Scandinavian Design Furniture Staples from Skagerak
Scandinavian stools, benches, sideboards, consoles, side tables, and trays from Skagerak
For over 40 years, Skagerak has crafted long-lasting Scandinavian design furniture with a modern Nordic DNA.
When Skagerak says long-lasting, they mean it. Just ask anyone who has invested in Skagerak furniture––it’s built to survive through generations, accumulating stories and aging gracefully alongside you.
You can trust that each and every Skagerak piece is developed with sincere craftsmanship, environmental considerations, and a universal aesthetic, which perfectly encompasses the Scandinavian design philosophy.
We’re going to walk through design staples from Skagerak that are essential in any modern Scandinavian home, with plenty of choices based on your personal taste.
Skagerak Stools
Scandinavian wood stools can serve many purposes in a Scandinavian home: use them as an extra seat, a plant stand, a step up to access hard-to-reach places, or a side table. Skagerak knows how to make good stools.
The Georg Jubilee Stool is part of the bestselling Georg collection, which is celebrated for its combination of Nordic sensuality and Japanese minimalism. Made with 100% ethically grown FSC-Certified Oak, the Georg Jubilee Stool is characterized by slender wooden poles with carefully rounded edges. The soft woolen cushion is kept in place by a braided leather strap, resulting in a lovely combination of materials and textures. Skagerak chose to work with wool since it’s a natural material with sublime comfort while also being naturally dirt resistant.
The minimal design of the Cutter Stool provides an endless array of uses: add a tray to use it as a side table, place it in a bathroom for a comfortable seat, or any other arrangement that works for your space. The Cutter Stool comes in oak or teak wood, making it a great option for covered outdoor spaces, too. Add the Large Cutter Box underneath to maximize storage for shoes, linens, toys, or anything else you need to stow away.
The Nomad Stool is Skagerak’s minimalistic interpretation of the classic Scandinavian three-legged stool. Made with untreated FSC certified oak, this stool design embraces the Nordic “less is more” mantra. This stool is conveniently stackable, too!
The Fionia Stool is one of Skagerak’s first stools, introduced in 1986. Consider it their modern and Nordic interpretation of the ancient X-chair. The simple triangular shape enables you to fold it and store it out of the way whenever you’re not using it. Thanks to Skagerak’s careful craftsmanship, it remains a perfectly stable surface that can be used as an elegant stand for books, pots, flowers, or design objects.
The Noboru Step Ladder draws inspiration from the American Shaker movement which values simplicity, efficiency, and quality work. The word Noboru means 'to climb' in Japanese, which illustrates how this step ladder has a lower step that can slide in to take up less space, serving as a compact stool or side table.
"We felt that the more domestic this piece felt, the more naturally it would fit into the home and serve as a convincing side table. Step stools tend to have a tool-like feel, which we like and is interesting, but we wanted to work against that," explains Jonathan Sabine, who collaborated with Skagerak on the design.
The Vent Stool has an interesting backstory. It was initially designed to be used as seating in museum halls while observing artwork. Vent is Danish for ‘wait,’ which illustrates the simple purpose of this stool. Made with a braided paper cord and a black steel frame, the Vent Stool's seat is handmade in collaboration with a company called ‘Blindes Arbejde’ which employs visually impaired people through manufacturing traditional, handcrafted designs like this beautiful stool.
Skagerak Benches
From dining room to entryway seating, a quality Scandinavian-inspired bench will last for generations. Here are a few of our favorites from Skagerak.
Skagerak’s Maissi Bench looked to handrails from old stairs and industrial machinery to craft the smooth rails on the single-arm and back. Its narrow style and effortlessly clean cuts make it the perfect seating option in a hallway or living room. We featured the Maissi Bench in our round-up of entryway furniture ideas.
“The idea behind the Cutter Bench is the coherent progression of the frame and the stringent repetition of the slats,” explains Niels Hvass. It’s truly a furniture minimalist’s dream. We love the Cutter collection so much, we did a whole blog post dedicated to it.
Experience the superior craftsmanship of the Vent Stool with room for two with the Vent Bench. Place it in a hallway, an entryway, or at the foot of a bed.
Have a seat on Georg Bench and experience the exquisite meeting between Nordic sensuality and Japanese minimalism. Each bench comes with a woolen cushion supported by two braided leather straps that neatly keep the pillow in place and add a thoughtful little detail to the design. It comes in both oak and black oak!
Skagerak Sideboards and Console Tables
Sideboards and console tables always come in handy.
Shown here is the Jut Cabinet with a Black Marble Top. We love the simplistic design that favors function and quality over fashion. We’re swooning over its gorgeous yet minimal brass handles. Take a look at the Jut Cabinet if you favor a natural wood top instead of black marble.
If you’re like us and you can’t get enough of the Georg collection, then you’ll love the Georg Console Table. This minimalist console table design is ready to lean up against a wall in a compact entryway and can also be used as a workspace!
Skagerak Side Tables
A side table is a staple in a Scandinavian home. Whether you use it as a bedside table or an end table in a living room, a Scandinavian side table is ready to be styled and restyled for years to come.
The Building Table is true to its name. With two different sizes, you can combine and ‘build’ these tables in various creative ways, taking advantage of the table’s gorgeous geometric lines. The beauty of these pieces is that they can work well together or standalone. Build them to your liking!
The By Your Side Table can always remain by your side. The smart and lightweight aluminum table can easily be moved around, indoors or outdoors. Remove the tray for breakfast in bed or supper outdoors!
Does the Georg Side Table look familiar to you? That’s because Skagerak noticed how many people were removing the cushion from the Georg Stool to use it as a side table. Despite the minimal design, it doesn’t skimp on details, and we simply adore it! We love it so much we included it in our list of 10 Danish-inspired side tables.
Skagerak Trays
Scandinavian design is all about objects that serve a purpose, and you can never have too many trays. Trays make it easy to organize all types of household items while adding warmth and beauty to your home.
The Fionia Tray has been well-loved ever since it was first introduced over 30 years ago. We love the timeless design of this modern and rectangular oak tray that can be used in countless many ways: style it on a bedside table, on a bench at the base of a bed, or with appetizers or drinks while entertaining.
Made with natural materials and featuring a simple rectangular form the Norr Tray's tactile leather grip makes it easy to carry – perfect for servings in bed, on the balcony, or around the fireplace. As time passes, the oak and leather will patinate beautifully, too.
Meet Japanese minimalism in a tray. The No.10 Tray is beautiful, simple, and practical. Inspired by original Japanese banjyu trays, which transport and serve the traditional confection manju, the tray’s name is a play on words based on the pronunciation of ban and jyu. The stackable tray comes in three different sizes, perfect for serving tea, presenting food, or organizing little trinkets
The Nomad Tray is a rectangular wooden tray intended for small servings of food or for adding structure in bathrooms, vanities, entryway tables, desktops, or shelves for small items like office supplies, toiletries, jewelry, and other bits and bobs.
Discover more Scandinavian staples with the complete Skagerak collection.
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Batten Home carefully curates Scandinavian furniture designs and minimalist decor objects for the modern home. We are inspired by a Scandinavian aesthetic and Danish design philosophies with a new modern design feel we like to call new Nordic design.
Have any questions for us? We’re family-owned and independently operated, and we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at hello@battenhome.co or find more inspiration on Pinterest.