From slatted base to designer piece: ADA and “snorre” enter into a sustainable partnership
What happens when a traditional upholstered furniture manufacturer meets an innovative start-up? The answer: a sustainable collaboration. Thanks to the Viennese start-up Studiolo, ADA slatted bases that no longer meet our high internal quality standards due to minor visual flaws are now being transformed into designer pieces under the “snorre” brand. A promising partnership for a greener future.
Every piece of furniture is subjected to highly stringent checks before it leaves our factory. And that’s how it should be. Because even with the greatest care, small defects can still creep in from time to time. What should happen to these products? Throw them away? On the contrary! We firmly believe that every piece of furniture deserves a second chance. And with our slatted bases, we have proven that solutions for this can be quite creative.
A valuable contribution to the circular economy
This is where “snorre” comes in. “snorre” is the brand of the Viennese start-up Studiolo, which was founded by the two visionaries Maximilian Klammer and Thomas Maurer. They have made it their mission to transform discarded slatted bases into unique designer objects. “In snorre, we have found an ideal partner who shares our sustainable approach. We use discarded slatted bases to create unique table designs and plant stands. In so doing, we are simultaneously extending the life cycle of the materials and thereby conserving valuable resources”, says ADA spokesperson and CMO Margot Wisiak.
Creative upcycling as a sustainable statement
Photos: (c) Valentina Ilazi, Stefan Fürtbauer
How does this transformation work? We deliver around 1,000 unsaleable individual slats to the Viennese start-up each quarter. Then, in collaboration with social organisations, things get creative: with precise craftsmanship and fine attention to detail, they connect exactly 18 slats together. Whether in the form of a coffee table, high table or plant stand – each “snorre” creation tells its own story. “Because we don’t change anything about the wooden slats and get slatted bases in many different colours and widths, all the models are unique”, explains Thomas Maurer. “Upcycling tends to have an ‘arts and crafts’ image. But our vision is to establish upcycling as a statement and to promote the careful use of resources in the design sector, too”, adds Maximilian Klammer.
The joint initiative between us and “snorre” shows how the circular economy can work in today’s society: instead of wasting resources, we turn to creative solutions and transform rejects into design treasures. A win-win situation for the environment and for all design fans.