Founded in 2002 in Denmark, HAY furniture is the epitome of Scandinavian minimalistic design; producing simple, functional and refined contemporary furniture of the highest quality.

Both with backgrounds in design but without any formal design education, HAY founders, husband and wife duo Mette & Rolf Hay, have acquired their knowledge and skill along the journey. Perhaps this lack of formal training is what allowed them to see a gap in the market for high quality, contemporary products, geared towards modern living, at an accessible price point. Whatever the case, they took a chance and jumped at the challenge, their fresh eyes bringing a different angle to the industry with great success.

As with many successful creative partnerships, each individual brings a different flavour and influence to the design process. In this case, Rolf sees his work through the structural lens of architecture, whilst Mette is inspired by the energetic and compelling worlds of fashion and art. Bringing these things together with HAY, their creative ambition has always been to transform ordinary moments into something unique through the principles of strong, simple design and quality manufacturing. 

An important aspect of their design ethos is collaboration. Working with designers that hold similar values allows for fresh perspectives from curious minds, ultimately spawning new ideas and courageous designs. “We are always continuing to learn. We love to learn from our designers, our partners, and one another,” Rolf says. 

One such collaboration is with fellow Danish designer Hee Welling. Attending both The University of Art and Design in Helsinki and The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Welling works across the fields of furniture, interior, lighting and industrial design, garnering multiple awards across his career. Operating out of his Copenhagen studio, Welling’s vision has always been to create objects that are simple and useful, with an honest and careful use of materials. “Each detail needs to have a purpose and a clean visual expression, defining the essence of each object and giving each piece of design a unique and strong identity,” Welling says.

HAY and Welling share a strong connection to their roots, and a desire to create technically accomplished products that can reach a wide audience - values that are characterised by a deep respect of the Scandinavian design tradition as a whole. Through these mutual aspirations, the “About A” collection was born.

The “About A” collection exudes the functional simplicity you would expect from such a collaboration, and whilst the series produced a number of different designs, we currently have the AAC23 chair available. The aim with this piece was to reach new heights in the combination of shape, function, comfort, detail, and aesthetics. The result is a chair that sits equally well around a dining table and a conference table, as it would in a restaurant, café or office.

The AAC23 chair is comprised of a solid shell and a curved back with armrests, made from high quality plastic, and upholstered in a yellow fabric weaved with a grey thread throughout (Steelcut Trio 446) creating a charming and understated colour. The shape provides excellent comfort and a soft, elegant silhouette, whilst the four-legged wooden base adds a timeless, classic look and ensures greater stability and a longer lifetime.

With this design, HAY and Welling have achieved that perfect balance between form and function, at the same time proving that top quality design can be accessible to a broader market. Don’t miss the opportunity to own a piece of subtle Scandinavian design at its best.