News

Design from A to Z with our Scandinavian designers

At Vestre, we believe great design should be accessible to everyone. This is why we consistently collaborate with designers across all aspects of our operations, including product creation, stand design, product catalogues, and our factories. Read on to discover the story of how our designer partnerships started and to peek behind the scenes as renowned Scandinavian designers give form to our best-selling BLOC and the distinctive MUNCH furniture series.

Vestre awarded Export Award 2023 by the Federation of Norwegian Industries

Over the past six years, we have quadrupled our exports, reaching no less than 70% last year. On Wednesday 26 April, Vestre was awarded the Export Award at the 2023 Design Industry Conference.

New Vestre CEO

Vestre AS has appointed Bjørn Fjellstad (42) as its new CEO. He sees great potential in increasing the export of sustainable and innovative Norwegian design. Vestre also has exciting environmental news.

Vestre AS voted brand of the year by German Design Council

The German design award Iconic Award 2023 in the category “Brand of the year” will be officially handed over at a ceremony and design exhibition in Cologne on 3 June later this year.

Vestre to be the first furniture manufacturer to use SSAB’s fossil-free steel

Steel is one of society’s most important materials, but unfortunately is also one of the biggest sources of carbon dioxide emissions. The Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB wants to change this by using technology that replaces coal and coke with hydrogen in the production process. Vestre will be the first furniture manufacturer in the world to use this fossil-free steel in its production.

The Plus Receives the DOGA Award

Vestre’s furniture factory at Magnor receives the DOGA Award for Design and Architecture for its refreshing contrast to traditional production facilities. The Plus—the world's most environmentally friendly furniture factory—is the largest single investment in the Norwegian furniture industry for several decades. Since the official opening last June, over 2000 visitors have attended our factory tour.

Catalogue 2023

This year’s catalogue is out!

Meet HILL – designed by Morten & Jonas

The HILL waste bin is as functional as it is aesthetically attractive. It is our latest contribution to a cleaner urban environment and our first partnership with the design duo Morten & Jonas.

Meet YPSILON – designed by Daniel Rybakken

One of the new products Vestre launches this February is the YPSILON bench, designed by Norwegian designer Daniel Rybakken.

Who has contributed to building the world's most environmentally friendly furniture factory, The Plus?

Our objective has been to create a smart, unique and transparent furniture factory, and thereby help raise the level of interest in design, industry, technology and sustainable production. We wanted to show that it is possible to build a ground-breaking industrial project, while at the same time creating green, profitable jobs, in a high-cost country like Norway.

The KINN family is growing

Vestre recently introduced the KINN lounge chair, designed by Anderssen & Voll. The lounge chair was displayed for the first time during Milan Design Week 2022, as part of the Norwegian Presence design exhibition, where it was also joined by new chairs and tables from the KINN family.

We are now officially opening The Plus—the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory

After less than 18 months of construction, we are opening the doors to the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory. The Plus is the largest investment in the Norwegian furniture industry for decades. The factory will be a global showcase for sustainability and highly efficient manufacturing. With this, the town of Magnor on the Swedish border has gained both a factory and a tourist attraction.

Farm for the Future Tanzania – for sustainability

At Vestre, we give 10% of our annual profit to global initiatives that support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this series, you can follow our 10% to see how it contributes to making the world a better place. We hope that this will inspire more companies to do the same.

Expanding our STOOP series, by Julien De Smedt

The Belgian designer and architect Julien De Smedt designed STOOP as a social and informal meeting place based on the universal idea of using steps as places to sit. Now, we welcome the STOOP mini bench and STOOP picnic table to the series—additions that open up the possibility of even more interactions and applications.

BRISKEBY by Andreas Engesvik – the design and materials

We have a new member of the Vestre furniture family—the BRISKEBY bench designed by Andreas Engesvik. With its impressive length—3 metres—BRISKEBY will be the longest bench in our range. It has a timeless Scandinavian expression and regardless of which environment it is placed in, it contributes to a generous and social meeting place with room for many.

Rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean – for sustainability

At Vestre, we give 10 % of our annual profit to global initiatives that support the UN’s sustainable development goals. If more businesses followed suit, in Norway alone we could match the Norwegian aid budget. Not just once, but twice. That says something about what we could achieve on a global basis.

Vestre’s accessories: from games to LED lighting

Did you know that Vestre offers a range of accessories for our furniture? Whether you want to illuminate meeting places at night, create a playful atmosphere with games, or offer charging options for people on the move, we have the solutions.

