Gemla

We make unique products and design solutions for furnishing the most attractive places where people meet, socialize and stay overnight. Many of our products are developed in close co-operation with demanding and experienced partners. We make beautiful, durable products by hand that last for generations. Always contemporary. We only work with natural sustainable materials that age beautifully.

We have been resourceful and curious since 1861.

When Gemla was founded in 1861, our main products were toys and other small objects made of wood. Since then many different products have been produced; cinema seats, hockey sticks, tennis rackets, wheelchairs, sofas, armchairs, tables but above all, chairs. It is said that more than 2000 different chair models have been produced by Gemla over the years.

In the late 19th century, craftsmen from Bohemia arrived in Diö, bringing the know-how and experience from Thonet’s factories with them. Since then Gemla have developed and refined this technique and today Gemla is the only furniture manufacturer in Sweden to master the art of taming and shaping wood by hand.

The unique art of taming wood keeps us constantly on our toes, exploring new design, materials and techniques to create both beautiful and durable products.

We are picky when it comes to our choice of wood. We only work with certified beech and ash, and only the finest specimens pass our critical eyes. After cutting and working the wood, we can start taming it. First the wood is steamed, to make it soft and flexible. The wood is then shaped by hand and put into special made metal frames. The wood is left to dry for days before we by hand make it round and soft. This shaping technique enables light, strong and extremely durable chairs.

Each product that leaves Gemla has been in the hands of dedicated craftsmen and women for hours, days and sometimes even weeks. They scrutinize every step of the production before there is a final check where each product is labelled with Gemla and its production date.

In the early days at Gemla many products were produced without a known designer. This clearly changed when Bauhaus came to Sweden with the well-known Stockholm Exhibition 1930. Involved at that time was, among others, Gunnar Asplund and Uno Åhren. Ever since then many of the most appreciated architects and designers have made products for Gemla. Mainly Swedish, but also Danish and German designers.
Gemla is developing exiting products and solutions, learning from international hotels and restaurants - our most experienced and demanding customers. From these learnings we design attractive and durable products for meeting places with high demand and intense usage.
We offer big flexibility in finish and upholstery for all our products for different projects. The rich archive of Gemla products also offers plenty of opportunities for unique tailor made versions of some of our products.

At Gemla, craftsmanship, attention to details and natural, durable, solid materials have been a given the last
150 years. We simply love working with products and material that age beautifully.

We use wood, ash and beech from certified forests. Some chairs are dressed in naturally vegetable tanned leather or eco-friendly textile. These chairs are padded using natural materials like hairlok, a mixture of horsehair and natural latex, as well as wool felt. For the final finish we work with water based lacquer and special stains that have low impact on the environment.

At Gemla we believe in durable products. Furniture that lasts for generations and are possible to renew time after time. This is our way of caring for people and planet.