Martin Kechayas Named Designer of the Year 2026

Danish furniture designer Martin Kechayas has been named Designer of the Year at Design Awards 2026, presented by BO BEDRE, Bolig Magasinet and Scandinavian Living. The award does not single out one product. It recognises his approach to furniture design and the body of work he has built over the years.

The jury’s reasoning

The jury describes Kechayas as a genuine fighter. Through the ups and downs of the design industry he has stayed true to himself while he keeps developing, refining and surprising. The jury points to his hand-drawn chairs and furniture, which stand apart from the steady flow of new objects entering contemporary design. It also notes his unusual ability to combine different wood species without weakening the aesthetic expression.

The jury gives particular attention to the BRICO collection, including a sculptural bench. It also highlights BRICO Duo, the chair Kechayas first designed for the Børsen assignment on the Danish television programme Danmarks næste klassiker. ScandinavianDesign.com covered that chair earlier as The Børsen Chair.

Brico Duo Folk

Drawing as method

Drawing is at the heart of Kechayas’ work. He explores form, proportion and construction intuitively, and unexpected combinations gradually become functional objects with a sculptural character. Asymmetry, contrasting materials and unconventional structures recur throughout his designs. With BRICO, he challenges familiar furniture types while keeping their function intact.

Further recognition

BRICO Duo was also nominated for Furniture of the Year. In addition, the jury recognised Kechayas’ collaboration with Icelandic design company FÓLK Reykjavík in the Green Design category. The project reinterprets Gunnar Magnússon’s classic Lína shelving with respect for the original. It reflects Kechayas’ interest in where design heritage meets new forms of expression.

About Martin Kechayas

For Kechayas, Designer of the Year carries particular weight because it recognises the designer behind the individual objects. His work continues through KECHAYAS, his independent Copenhagen-based design practice, which is increasingly focused on individually composed furniture and sculptural objects.

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By Editorial Team, ScandinavianDesign.com