When Danish mother Maiken Harris welcomed her third child, Daisy, into the world, there was something missing. It wasn’t a mother’s love, or a good night’s sleep. It was something else entirely, something material even: an heirloom piece of furniture. “I didn’t have anything from my two older children (Fred, 10 and Flora, 8) to pass on to her. And I just thought, ‘What a waste.‘” Frustrated with the massive amounts of “brightly-colored plastic things” and waste that littered her home, Maiken and her husband created a line of furniture meant to buck the trend of overconsumption in their own lives – and hopefully the lives of their community.
Enter UtzonKids furniture. Designed with sustainable, premium wood frames and high quality fabrics, each chair is made to order and created by select artisans specializing in their own unique skills, from wood bending to upholstery. It’s what I’d imagine a slow movement assembly line to be – all craft, no chaos.
Maiken’s vision for UztonKids is to create pieces that are long-lasting and meaningful, something meant to be passed on for future generations. After losing both of her parents, she realized how much she treasured the few pieces she’s inherited from their home. “I love looking at things I looked at in my childhood home as well….things with memories and history.”
UtzonKids chairs aren’t inexpensive (the lowest price available is roughly $1,100), but with a classic, timeless design, it’s a piece that encourages mindful purchases, sustainable materials, and – most of all – the return of the heirloom.
Read more about Utzon Kids here, or shop the U.S. collection at My Urban Child.