Crayon Pine collection sees wood decorated with thousands of hand-drawn lines
Swedish designers Adrian Bursell and Siri Svedborg have launched a series of timber furniture and lighting, distinguished by a repetitive pattern of lines that is drawn directly onto their surface using colourful wax crayons.
The Crayon Pine collection comprises a bench, a stool and a lamp, all handcrafted in Stockholm using solid pieces of Swedish pine.
The objects are decorated by drawing simple, rhythmic lines directly onto the wood, which is then sealed using either matte or high-gloss lacquer to enhance the surface's durability and texture.
Bursell and Svedborg developed the Crayon Pine collection while experimenting with different ways in which colour and decoration could be applied to furniture, so that the motion of the hand becomes visible in the final object.
"With the crayon, we could create movement, colour and craft-like qualities without completely covering the wood," Bursell told Dezeen.
The collection was informed by traditional Swedish allmoge folk art, which is applied to everything from furniture and utensils to decorate them in a simple and personal style.
Allmoge was typically produced using readily available materials such as glue paint, egg tempera and oils, which influenced the decision to use crayons as a modern equivalent.
"Wax crayons are a cheap material that almost everyone has some kind of relationship to," said Bursell. "It creates a sense of familiarity and invites the viewer in.
"We wanted to show the craft itself through the decoration on the furniture."
To form the base of the pieces, Bursell and Svedborg chose a fast-growing, renewable timber that they can source locally in a bid to reduce transportation requirements and minimise the project's environmental impact.
The final objects feature flat surfaces and simple shapes that focus attention on the crayon decoration. A sense of unity is provided by the collection's consistent proportions and projecting details.
Each piece has its own distinct colour, with the options limited by the available shades of crayons. The playful stool is decorated with simple black lines, while the bench is softened by a subtle peach-pink shade that appears solid from a distance.
The lamp's vibrant orange lines lend the smallest of the objects a bold presence and produce a warm glow when the light is switched on.
The drawings can take several hours to complete, but Bursell claims that this repetitive process is one of the most enjoyable aspects of producing the pieces.
"After the loud work in the wood workshop, it felt meditative to sit and draw on what you had just built," he added. "It became a kind of caring act toward the object."
The designers suggested that the hand-drawn decoration can help to foster a stronger emotional connection with the pieces, therefore encouraging long-term use rather than a throwaway sensibility.
"In an era where design is often digital and streamlined, Crayon Pine embraces irregularity and slowness as a form of innovation," the duo explained.
"The result is a series of furniture pieces that feel alive, tactile, and emotionally resonant – bridging past traditions with contemporary sensibilities."
Crayon Pine has made it onto the shortlist for furniture design of the year at the 2025 Dezeen Awards, alongside projects including ultra-thin metal shelves and a collection of oak stools based on traditional church pews.
The final winners are set to be announced in a ceremony on 25 November.
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