The King's Hat — Nick Ross for Contem

A year ago, Nick Ross and Contem presented The King’s Hat during Stockholm Design Week 2025 — a collection made from the pruned branches of linden trees planted on the island of Kungshatt by order of King Fredrik I in the 1730s. The trees still stand. The objects made from their branches are now in circulation.

The collection — seating furniture, a coffee table, a vase, and a floor chandelier — was shown at Public Service Gallery in Östermalm during design week and drew considerable attention, including recognition from Dezeen as one of the standout launches of the week.

The material is what makes the project exceptional. The linden trees on Kungshatt, an island in Lake Mälaren close to central Stockholm, were planted under royal instruction nearly three centuries ago and had remained unpruned for close to a hundred years. When an arborist living on the island carefully removed and milled the branches, the wood became available for the first time — not as a result of felling, but as part of the trees’ ongoing life.

“The context and history of materials and manufacturing processes are often the foundation of my projects,” says Ross. “So, when I was invited to visit the trees on Kungshatt, it was clear that this project had the potential to become something truly unique. Aside from the location’s royal connections, the fact that these trees are still standing is remarkable, and unheard of when it comes to the collection of materials for the production of functional objects.”

Ross — a Scottish-Swedish designer born in 1986, based in Stockholm — approached the material with deliberate directness. “The objects themselves carry a brutalist aesthetic, which feels like a stark contrast to the project’s essence. I wanted to work with this extremely rare and meaningful material in a very unapologetic way.”

For Contem, founded in Stockholm in 2021 with a focus on discarded and unused materials, the project was a natural fit. “We’ve long admired Nick Ross for his unique ability to blend design with storytelling,” says Cristian Lind of Contem. “When we heard that the lime avenue on the historic island Kungshatt was to be pruned for the first time in 100 years, it felt like the perfect opportunity to collaborate.”

The King’s Hat was shot by photographer Mikael Olsson.

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