7 QUESTIONS FOR OOT-OOT STUDIO
OOT-OOT Studio designers Marko Ala and Joonas Torim. In the background, the NORD bed.
1. What led you to found OOT-OOT Studio?
Before OOT-OOT Studio, we restored Scandinavian furniture from the 1950s and 60s. That is where the realisation that started it all was born: thoughtful, beautiful designer pieces live several lives – restoration is time-consuming and expensive, but when a product is truly good, people want to keep using it in the future. Nobody restores anonymous particleboard furniture – it simply ends up at the waste station.
And so the wish grew to create furniture that is worth restoring years later, not throwing away.
2. Which values are important to you in your work? And how important is sustainability in your company?
The cornerstones of our design are quality materials, thoughtful design and ergonomics. For us, ergonomics is a science, not an add-on: people’s sitting habits differ – some prefer a firm sofa with good back support, others the softest possible couch – which is why our models deliberately have different characteristics.
For us, sustainability starts with durability, not with a label. The longer a product lasts, the less often it needs to be replaced – saving energy, materials and time. We believe that one of the most important parts of more sustainable consumption is using products for longer. In practice, this means our sofa frames are made of metal or high-quality solid wood and birch plywood, not particleboard. We use metal springs and HR foam, which last considerably longer than cheaper alternatives.
OOT-OOT Studio designer Joonas Torim.
3. What role does being local play in your design solutions?
Our entire furniture collection is designed and made in Estonia – design, engineering, prototyping and production all happen in close cooperation with partners across the country. Working locally gives us the best control over the product development process. Besides, Estonia is so small that the designer, the carpenter, the upholsterer and the customer can all be visited in a single day. That means a short feedback loop and very little room for bluffing – if something doesn’t last, you’ll hear about it from your neighbour. The result is design that is understated rather than overstated: quiet, honest and well made.
4. Which piece of furniture or project are you particularly proud of?
For the VOOG armchair, we made almost fifty prototypes before arriving at the perfect form and design; the whole product development took a year and a half. Its frame is constructed from metal and produced using moulding technology – an extremely durable technique that is also used to make aircraft and train seats. Among our newer designs, the BOHO and CAVA series hold a special place in our hearts, and they have also become our customers’ favourites.
OOT-OOT Studio showroom in Noblessner, Tallinn.
5. What does good design mean to you?
Good design looks beautiful and is at the same time functional, comfortable and, of course, ergonomic. Good design is the kind that people want to reupholster years later, not replace. Proportions are very important to us – more often than not, the difference between a good form and a great one is just a few millimetres.
6. What do you want to convey to people through your products?
Calm and permanence. A home shouldn’t be a project you have to start over every five years. We want people to buy a sofa once, the right way – and then simply live. We also want quality design to reach as many homes as possible. By designing smartly and running the company efficiently, we can offer quality design at an accessible price.
7. What story about OOT-OOT Studio does almost nobody know, but should be told?
We haven’t yet had the chance to share more widely one of the most important events for us: our very first sofa, COSMO, was added to the collection of the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design. For us, this is a great recognition and at the same time a responsibility – to create, maintain and carry forward the good reputation of Estonian design!
OOT-OOT Studio designers Marko Ala and Joonas Torim with VOOG armchairs.
