Graphic and playful, and with a pleasant flex when you sit down. That’s the short description of the LYCKAN chair. The slightly longer story is about creating something entirely new using classic wood-bending techniques – and about finding the joy in a chair.

Is it possible to create a wooden chair with flexibility? That was the question the team behind LYCKAN was to answer. “We chose to work with layer-glued wood veneer because it can be bent. It’s a complex technique with a long tradition in Scandinavia, one that really requires expert knowledge. But when you get everything right, the result can be fantastic,” says Sergiu Zugrav from the development team.

The best sitting position

"We tried different veneer thicknesses for the chair’s cantilever base to find just the right strength and the best flex for as many people as possible.” The team was also seeking the perfect sitting angle, because despite the hard material, comfort was key. The chair got a generous seat and a softly rounded backrest that embraces your back when you lean back. Sergiu explains that the best sitting position is the one we can adjust easily. “The body wants circulation, and when we sit, we actually move quite a lot. The pleasant flex of LYCKAN leads to tiny movements that provide lots of comfort.”

Finding the joy in a chair

The task to make a chair in a new way, using layer-glued wood veneer techniques, meant new form and expression possibilities, too. With its bent shape, LYCKAN gained a character and personality of its very own, which meant a lot to the team already during the course of their work. “We all enjoyed working with designer Henrik Preutz’s chair. It’s a playful design that will make many people happy, I think.”