Kelp Chair is a chair designed by Alexander Westerlund in 2021 and developed with Interesting Times Gang. Made from recycled fishing net plastic and wood fibre using large-scale 3D printing, the chair was originally designed for Black Milk Gastro Bar in Stockholm, Sweden. The chair is part of the collections of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, and won a German Design Award in 2024.
Design The chair originated as a design for Black Milk Gastro Bar, a Stockholm restaurant project by chefs Niclas Jönsson and Daniel Höglander. The chair is made from recycled fishing-net plastic and wood fibre and formed through large-scale 3D printing. The fishing nets are from Scandinavian waters, and the chair's material includes bio-based composite. The chair is 84 cm × 40 cm × 50 cm (33 in × 16 in × 20 in) and weighs approximately 10 kg (22 lb). The chair's curved form references kelp and other marine vegetation. Westerlund told Lianhe Zaobao that the shape was based on the movement of kelp in water. The chair's curved form contributes to its structural strength. The chair's material can be ground down and reused in later production.
Awards and recognition In 2022, House & Garden included the Kelp Chair in its Design 100 list. The chair received a German Design Award in 2024. In 2025, an essay in the peer-reviewed ZoneModa Journal cited the Kelp Chair in a discussion of sustainable design and Green Good Design Award recipients.
Collections The Kelp Chair is represented in the collections of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, Sweden.
References
