Norwegian Design Born of Nature since 1971
The legendary Stressless® recliner was born on the west coast of Norway, in the small community of Sykkylven, where our main factory still lies. Jens Ekornes founded the company in 1934, after which an unbroken lineage of proud craftsmen have produced some of the world’s finest furniture. In a place where resources were scarce, everything had to be built to last. That philosophy still resides within the factory walls.
History
Over 50 Years of Forward Thinking
In 1934, Jens Ellingsen Ekornes founded a furniture company. Soon thereafter, the J. E. Ekornes Fjærfabrikk (Spring Factory) – which had just three employees and used machines made in Germany – found its first customers and began successfully selling springs for furniture and mattresses throughout Norway.
Craftsmanship
Quality and Care
The caring nature of the Ekornes employees is based on generations of knowledge about furniture and on a culture which, for five decades, has been carried by solid principles for the design and processing of materials.
Norwegian Design
Experience Nordic comfort
Norwegian design is defined by the same sense of functionality and quality materials as the broader Nordic design tradition, but along the fjords, the Ekornes aesthetic sensibility is strongly influenced by the magnificence of nature. This provides more than a touch of poetry and freedom. However, it still requires hard work to turn what nature provides into excellent products.
Sustainability
Nordic Heritage
Stressless® origins and surroundings are the foundation for design and innovation. The brand is committed to sustainability, simplicity and a democratic outlook on life. This provides a legacy that Stressless® symbolises across borders and markets.
Stressless® aims to become the world’s most sustainable furniture maker, and a leader in circular design. Thanks partly to the use of hydropower, that goal is within reach. Their greenhouse emissions are reduced year-after-year, and they currently recycle 80 percent of their waste.