The wood we use: Characteristics and areas of use

The choice of materials is a vital factor in ensuring that products are durable and can last for decade after decade. At Vestre, we use timber from one of the world’s most sustainable forestry sectors. Learn more about the properties of the different types of wood we use, and their recommended areas of use.

Vestre enters an exciting new phase

Jan Christian Vestre has led Vestre through a period of rapid growth and pioneering projects ever since he took over as CEO in 2012. Today, Jan Christian is starting a new role as a minister and more specifically as Norway’s new Minister of Trade and Industry, and this will inevitably involve some changes for Vestre.

A simple guide to anchoring: Choosing the right solution for your project

We often get asked about different anchoring methods and what solutions are most suitable. The slightly boring answer is that there are no simple solutions. Choosing the right type of anchoring depends entirely on what the area will be used for, the type of base on which the furniture will stand and, last but not least, the nature of the ground underneath. We have therefore put together a simple guide below to help you make the best choices for your project.

Helping landscape architects to reduce their climate footprint

If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it. This is the motto behind our investments in making the climate footprint of all our furniture visible. Earlier this year, we became the first furniture manufacturer to label its entire product catalogue with EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations), to show the climate footprint of our products in the same transparent way as food producers declare the nutritional content of their food products. We are now continuing to break new ground – once again as the first furniture manufacturer – by integrating our products in Pathfinder. This is a tool which helps landscape architects to reduce carbon footprints and increase sequestration in their projects.

Rethinking, reusing and reinventing stand design

At last year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair, Vestre was awarded “Best Stand” for our commitment to sustainability and our reusable stand design. The stand was designed by the Swedish Note Design Studio. This year, we repeated our success with them at Milan Design Week, while of course reusing materials from last year’s stand.

Vestre Habitats

Design: Arde and Rethink Studio.

The right to roam and democratic design

The right to roam has a long history in Norwegian and Scandinavian outdoor life, yet it has also laid the foundations for urban development. At Vestre, it is a given that urban spaces belong to everyone, and this mindset is gaining increasing international attention.

World Oceans Day, Sustainable Development Goal 12 and furniture design from marine plastic

Ever since 8 June 2008, the UN has held an annual event to honour the world’s oceans and to spread knowledge of the impact that humans have on our oceans. Vestre's contribution to safeguarding and celebrating the world’s oceans is the design bench COAST – the world’s first bench made from ‘ownerless’ marine plastic. The marine plastic we use is a material that can only be leased.

When comparing products, consider more than just price

When buying something new, it can be tempting to choose the cheapest option. But if we are to make better choices and move away from the consumerism that dominates today’s society, we need a shift of focus. Not away from price, but a change in how we look at it. More conscious choices will actually help improve both your finances and the environment.

Outdoor offices – a breath of fresh air in everyday life

Demand for outdoor office solutions is on the up, and more and more people are spending part of their working day outside the four walls of their office. Taking work outside has clear advantages – and it’s easy to achieve!

Introducing PLINTH - furniture for urban communities and meetings

In 2020 Vestre won the award for “Best Stand” at the Stockholm Furniture Fair due to our sustainable stand design made by Note Design Studio. Now, we have expanded our collaboration in the form of PLINTH – a furniture collection designed to encourage meetings in public outdoor spaces.

Vestre’s Munch series wins the DOGA award for Design and Architecture 2021

Vestre recently won the prestigious DOGA award for our Munch furniture series. The series is designed by Andreas Engesvik and Jonas Stokke for the new Munch museum in Oslo and is one of our 2021 product news.

Caring meeting places with Nordic Swan Ecolabel products

There are many choices to be made when planning a project - and furniture is one of them. Many want to make good and environmentally-conscious choices, with high quality products that will last for decades. However, it can be challenging to know which furniture best meets one's demands. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel can make this process simpler.

Expanding our popular April GO series with a lounge chair

April GO is one of Vestre’s most iconic and appreciated series - not least through its presence as a caring meeting place in Times Square in New York. We are now expanding the series with the comfortable April Go Lounge Chair.

Welcome to Vestre Venue and our Let’s Meet event on 24 March 2021

Let’s meet! You are hereby invited to our new digital meeting place – Vestre Venue.

The growing importance of EPDs. Why it matters and how you use them.

When you want to know how your purchases affect the environment, EPDs is a trustworthy, understandable, and comparable way to see a product's impact. This article explains what EPDs are, how they will enable better choices for the environment, and how you can use them to protect specifications.

