This stool had black-lacquered steel legs, was 45 cm tall and had a seat made of cork which is a soft, dirt-repellent natural material that dampens sound and is resistant to water. The stool belonged to the SINNERLIG collection which was launched at IKEA in August 2015.
The SINNERLIG stool was the result of a unique collaboration between IKEA and world-famous designer Ilse Crawford. The collection comprised more than 30 products for the home, primarily for the dining area, workspace and living room. But although the products were designed for these environments, they could be used in many other ways as well. SINNERLIG was designed with great attention to the tiniest detail. The main aim was to create a collection that appealed to the senses and enhanced the feeling of comfort at home. The furniture and furnishing details in the collection were not just beautiful to look at, they were also pleasant to touch and use. This is how Ilse Crawford expressed her thoughts:
“We have observed that the more digital our lives become, the more we crave the physical. It’s about balance. Today, we are always close to a digital device, constantly connected no matter where we are. We can see changes in workplaces for instance, moving away from hard surfaces towards more tactile materials that engage the senses such as wood and more natural materials.”
Cork was the most important material in the collection. Neither IKEA nor Ilse Crawford had worked with cork in furniture before. Marcus Engman, Design Manager at IKEA at the time, explained: “Cork has many fine features and was a perfect material match for our shared vision. It has natural irregularities that give honest imperfections. Cork is nice to touch, an acoustic softener. It is also water-repellent, durable, easy to clean and considered more sustainable than many other materials.”
The cork oak is a tree with extraordinary properties, which grows in the regions around the Mediterranean. Since only the bark is harvested, the actual tree is never cut down. All the bark that’s harvested is used in production, so nothing goes to waste.
The SINNERLIG stool was sold at IKEA until 2018.
