WertelOberfell and the New European Bauhaus – the Cheri chair on its way to carbon neutrality

The green transformation is underway and bringing good results. Furniture is created with beautiful, consistent features – both those perceptible to the eye and those for which future generations will surely thank us. Just take a look at the metamorphosis that the iconic Cheri chair underwent at the WertelOberfell studio.

The New European Bauhaus movement brings us furniture of the future, created today: aesthetically pleasing, characterised by multigenerational durability, truly sustainable. Its “greenness”, promoted under the auspices of the EU, is not just an empty slogan, but something very concrete. The New European Bauhaus is a consistently implemented process of limiting the carbon footprint. It follows a holistic approach. It includes the entire product life cycle – from obtaining the raw materials necessary to manufacture the furniture
piece, through energy-intensive production, to appropriate shipping methods and recycling, when after serving its owners for many years, the object will go back to nature or change its aggregate state.

In the European Green Deal, low carbon footprint is the key product feature – alongside the price of the furniture piece, the quality of workmanship, and the available colour palette. From now on, the sustainability, design, and functionality of furniture products coexist on fully democratic terms. Whether a chair is beautiful, whether it’s comfortable to sit on or whether it can easily change the interior design remains equally important as its impact on the environment.

In line with the principles of the New European Bauhaus, the environmental friendliness of the Boucle version of the Cheri chair begins with the raw materials used to manufacture it.

Cheri Boucle owes its smooth, ergonomic lines to the well-thought-out birch wood structure. The fabric used for the seat comes from closely monitored and limited European logging operations. We source our wood on site – precisely where the craftsmen manufacturing the chair and energy-intensive machines can do their magic. The woodworking required to create the Cheri Boucle chair was planned so as to let technology replace manual work only where it is justified in terms of energy efficiency.

The padding of the upholstered seat is made of natural coconut fibres. The chairs are upholstered using recycled fabrics. Their production limits CO2 emissions by half compared to the traditionally used fabrics. The water and energy consumption required for their production is reduced by as much as 70%.

The chair has a comfortable, wide seat, yet still looks very light, is easy to move, and enables quick interior design changes. All that thanks to its stable metal frame, covered with protective powder coating – its application equals maximum aesthetic qualities and minimum energy consumption.

The New European Bauhaus also changes the approach to consumerism – we should buy
 less and prioritise quality that will stand the test of time. Cheri Boucle is a chair with a long
life cycle confirmed by its Certificate of Conformity No. Z/35?21/BO.

The packaging in which the Cheri chair arrives at your home only includes cardboard elements. Cardboard is easily sorted and can be effectively recycled. From a birch grove, where we source the wood, to the moment you decide to discontinue further use of the chair – Cheri Boucle’s total carbon footprint is 70.64 kg CO2e. Ecological discipline, the latest result of which is the sustainable version of the Cheri chair, has been developed by the IKER brand for years. At ikershop.com, you will find lots of products created with utmost respect for nature and the environment. Activities aimed at reducing emissions are implemented at every stage of the manufacturing process.

WertelOberfell is responsible both for the design of the Cheri chair and its transformation into the Boucle version. In its designs, the German studio always alludes to industrial design based on the principles of the first Bauhaus style. WertelOberfell have been successfully implementing the assumptions of the new European programme, which supports the world on its way to zero emissions by 2050.

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