New Year, New Office – Vestre Expands to Los Angeles

2020 put a strain on us all. For many, public spaces, parks, and local neighborhoods became a second home. Once taken for granted, these spaces showed their importance for everyday wellbeing.

The good, the bad and the future

2020 has been a year we are grateful for, despite the pandemic. Or maybe we are even more thankful just because of it. We want to take you through our past year, with all its ups and downs because there’s something to be learned from it all.

Magnor on the world map as a tourist destination for culture and sustainability

The next generation furniture factory is coming to Magnor. When The Plus opens in 2021, we will be able to deliver more, and faster, in an environmentally friendly and efficient way unlike anything that has gone before. The factory, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, propels Vestre leaps and bounds into the future. A rising tide lifts every boat, and the local area is coming along for the ride. Magnor is being put on the world map.

Darren Saines has elevated this rehabilitation centre’s garden from odd shrubs and a table tennis table to a colourful oasis for tranquillity and pleasant conversation

In 2016, CatoSenteret got the garden it had been dreaming of, with beautiful plants, lighting and furniture from Vestre. It has become not only an outside space for great conversation, a place to withdraw to and find peace, but also a valuable addition to indoor treatment. One of Norway's best-known garden designers, Darren Saines, is the brains behind the project. In this article, you can read about the ideas and visions behind the inclusive and colourful outside space.

We need a plan for mainland industry – as soon as possible

Vestre is creating green jobs with space for everyone, and through The Plus, we are now set to create even more

The primary purpose of Vestre is not simply to produce furniture. We create caring meeting places, where people can come together across social, cultural and financial divides. In this way, we help to make the world a slightly better place; in this way, we create meaningful jobs.

How the UN's Sustainable Development Goals could determine the quality of life for centuries to come

The way we are living on Earth has sent it into decline. In less than a lifetime, we have radically remade the planet. And amid the current coronavirus pandemic, many wonder when we will be able to return to 'normal.' As it turns out, nothing could be worse than returning to normality.

The world´s first bench made from ownerless marine plastic

How to compete globally from Scandinavia

An essential reason for building The Plus is to prove that it is possible to compete globally from Scandinavia. Manufacturing in high-cost countries means we must work smarter and more efficiently than our competitors. But it is possible, and Vestre aims to prove it.

Construction of the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory has started

On Friday, 25 September, we started building the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory. Named The Plus, the factory is located in the town Magnor, in eastern Norway, and will be the largest single investment in the Norwegian furniture industry for decades. The Plus has been designed by the world-famous firm of architects BIG Bjarke Ingels Group, and will serve as a global showcase for outstanding architecture and high-efficiency industrial production.

Democratic meeting places: How sharing stories can bring us closer together

The International Day of Democracy is a yearly opportunity to review democracy in our country, cities and neighborhoods. International days such as this are occasions to address global problems and to celebrate achievements.

How do you build the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory?

In June we launched our plans for building the hypermodern factory; The Plus. But The Plus is so much more than that. We actually have five goals for the project, you might call it our manifesto: The first goal being that we will build the most environmentally furniture factory in the world.

The city of the future and World Population Day

Our population is growing, and along with it, urbanization is picking up pace. 70% of us are estimated to live in cities by 2050. In 1989, the UN made the 11th of July a day for the billions of us living here. World Population Day is an opportunity to pause, a day to consider our direction, responsibilities, and actions. It is a day to rethink, redesign, and redefine our future. What would a future with inclusive communities in sustainable cities on a healthy planet look like?

Vestre plans to build the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory in Norway

Vestre is proud to present its latest project, The Plus. We plan to build the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory at Magnor in Norway. This is the largest single investment in the Norwegian furniture industry for decades. The factory, which has been designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the world-famous Danish firm of architects, will be a global showcase for sustainable and highly efficient production.

Our Vision Zero: Furniture with ever-lasting life. Even for discontinued models.

Vestre has a Vision Zero. According to this vision, we will not produce a single product which cannot last for ever. This is also how we are fighting the throwaway society, one piece of furniture at a time. Through good design, critical material selection, advanced surface treatment and a little maintenance every now and again, ever-lasting furniture is in fact very much an achievable aim. We also supply spare parts without any time limits – if we do not have them in stock, we will make them for you.

