Puro Chair is a minimalist chair created by Helsinki-based designer Elina Ulvio. The Puro chair emerges from Ulvio’s broader philosophical project – a manifesto, as she calls it, “for cherishing the outdated.” This isn’t mere nostalgia but a sophisticated understanding of design’s cyclical nature. Where contemporary furniture often pursues novelty for its own sake, Ulvio deliberately mines the aesthetic sediment of past decades, particularly the bold concrete forms of 1960s and 70s brutalism that have recently resurged in both architecture and interiors.

The chair’s material presence speaks to this temporal layering. Crafted entirely from Finnish wood and shaped by Ulvio’s own hands alongside trusted local fabricators, each piece bears the subtle irregularities that mark genuinely handmade objects. The wood’s “vivid texture” – as Ulvio puts it – becomes protagonist rather than mere substrate, its grain patterns enhanced rather than obscured by the chair’s sculptural geometry.

This approach connects to a longer tradition of Scandinavian design philosophy, where material honesty has long been paramount. Yet Ulvio pushes beyond the restrained functionalism of classic Nordic modernism toward something more emotionally complex. The Puro chair can function as seating, certainly, but Ulvio positions it equally as a “stand-alone” sculptural object – a piece that transforms space simply by inhabiting it.

The deeper significance lies in Ulvio’s sustainability framework, which she frames as “highlighting the cyclicality of trends as a means to extend the lifespan of interiors.” Rather than creating objects destined for obsolescence, she crafts what she terms “collectible objects that stand the test of time.” This represents a profound shift from fashion-driven design toward something more enduring – furniture as cultural inheritance rather than consumption.