Spotlight on the Artek Stool 60

Despite its seemingly straightforward design, the Artek 60 Stool is the most elemental of furniture pieces; equally suited for use as a seating option, a versatile side table, or even a practical display surface.

Born of modernist ideals and Finnish innovation, Artek's Stool 60 was designed by Alvar Aalto in 1933 and has been in continuous production ever since, barely changing in either material or form.

Stool 60 comprises 3 curved birch legs and a circular seat, but don't let its simplicity fool you -with over 8 million units sold since its release, Stool 60 has cemented itself as a true design icon. It has become a favourite of design tastemakers across fashion, tech and art, with brands such as Muji, Our Legacy Workshop, Supreme and Karhu have all put their spin on the Stool 60 over the years.

The L-Leg System

Alvar Aalto was not confined by rigid design ideologies. Instead, he embraced a holistic approach, blending functionality with organic forms and a deep respect for the natural world. During a time when many of his contemporaries in the European modernist design landscape were focussing on using glass and steel, Aalto turned to Birch - a wood available in abundance in his native Finland.

One of the most plentiful resources in Finland, birch trees grow tall very quickly and mature to create a very close-grained, strong wood. The key to making this material work on a large scale of production was the iconic L-leg system developed by Aalto and furniture maker (and fellow Finn) Otto Korhonen. Aalto described the system as "little sister of the architectural column" and it went on to become the foundation of the Artek collection.

What appears incredibly simple is in fact, a groundbreaking piece of engineering. The raw birchwood is first softened by soaking, at which point multiple cuts are made in the timber, the direction of the wood fibres. The deeper the cut, the larger the bend in the wood. Pieces of veneer are then glued and inserted into the cuts before being heated and bent into shape.

Where are Artek's Stool 60s produced today?

Stool 60, as well as the rest of Artek's bentwood designs are produced at the Artek A-Factory in Turku, Finland. The factory was actually founded by Otto Korhonen who helped develop the very process by which the chair is made.

Is the Stool 60 production sustainable?

For over 80 years, Artek has manufactured products responsibly from natural and renewable materials, creating timeless designs that are easy to maintain, repair, and repurpose. In 2021 they won the first ever German Sustainability Award for Design.

When it comes to the Stool 60, everything is rooted in sustainability. The FSC-certified birch used grows abundantly in Finland, and no tree is harvested until it reaches the age of 50 (often not until 60 or 70). Once felled, the timber is stored and seasoned outside for a period of 6 months to a year before being transported to the factory to be used in production. This traditional method helps maintain the light colour of the birchwood, but it also requires no energy.

With very few components, the stools are flat-packed which makes delivery both economical and ecological, further helping with its sustainability credentials.

From design to development, there Artek Stool 60 is created to last a lifetime (many lifetimes in fact). Artek believe in this so much that each stool purchased from a licensed retailer (like us) comes with a lifetime warranty.

How does the Artek Stool 60 differ from the IKEA Frosta?

Successful designs always inspire imitations, and when it comes to the IKEA Frosta stool, it's clear to see that the Stool 60 was the inspiration. However, the differences between the two stools far outweigh the similarities.

Although at first glance, the two stools might seem to have a shared silhouette, this is where the similarities end. On closer inspection it is clear that the seat is deeper on the stool 60, and that the Frosta seat is made from a single piece of plywood instead of plywood-faced solid birch. The legs on IKEA's stool are also made from bent plywood, rather than solid birch.

Whether you believe the Stool 60 is "worth" the difference in price is subjective but what you do get for your money is a product that is made better, from better materials, and a piece of design history.

You can shop of the official Artek Stool 60 here at Utility today.

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