LK Hjelle: Traceability at the Core of the Design Story
Norwegian furniture manufacturer LK Hjelle recently launched a special ‘all Norwegian’ edition of the Siesta chair. Elmo’s ability to trace and supply exclusively Norwegian hides made the project possible.
Images by: Pernille Münster
The Siesta chair, designed in 1965 by Ingemar Relling, has become a national treasure for design and architecture lovers alike. This summer, LK Hjelle created a limited edition of the Siesta Classic, upholstered in black and cognac Elmotique. But LK Hjelle had one requirement: the leather had to come from Norwegian cattle.
The company has worked with Elmo for many years and continues to offer a broad range of leather options. For this particular edition, however, the possibility to guarantee Norwegian origin became an important part of the story.
“We want to support Norwegian furniture manufacturing and showcase the excellent raw materials we have in Norway and Scandinavia,” says Hilde Renate Sydhagen, Head of Sales Europe at LK Hjelle.
“Traceability is often discussed as a way of documenting origin, but for us it is really a way of documenting animal welfare. If we know where a hide comes from, we can also understand how the animal was raised. Traceability is what allows us to stand behind the material with confidence.”
At Elmo, every hide can be traced back to the farm it originated from. Each hide receives its own identity and remains connected to its batch throughout production, making it possible to keep Norwegian hides separate all the way to the finished leather.
“Traceability is often discussed as a way of documenting origin, but for us it is really a way of documenting animal welfare,” says Jimmy Ahlgren, Head of Marketing. “If we know where a hide comes from, we can also understand how the animal was raised. Traceability is what allows us to stand behind the material with confidence.”
“We want to support Norwegian furniture manufacturing and showcase the excellent raw materials we have in Norway and Scandinavia.”
The origin of the hides also influences their quality. Norwegian hides have long been recognised for having fewer natural defects than many other hides around the world, making them particularly well suited for premium leather qualities such as aniline leather.
“Norwegian farmers have worked systematically with animal welfare for generations,” says Per Amour, Head of Production. “The use of barbed wire has long been restricted, animals are generally kept clean, and skin damage is less common. This gives us access to exceptionally good raw material and increases the proportion of hides suitable for premium leather qualities.”
Only the highest-quality hides are selected after sorting and grading, ensuring that the material lives up to the standards expected of a design classic. For Siesta, that meant a chair where the design, the material and the story behind it all share the same roots.
