Furniture Collection Reinterprets Nordic Design, with Help from Formica

Formica laminate—the ubiquitous kitchen and diner countertop material of the 1950s—now covers tables and chairs in Kolho, a collection from Made by Choice inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing and the industrial legacy of the eponymous Finnish town. The series was born from a collaboration between the Finnish furniture company, American artist Matthew Day Jackson, and Formica Group.

The Kolho collection consists of dining tables and chairs, along with coffee tables, lounge chairs, and two-seaters. The furniture is made primarily of plywood—true to its Scandinavian roots—and a special Formica laminate. That textured material, called MDJ Kuu, references the surface of the moon. (Kuu means “moon” in Finnish.) With its serpentine armrests and legs (representing chaos, according to Jackson) coupled with the angular Formica planes (symbolizing reason), Kolho plays dually with novelty and respect for tradition.

“[Jackson] created something…almost radical, but that still has that Nordic DNA,” remarks Niclas Ahlström, cofounder of Made by Choice. “I think it really opens up people’s eyes to innovation within furniture design.”

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