Form & Refine: Material Talks

It was a six month trip to South America, including a three year stint in Bolivia, and a meeting of the minds about utilizing high-quality responsibly-sourced wood to create long-lasting furniture that sparked the idea for Form & Refine. Founded in 2018 by Helle Herman Mortensen, Jonas Herman Pedersen, and Lasse Lund Lauridsen, the brand now follows a common philosophy: In Praise of Materials.

“Lasse has a background within sale and export, and Jonas and I have a background as designers with our design studio Herman Studio,” says Helle. “Lasse and his girlfriend went to South America in 2017 and met alpaca farmers and learned a lot about the culture, the craft related to alpacas, and how important animals are to Bolivians. That touched them very much and reflected their perspective. At the same time we (Jonas and I) met Michael here in Denmark. He owns Damsbo Forrest and had a vision about using the high-quality wood to create long lasting furniture.”

Guided by the knowledge that wood is one of the most sustainable materials on the planet, the trio applied their mutual respect for the material to their company with the intention of crafting designs that tell stories about material and local craft traditions.

“We keep production near the sources in order to take care of the environment and because we truly believe that the most skilled craftsman to handle the production of our products are best found in the nation where the materials originated from,” says Helle.

Form & Refine operates on the notion that we don’t need to constantly fill our homes and offices with new furniture and accessories. Rather, we as a society need fewer things in a quality that endures and gets more beautiful with age. With materials being their greatest passion, the studio has dedicated itself to finding the purest materials of the highest quality with great tactility to ensure the longest possible lifespan.

“We have divided or collection into In Praise of Wood, In Praise of Alpaca Fibre, In Praise of Ceramics and In Praise of OffCuts,” says Helle. “Though, we have a deep love of wood—it’s our favorite material. It is organic; it simply sprouts from the soil and supplies us with clean air during its growth. When harvested and manufactured responsibly, wooden furniture is low in CO₂ emission. It is a material that takes skill to master and is ever-changing. It is warm to the touch and has life and temperament. It expands or shrinks depending on its surroundings. And, it only grows more beautiful as time passes.”

Form & Refine produces everything form home objects and textiles to full-size furniture, tables, storage, and seating. The main collection is designed and curated by Herman Studio (a brand founded by Jonas Herman and Helle Merman Mortensen). Inspiration for new designs comes from many places—such as a functionality or detail on an old piece of furniture.

“We sketch on many ideas through the process and always slept a night and re-evaluated it,” says Helle. “The gut feeling must be right, and it should feel just as good the next morning. It is a long process with many sketches, mock-ups, prototypes, and 3d prints—all tools that we have and can handle in the studio.”

Sourcing sustainable, responsibly-produced materials aren’t the only contribution Form & Refine makes towards society either. The studio engages local craftsmen and workshops to ensure all products are produced locally.

“We strive to honor and acknowledge those who came before us, all the while breaking new ground,” says Helle.

But at the same time, the studio embraces modern techniques to create innovative new designs with the functional needs to fit our time.

“We aim to create a responsible business because it dares to combine brand values, furniture production, economics, logistics and ideology into a coherent whole,” says Helle. “This reaches into the world and actively makes it a better place to work and live.”

Form & Refine will be exhibiting at ICFF May 15-17, 2022.