Norwegian furniture history includes a wide range of products and designers that deserve renewed attention. For Matre, this is about demonstrating how good design can endure over time. Many of the furniture pieces from this period were developed through a close dialogue between designer, production and materials. The result was products with a clear balance between function, aesthetics and longevity. In an age defined by global value chains and increasingly short product lifecycles, this approach feels more relevant than ever.

For architects, interior architects and designers, the choice of materials is not only a question of form. It is also a question of responsibility, resource use and lifespan. This is where Norwegian design heritage has much to offer: an honest approach to materials, a precise understanding of function, and an aesthetic that is not dictated by passing trends.

Sigurd Resell’s Distinctive Design Language

Sigurd Resell was a central figure in Norwegian design during the 1960s and 1970s. His work is characterised by technical precision, clean lines and constructions in which the materials are given a natural and integral role.

The Tube Sofa Table and Tube Side Table, designed in 1971, are strong examples of this approach. The tables are built around a simple steel-tube construction, originally topped with a clear glass tabletop. The expression is light, precise and stable all at once. It is precisely this clarity that makes the design relevant today.

Through the collaboration with Lundhs Real Stone®, the tables take on a new expression with tabletops in Norwegian natural stone. The industrial character of the steel tubing meets the depth, weight and natural variation of the stone. In this way, Norwegian furniture history is brought together with a material sourced from Norwegian nature.

“By combining Norwegian natural stone with Norwegian furniture design, we bring together two traditions — industrial material extraction and furniture production — in a single product. This creates a clear narrative about Norwegian resources, processed and refined locally, with respect for both the material and the design.”

A Material with a Clear Provenance

Natural stone adds both character and function to the Tube tables. Each stone slab has its own unique expression, giving every table an individual identity without disrupting Resell’s original design language.

At the same time, the material is highly durable, long-lasting and requires little maintenance. This makes natural stone particularly well suited to products intended for long-term use. Combined with Resell’s carefully considered design, natural stone from Lundhs Real Stone® reinforces the value of lasting solutions and conscious material choices.

For Lundhs, the collaboration with Matre is about more than adding a new material to a classic. It demonstrates how Norwegian natural stone can become part of contemporary furniture design in a way that both respects history and looks to the future.

Local Materials and Norwegian Production

Matre aims to help put Norwegian design and industry back on the map. An important part of this lies in the close connection between design, materials and production. Local materials give the products a stronger sense of place. They allow for better quality control, shorter value chains and a clearer story of origin. For Matre, this is about helping to rebuild a sense of industrial pride — where design is not only conceived in Norway, but also produced in Norway.

When Norwegian natural stone is combined with Norwegian furniture design, the choice of material becomes part of the product’s identity. The collaboration between Matre and Lundhs Real Stone® demonstrates how existing designs can be given new life through new material choices, without losing their character. The Tube tables retain Resell’s precise design language, while gaining a new expression through the tactile and visual qualities of the stone.

Norwegian Design Heritage as a Starting Point for New Solutions

For architects and designers, the collaboration opens up new ways of seeing Norwegian materials in contemporary contexts. It shows how traditional materials can be used in a modern way, and how local production can contribute to products with greater longevity and a stronger sense of identity.

Norwegian design heritage is not only a retrospective reference. It can also serve as a starting point for future solutions. In the meeting between Matre’s work with Norwegian design classics and Lundhs’ Norwegian natural stone, a product emerges that is rooted in history, yet developed for today’s interiors and needs.

Through this collaboration, Matre and Lundhs Real Stone® aim to inspire architects and designers to think more locally when choosing materials, to explore new combinations of traditional materials, and to recognise the value of shorter and more transparent value chains.

Ultimately, it is about a more conscious design practice, where the choices made — from materials to production — are just as important as the form itself.

The Tube Sofa Table and Tube Side Table are available with tabletops in three natural stones from Lundhs Real Stone®: Lundhs Antique®, Lundhs Emerald® and Lundhs Royal®. All three stones are offered with either a polished or honed finish.

Recommended retail prices, including VAT, are NOK 32,000 / DKK 24,000 for the Tube Sofa Table and NOK 25,000 / DKK 18,000 for the Tube Side Table. Prices apply to Norway and Denmark respectively.

For retailers and customers outside Norway and Denmark, please contact Matre for further information, pricing and availability.