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Generation gap: Designers inspired by elderly counterparts

Stockholm – Designers at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts are showing what happens when design crosses generational boundaries.

75+ Chair by Tor Nørgaard Klerk at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts at Stockholm Furniture Fair

75+ Chair by Ronni Bjørnum at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts at Stockholm Furniture Fair

75+ Chair by Signe Haupt at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts at Stockholm Furniture Fair

75+ Chair by Anna Aagaard Jensen at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts at Stockholm Furniture Fair

The 75+ range of chairs, exhibited at this year’s Stockholm Design Week, were created by BA students for the growing group of active elderly people who want seating with the same personality, comfort and expression that characterises their lives.

The designs are inspired by elderly creatives who, rather than face retirement, are continuing to pursue their passions well into their 70s.

Combining typically minimalist design with practical materials and comfort, 75+ includes Signe Haupt’s UMP-Chair, inspired by the work of ceramic designer and pensioner Ursula Munch-Petersen, while Ronni Bjørnum’s Mervyn considers the graphic design of Mervyn Kurlansky, incorporating block coloured soft cushion panels with a smoked oak frame.

For more on why chronological age is becoming irrelevant as people are retiring later, staying healthier and simply don't look, act or feel old, read LS:N Global’s macrotrend The Flat Age Society.