What will it actually take for us to start giving our children a piece of Norwegian design furniture as a gift?

In Denmark, it goes without saying. When children move out, they’re often given a piece of design furniture—a chair, a lamp, or a table—as a gift and a symbol of roots, quality, and aesthetics. For Danes, design is part of their national identity. A cultural heritage they carry forward.

In Norway, we have a similar heritage. We just don’t talk about it as much.

Amidst mountains and fjords, in a small industrial nation that rose from the ashes of war, a design expression emerged—modern, functional, and beautiful. This is the legacy we at Matre want to bring back to light. A Norwegian design tradition worth being proud of—and worth passing on.

Let’s go back to the 1950s and 60s—a time now referred to as the golden age of Norwegian design. Norwegian designers made their mark on the world stage. They won awards at the Milan Triennale and exhibited at world fairs. Names like Grete Prytz Kittelsen, Tias Eckhoff, Sigurd Resell, and Fredrik A. Kayser became synonymous with modernism and innovation.

The design language was defined by clean lines, functionality, and natural materials—an aesthetic that spoke the same language as the surrounding landscape. For Norwegians rebuilding their homes in the post-war era, Norwegian design became a symbol of the future, of order, and of pride.

Owning a piece of Norwegian design furniture was, quite simply, to be part of something bigger.

It didn’t happen overnight. But slowly, almost imperceptibly, Norwegian design slipped out of our collective consciousness. In the 1970s and 80s, imports became cheaper, IKEA moved into our living rooms, and price began to outweigh quality. At the same time, Norway lacked what Denmark had: a deliberate national strategy to build pride around its own design language.

While Danish design was championed by both state and industry as part of the national identity, the Norwegian heritage was left to gather dust in drawers. The production communities became fragmented, the factories fell silent, and the collaboration between designers and craftspeople faded.

We stopped telling the story-
and so we stopped remembering it.

But we live in a new era. A time marked by a search for the genuine, the local, and the sustainable. A time when many want more than just flat-packed solutions.

Perhaps it is precisely now that we have the opportunity to create a new golden age—where Norwegian design can once again flourish. Where we not only produce in Norway but also build pride and awareness around our own cultural heritage.

Two of the most prominent voices from Norway’s golden age of design were Sigurd Resell and Fredrik A. Kayser. Both created furniture that is now considered classic—and both worked closely with Norwegian manufacturers like Vatne Møbler, which still produces these pieces in the same factory and with the same craftsmanship tradition.

Among them is Resell’s Tube chair—an iconic piece with a floating backrest and a sleek modernist expression. Not only an aesthetic gem, it is also part of the National Museum’s collection, underscoring its significance in our shared history.

At Matre, we want to make these classics accessible once again—not just for collectors or museums, but for everyone. We want to help Norwegian design become a part of our lives once more. A gift we pass on. A story we build the future on.

Read more about Sigurd Resell and Fredrik A. Kayser here.