Edible and easy-care planter favourites for landscape gardeners

Summer is here and many people are asking us about planters. We have consulted Sigurd Boasson from Svein Boasson AS to help you choose plants which people will appreciate and are easy to grow. Sigurd is a landscape gardener specialising in using planters to create attractive outdoor spaces.

To us it’s still business as usual

So much is changing but some things stay the same, at Vestre our business and our mission remain focused on bringing people together with care. Let us give you a quick update on what we’re still doing.

Vestre’s three proposals to the government for getting the economy back up to speed after Covid-19

In May, Norway’s Minister of Finance Jan Tore Sanner and Minister of Trade and Industry Iselin Nybø invited ten business leaders to a meeting to get their ideas on the Norwegian economy after the coronavirus pandemic. Vestre’s CEO Jan Christian Vestre was among those invited. He presented three specific proposals that could quickly stimulate demand, increase investment in mainland Norway and boost exports. Norway is not the only country to experience major economic challenges as a result of the pandemic, so Vestre’s proposals are also relevant for other countries’ governments. The proposals are presented below.

Smart City Bins

For far too long bins have been emptied without even being half-filled, costing both you and the planet more resources than necessary. Norrsidans and Vestre have now done something about this. We are launching a thoroughly tested, user friendly system that can be pre-installed with your new Vestre bin or even implemented into existing ones, saving you both time and money.

Earth Day – every day

Earth Day happens every year on April 22 and this year for the 50th time. Earth Day is a way to shed light on the biggest challenge to the future of humanity – climate change. We are going to use this Earth Day to tell you some of what we do to meet our climate crisis, while at the same time emphasizing that it is ours. It is everyone’s, and it requires a shared responsibility and a joint effort – and not just a days’ effort, a lifetime one.

From marine plastic waste to high-end products

Vestre wrote earlier about the project “From Beach to Boardroom”, which has also received support from the Norwegian Retailer’s Environment Fund. We can now follow up the story with some great news. The project has become a fully-fledged company called “Ogoori”. Ogoori will work to clean up a half-century of plastic waste floating in the ocean.

"Best stand" at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020

At this years’ Stockholm Furniture Fair, Vestre won the honorable award for Best Stand for our sustainable stand design. The exhibition, which was designed by Note Design Studio, reflected our commitment to sustainability, and all materials in the stand were carefully selected for the ease of recycling or reuse.

This year's new products

At the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020 we will be presenting this year's new products. There will be some completely new series, and some additions to series that have been seen before. What they all have in common is that through their attractive design they will help to make sustainable, sociable meeting places for users round the world.

Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020

We are super excited for the upcoming Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020. Vestre will be there 4-8th of February at hall A06, stand 13. Come by for a look at some of our new products, a copy of our 2020 catalogue and a cup of coffee. See you there!

Vestre featured in Forbes

In a great piece by Forbes on the art of sustainable development and how to use it as a competitive advantage, they use Vestre as a case study: «Vestre are leading the industry with their positive example in rethinking their approach to business.» We proudly encourage everyone with an interest in the field of sustainability to read the article below.

BIM and climate change

Leading carbon reduction with BIM

We will make materials and products from ownerless marine plastic

Furniture manufacturers Ope and Vestre are joining with SINTEF in research and development of materials and products from ownerless marine plastic waste.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year

Team Vestre, headed by Jan Christian Vestre, has been nominated as the Norwegian Entrepreneur of the Year in the world’s greatest contest for promoters of growth.

Vestre launches new website

Vestre has launched a new and improved website, designed to simplify your working day as a landscape architect, landscape gardener, contractor, etc. The new website includes BIM, multiple download formats and 3D models that let you see the desired product in the given timber and colour. The website was designed by Snøhetta, the renowned architect firm, in collaboration with Værsågod and Bimbear.

From beach to boardroom

With increasing producer responsibility, less plastic is going astray. Ope, IVAR and Vestre have jointly established the project From beach to boardroom as a tangible measure on the part of the business community to address the challenges associated with plastic in nature.

“Peace bench” as a symbol of diplomacy and dialogue to be unveiled at UN headquarters

Following a commission to design a “tool for dialogue,” design firm Snøhetta, aluminum supplier Hydro and Vestre have joined forces to create a “peace bench” for the Nobel Peace Center, titled The Best Weapon. To be unveiled at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on Nelson Mandela Day, July 18th.

No future for companies that do not take responsibility for their surroundings

The pilot project “The Maintenance Team” has emerged as a direct result of the collaboration with the Church City Mission. The project is a further development of the Church City Mission's work-offer for people without access to ordinary working life.