An Icon Revisited: Varier Introduces Ekstrem.

Chances are you’ve seen Ekstrem before. Conceived for the first time in 1984, the Ekstrem with its unexpected geometry is not just a chair but easily a standalone object — and an 80’s throwback we can get behind.

Consisting of a steel frame covered in soft foam and woollen knit upholstery, the piece, designed by Terje Ekstrøm, represents one of Norway’s first postmodern designs. With its playful expression and organic shape, Ekstrem is not only an eye-catching item of furniture but a chair that speaks true to functional design and modern, flexible ways of living.

This March, Ekstrem is coming home. Oslo based furniture company Varier reintroduces it for a new audience with Ekstrem in Gentle 2. With six new colourways in a lush knitted velvet from Kvatdrat Febrik, the Norwegian design was revisited, having remained almost unchanged since it was launched in 1984.

With a new upholstery technique, the chair consists of 28 separate pieces of fabric, sewn together and manually fitted to the chair. Gentle 2 is designed and produced by Kvadart Febrik and is the only textile of its kind. The knitted stretch velvet has a voluminous expression, featuring a rich surface with an elegant shine. With its excellent stretchability, the fabric clings to curves in a particularly elegant way; ideal for upholstering organic shapes, making Ekstrem an ideal candidate. The return brings with it a sitting experience that can only be described as out of the ordinary.

Related: Jan Ekselius’ 70s Design Icon Etcetera Resumes Production.

[Images courtesy of Varier. Photography: Teitur Ardal. Set design: Fatima Fransson. Stylist: Liselotte Bramstång.]