokke (now Variér®). The Balans concept is characterized by an open angle between the thighs and torso, designed to encourage neutral postures and to facilitate postural changes. “Although often referred to as a ‘kneeling chair’ or ‘knee-supported chair’, the actual focus of lower leg support on the balans seat is below the knees and at the shin to reduce potential loading at the knees”. The idea behind balans® is:

At Variér®, the balans® concept is for most products combined with movement.

Saddle seat

“Saddle seats activate postural reflexes and core muscles, unlike conventional chairs that put your postural muscles to sleep”. This mechanism is used by Varier® for the standing support Move stool. In combination with the curved wooden plate to archive movement, the Move tilts forward and the weight is evenly distributed on the chair and both feet – this reduces the load on the spine.

Products

Variable balans®

The Variable balans® is the original kneeling chair™, designed by Peter Opsvik. Since its launch in 1979, it has often been referred to as a revolution of the furniture world due to its completely new design and the kneeling concept (balans®), combined with movement. Still today it is seen as one of the most renowned designs worldwide. Reason for its lasting acceptance seems to be on one hand its unique design and the kneeling chair function, combined with the values of active sitting.

Move®

The saddle seat supports an upright, dynamic posture, which activates and strengthens core muscles in the abdomen and back. With feet placed on the floor, it’s easy to balance and stabilize, or tilt, pivot, or rotate 360°. The open angle between the upper and lower body improves circulation, boosting energy levels and concentration.

Designers

Varier® works with designers from Norway. Among others, Peter Opsvik and Olav Eldøy created most chairs:

Peter Opsvik

Peter Opsvik, a Norwegian furniture designer and a saxophonist was born in 1939. As a professional designer, he has been observing the human form and human interaction with the spaces around him. From his observations, he marks that only in the recent years people have practiced to sit in front of the computer monitor for long hours which is the main cause for many back injuries occurring at present. Peter Opsvik is on a mission to bring about a change in the way we sit. He is an expert, who knows the posture and movements required for different persons of different age groups. The major design works of Opsvik includes the Trip Trap chair, Variable chair, Gravity chair, Actulum, Penguin, Capisco and so on. He has penned a book named ‘Rethinking sitting’ in 2009.

Olav Eldøy

Olav Eldøy is an award winning furniture designer. He was born in 1948 on Stord, Norway. He was educated the National College of Art & Design in Bergen 1973. Some of his award winning products are: the chair Peel, the chair Date & the chair Eight produced by the Norwegian furniture manufacture Variér®.

Awards and mentions

Products from Varier® have received several awards and nominations. A list can be found here:

Award for Design Excellence
Peel (2002), Date (2003), Eight (2009) by Olav Eldøy
Planet (2002) by Sven Ivar Dysthe
Penguin (2009) by Peter Opsvik

Classic Award for Design Excellence
Move (2002) by Per Øie

Nominated for Award for Design Excellence 2011, German Design Council
Eight by Olav Eldøy
Penguin by Peter Opsvik

Silver Medal Homesolute Award 2009, Category Design Furniture
Peel by Olav Eldøy

Also, different design magazines wrote about the products:

HOME, No. 10/2010, Germany: Variable balans and Ekstrem are among the 50 most important designs of the world.

CASAVIVA, Jul 2011, Italy: Variable balans is voted among the top 5 designs by Italians biggest design magazine.

Quality and Sustainability

Varier is a Norwegian company, located outside Alesund on the west coast of Norway. Originally, all products were based on wood. Today, additional materials like e.g. metal bases, are offered. All materials are bought from European suppliers, for example Danish fabric producers Kvadrat and Gabriel.

Regarding sustainability, Varier® uses only water based lacquer and mostly organic materials. Furthermore, the products are made to last and can be used for several purposes (dining, desk, home office) by both children and adults. Therefore, a chair can be used for many years without the need for quick replacement.

External links

• Varier Furniture AS: varierfurniture.com
• Peter Opsvik: opsvik.no
• Olav Eldøy: eldoy.no