We Delve into Soren Lassen from Woodlam

Since coming to South Africa from Denmark in 1980, Soren Lassen has been involved in moulded plywood, furniture design and manufacturing. He has always believed that the most important aspect of furniture design and manufacturing is the people involved in the process, as the people are the craftsmen and women, the heartbeat of the business.

Sustainability, design innovation, and customer satisfaction are values Woodlam constantly strives towards and Woodlam’s 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? I 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.”

Last year Soren attended a design show in Milan and the takeaway was a 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 most interesting to Soren was making furniture that can last.

In Milan, Soren 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. In the same breath tub chairs are still classic dining pieces for any restaurant, hotel lobby or the office boardroom.

Contact: Woodlam.