Cross-border Project Aims to Transform the Interior Design Industry
The project "Från Skog till Stol" is now launching with the goal of promoting a sustainable, wood-based interior design industry in Sweden and Norway. HDK-Valand is working together with Mötesplats Steneby, Gröna Klustret Nuntorp, Klosser Innovation AS, and NIL, to explore ways to reduce environmental impact through reuse and more efficient use of wood.
The furniture and interior design sector is a significant industry in both Sweden and Norway. Its environmental impact is substantial — furniture and interior products worth approximately SEK 40 billion are produced annually, while around 500,000 tons of furniture are discarded each year.
The industry is therefore facing a necessary transition. Through this new project, led by HDK-Valand, stakeholders from Sweden and Norway are joining forces to drive a shift toward a more circular, resource-efficient, and innovative future for the wood-based interior design sector.
– Over the next three years, designers, producers, researchers, forest owners, and public actors will collaborate to develop methods, prototypes, and strategies that reduce environmental impact and strengthen sustainable entrepreneurship in the cross-border region between Sweden and Norway, says Niclas ÖٱԻ, Deputy Head of Research at HDK-Valand, University 91̽.
The project builds on experiences from previous initiatives in sustainable production and circularity in the interior design sector, such as the “Open Wood” and “Tillverka i trä” projects.
– This new project gives us a concrete opportunity to strengthen Västra Götaland’s role in the sustainable transition. By building on earlier experiences and taking the next step toward an integrated value chain where wood is used more intelligently, and where more actors create value through collaboration and innovation, we can become a leading experimental hub for the future of the furniture and interior design industry, says Anders Lindgren, Director of Mötesplats Steneby.
About the Project
"Från Skog till Stol" begins on July 1, 2025, and is a three-year collaborative project between Sweden and Norway, aiming to transition the wood-based interior design sector to a more circular and sustainable model. By bringing together stakeholders from the entire value chain — from forestry to design, production, and reuse — the project will develop new working methods, products, and business models that strengthen both the climate and the industry's competitiveness.
The project is led by HDK-Valand at the University 91̽ in partnership with Mötesplats Steneby, Gröna Klustret Nuntorp, Klosser Innovation AS, and the Norwegian Organisation of Interior Architects and Furniture Designers (NIL).
The project is funded with SEK 18.6 million, with EU Interreg Sweden–Norway contributing 65 percent (SEK 12.9 million) and the Västra Götaland Region contributing 35 percent (SEK 6.5 million).