This is a collaboration between Japanese leather shoemakers and Finnish birchwood furniture producers — where making continues in the hands of those who live with the pieces.

Alvar Aalto’s classic stool and table slip into leather shoes handcrafted by Hender Scheme, merging long lasting natural materials which age gracefully over time. A dialogue runs through the collection. Vegetable-tanned leather features in place of Artek’s usual surface materials while classic Aalto organic shapes are applied onto leather accessories through the lens of Hender Scheme’s material expertise. 

Rooted in Finland and Japan, the collection brings together two distinct craft cultures. The characters of the materials gradually emerge as they age with their owner. Birch and leather develop distinct patinas at their own pace, according to the environment and how they are used. No two pieces remain the same, the appearance and feel continually evolving over many years of use. 

The collection

Artek + Hender Scheme presents signature materials and shapes in new forms, with each piece developing its own identity through years of use.

Stool 60 and the compact Table 90C are wearing shoes. Inspired by storm-welt construction, each set of shoes is entirely handmade from vegetable-tanned leather and retains the details and characteristics of Hender Scheme’s leather footwear. They fit snugly onto the furniture legs, a playful detail with a protective function.

Table and stool tops are dressed in vegetable-tanned leather and left to age naturally. This is where the patina of the leather is most powerfully presented, a direct record of the product’s lived experience, offering a warm, tactile surface that is well suited for writing. 

Pendant Light A330 “Golden Bell” shade is formed entirely from shaped leather, applying Hender Scheme’s concept of NEW CRAFT, in which analogue techniques and modern technology meet to create new outcomes. 

Roles are then reversed: leather accessories — clock, key holder, coaster — are cut in the form of Aino Aalto's organic "Riihitie" shape, bringing Aalto's signature language into Hender Scheme's territory. Vegetable-tanned leather is chosen according to function. Subtle refinements, including debossed logos, distinguish these pieces as editions unique to the collaboration, where craft is emphasised and expectations confounded.

About the materials

Artek and Hender Scheme share a focus on raw materials, allowing their inherent qualities and natural imperfections to remain visible. The collection uses vegetable-tanned leather and Finnish silver birch — two materials that age in their own time. The leather is more responsive, developing a patina shaped by sunlight, touch and the local environment, unique to each owner. Birch is slower, gradually warming in colour and character over the many years it is made to last. Just as the patina develops over time, the materials also carry the marks of life that accumulate in nature.

Both the stool and table are made in Finland using wood selected from Artek's "wild birch" range, which uses more of the tree and embraces the natural variations found in birch — knots, insect trails and colour fluctuations. The undyed, natural leather tells a similar story, displaying natural blemishes such as scars and stretch marks.

Looking after your Artek + Hender Scheme product

The furniture pieces in the collection are intended for long-term use, being passed down from generation to generation as their character evolves over time. 

Owing to its delicate qualities, vegetable-tanned natural leather has its own requirements when in terms of care and maintenance. Visit the "Vegetable-tanned undyed leather" section in our Care and Maintenance guide to get tips on how to give your Artek + Hender Scheme product the care it deserves.