Ola Rune QA

An Interview with Ola Rune of Claesson Koivisto Rune—on Clip, curiousity, and why life is too short for bad restaurants

HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THE CHAIR’S SIGNATURE “CLIP” DESIGN?

We gave it the clip not only as part of its identity, but also to hold the fabric in the chair back, like a clip holding back hair. There’s an angle change halfway up the back that makes it quite difficult to upholster. By having the clip to hold the fabric in place, we don’t need to add zippers as you normally would on a chair like this. When we came up with the idea, we quickly saw the strength of it, because it has a very strong image from the back of the chair. That’s normally how you see Clip when it rests around the table. So, the function actually becomes a very interesting feature for the chair.

HOW DOES ARCHITECTURE INFLUENCE YOUR STUDIO'S WORK?

We started as an architectural studio. A few years in we realized there were a certain number of designs we couldn’t find. So, we started doing them ourselves and began to investigate what we needed in our projects. We believe that furniture gives a room character. It’s not only that we want to design something elegant. Furniture has to work within the space. As a designer, I think that is quite different to always think about the space that we put our pieces in.

WITH THREE PRINCIPALS, HOW DO YOU WORK COLLECTIVELY AS A STUDIO?

One of us takes the lead throughout the whole process. And that doesn’t mean that the other two are not involved with the project. It’s the opposite. I’m responsible for Clip, but Mårten and Eero have been following every step that we take. Every decision we make, we do it with a mutual agreement. So even though I run the project, it doesn’t mean that I’m the solitary designer. We did it together, and in addition, we remain together.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT TOOL FOR DESIGNING?

I think curiosity and time are very important. You always have to be curious enough to look outside of your comfort zone. You have to be brave to do things that you don’t feel comfortable with. And then there’s time. If you have time you are able to be clearer about the idea you want to show in a new design. Sometimes you lose a little bit of maturity in the design if you do it quickly.

WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF DESIGN ADVICE YOU'VE RECEIVED?

One of Mårten and Eero’s teachers at Parsons in New York said that “life is too short for bad restaurants.” It means that you should be aware of everything around you; that you should think more about what you have in your home, what you eat, and what you wear. Don’t take anything for granted. Just think a little bit more, and you’ll be proud and happy with your life.