What is, in fact, the greatest sustainability gains a furniture manufacturer can achieve?

The question is becoming increasingly relevant in an industry where new production is often described in terms of material choices, while one of the biggest climate gains lies in furniture remaining in use for a long time.

With that thought as a starting point, Johanson Design and Alexander Lervik are taking a clear approach ahead of 2026.

Through formal design updates to existing models, the life of design that already exists is extended, and the result is new models that take their point of departure in the originals but are designed to live on for many years to come.

Alexander Lervik is the designer who has worked the longest and most in depth with Johanson’s product portfolio. Over more than 20 years, the collaboration has grown, and several of his series have become a clear backbone of Johanson’s expression and range. Ahead of 2026, Lervik returns to a selection of products he previously designed and updates them in terms of form, inspired by the automotive industry’s way of working. A strong model does not need to be replaced. It can be developed and live on through wellbalanced updates.

“I want furniture to be able to live for a long time and continue to feel relevant. It’s not about remaking everything, but about refining and updating so that good models can have a longer life,” says Alexander Lervik.

The updates mean that five well-known series are given new successors. Studio forms the basis for the new model Celsius, and Studio BS is further developed into Celsius BS. Dandy receives an updated continuation in Duke. Eye Lounge becomes Iris Lounge, and Saga becomes Alice. The original models remain in the range during a transition period, but the new models are intended to gradually take over and become long-term successors.

The ambition is to hold on to the models’ identity, while giving them a more contemporary expression and extending their lifespan in both homes and public environments. It is about evolution rather than revolution—about strengthening what has made the models viable from the beginning and giving them a form that works even as taste and context change.

Behind the work is a simple but important idea. When a piece of furniture lasts over time and continues to feel self-evident, it stays in use longer. It does not need to be replaced in the first instance and has a greater chance of getting a second life. For Johanson, the update of Lervik’s series is one of several steps in a long-term effort to create furniture that is enduring, relevant, and sustainable over time.

Saga becomes Alice – Design Alexander Lervik

Alice Alexander Lervik johanson1

Saga is one of Alexander Lervik’s personal favourites in Johanson’s range. At the same time, the seat has been a part he has wanted to develop since the launch, as it lacked the final sense of completion and the self-evident comfort where form and function meet.

The solution was to bring together two ideas that were already established. The seat from the Plus chair was integrated into Saga. The result is a version where both comfort and form fall into place, and the model is experienced as the complete whole it was always intended to be.

Studio and Studio BS become Celsius and Celsius BS – Design Alexander Lervik

Celsius Alexander Lervik johanson1

When Studio was launched in 2004, the characteristic “bottle cap” shape in the backrest became a clear part of the chair’s identity. It functioned as a graphic signature and gave the model its own voice in the room, while the shape was complex to produce.

Through a formal update of the backrest, the expression has been simplified and brought closer to its time, while production becomes more rational. The seat’s press tool can be retained unchanged. An important part of the development is also that the chair can be reupholstered in the future, which extends its lifespan and makes the model more sustainable over time.

Dandy becomes Duke – Design Alexander Lervik

Duke Alexander Lervik johanson2

Dandy has always had a strong form, but certain details made the model unnecessarily complicated. The exposed corners were an advanced production solution that both drove costs and made future reupholstery more difficult.

By simplifying the construction, the model becomes more rational to manufacture and more sustainable in a longer perspective. The expression becomes cleaner, calmer, and more timeless, while the chair more easily can be given new life with new upholstery. The update makes the model more relevant today without losing its character.

Eye Lounge becomes Iris Lounge – Design Alexander Lervik

Iris Alexander Lervik johanson01

Eye Lounge was launched as an obvious sister to the successful chair Eye, with the same basic idea but in a more laid-back format. Over time, the ambition has been to give the model a clearer identity of its own.

Through a simplified design language and a reworked backrest, the model can now stand more on its own, with a more self-assured and timeless expression. The changes have also led to an important improvement: the possibility to change fabric, which makes the piece of furniture easier to live with and more long-term.

Images and content courtesy of Johanson Design.

More design by Alexander Lervik:

Follow on Facebook