Kalle Warncke stands for craftsmanship with responsibility. In his small workshop on the Baltic Sea, he produces timeless furniture using traditional carpentry techniques – without plastic, chipboard or short-term fashion trends. His furniture is an invitation to positively influence the world through sustainable consumption and to create long-lasting values. Lifelong quality – that’s what he stands for with his label Hartholzdesign.
What originally inspired you to delve into the world of design and craftsmanship and how has your background in boat building influenced your furniture creations?
“I started my apprenticeship as a boat builder out of personal interest. At the time, I was an active regatta sailor and very active as a craftsman, working in my father’s garage and at the sailing club. However, working in boatbuilding didn’t make me happy in the long term because the industry presents a poor ecological picture. The environmental impact of toxic paints, tropical woods, plastics and high energy consumption. For me, this work has not paid off, precisely because sailing is mainly a hobby and does not contribute to the common good of our society. Everyone can use furniture, so I decided to change industries. My goal is to produce sustainable, environmentally friendly furniture that people need and that will last a long time to counteract our throwaway society.”
Your focus is on sustainable furniture – what exactly do you mean by “truly sustainable” furniture and what is the philosophy behind your decision to create functional, durable and ethically responsible furniture?
“For me, truly sustainable is a product that lasts for generations. During my training, I noticed that the conventional furniture industry no longer produces truly sustainable products. As a rule, the lifespan of modern furniture is only a few years – often even that of very high-quality furniture. I’m also very concerned about climate change. My chosen path is therefore a production path like 200 years ago – and therefore very unconventional in this day and age.”
Tell us a little more about your choice of materials and processing techniques. What makes them so special in your eyes?
“I want to do something good for both the environment and the user. When chipboard is processed, sawdust full of microplastics is produced, which naturally ends up in the environment if not disposed of properly. This is not a problem with solid wood. I only use varnishes and glues made from natural materials, hide and bone glues, which almost nobody works with these days. Thanks to the natural surface treatment with oils and waxes, the feel and look of wood remains classic wood and is completely free of toxins. It also makes the product easier to repair.”
You like to take inspiration from the past with your designs. What are the challenges of using such classic techniques in today’s world and what message do you want to convey with your choice of materials?
“On the one hand, the challenges are the time-consuming production, as real wood joints are complex to manufacture and require a high proportion of manual work. On the other hand, the integration of traditional craftsmanship into modern society. Traditional craftsmanship is no longer so easily accepted on the modern market because people are naturally used to the prices of short-lived products.
My message is therefore an appeal to our consumer society. Wood only stores CO2 if it lasts a long time. And the money you spend on new furniture every few years can also be invested in a long-lasting piece.”
“Lohmeyer” is inspired by a design by Hartmut Lohmeyer from the 1960s. How important is it to you to transfer classic designs into the present day?
“I like to look at historical furniture constructions and adopt the designs, and I orient myself towards traditional processing techniques. When I create my concepts, I take inspiration from aesthetically timeless, classic design. I think you can take a lot from historical craftsmanship, as it was not designed for a short-lived consumer society, but for long-term function.”
Your creation “Lohmeyer” dispenses with the use of veneered chipboard in favor of a self-made three-layer board. What are the advantages of this choice and how does it affect the durability and aesthetics of the table?
“The aesthetics of the table correspond to those of Hartmut Lohmeyer’s furniture. I deviated in the production. It is normally difficult to glue a table top to the frame, as wood always changes slightly due to humidity and can increase or decrease in width. As a result, the joint would no longer be stable. Chipboard is less affected by this and is therefore often preferred for making the joint. I have produced a three-layer board that also prevents this moisture-induced expansion. Although this makes production more complex, it makes the table more sustainable.”
What makes this design so timeless, and where exactly is its relevance in terms of sustainability?
“Especially with designs like the “Lohmeyer”, you can see that people still like this classic design, even decades later. Even through strong waves of trends, this concept has prevailed. In my opinion, this type of furniture design always has its place in society and never goes out of fashion. That also makes a product sustainable.”
You won the Future Forward competition with your “Lohmeyer” coffee table. What does this success mean for you and “Hartholzdesign”?
“The fact that I won the competition is of course a great financial help and support for me to build up a certain reach. It shows me, and this is even more important, that my path is the right one.”
How do you envision the future of “Hartholzdesign”? What projects and developments would you like to implement in the next few years?
“For now, the focus is on participating in the trade fair, for which I also have to pre-produce. Hopefully my participation will then lead to orders that I can tackle. I’m really looking forward to it, then I’ll definitely have something to do.”
What do you hope to gain from your BLICKFANG participation and what are you looking forward to the most?
“I founded “Hartholzdesign” in early 2024 and am still at the very beginning of my journey. As I’m a career changer in the furniture industry, I naturally hope to make lots of exciting new contacts with customers, suppliers, architects, furniture stores – that would be great – and of course other designers and craftspeople with whom I can exchange ideas.
Meet Kalle in person and be fascinated by his timeless craftsmanship. Get your tickets now for BLICKFANG Hamburg, from May 16-18, 2025.
If you want to find out more about Kalle and his label, click here!
