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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Behind the Designer: Mattias Ingman</strong></h2>
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<p>In the evolving narrative of Scandinavian design, Mattias Ingman represents a more recent but equally important chapter - one that bridges traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary, quietly radical ethos: that beauty lies in function, that objects should last, and that design must work in dialogue with nature, not against it. Based in Sweden, Ingman is part of a new generation of Nordic designers who are reshaping the values of modern furniture by re-emphasizing material honesty, local production, and a slower, more conscious approach to making.</p>
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<p>Trained as a cabinetmaker before studying design, Ingman’s work is deeply rooted in material knowledge. His furniture doesn’t start as sketches on paper - it starts in the workshop, where proportions are tested by hand, and the properties of wood are treated as a design partner rather than a constraint. This approach results in pieces that are both technically refined and emotionally grounded - furniture that speaks softly but with lasting presence.</p>
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<p>Ingman’s style is best described as <strong>New Nordic functionalism</strong>. It blends the restraint and purpose of traditional Scandinavian modernism with a more raw, organic aesthetic. His chairs, tables, and storage pieces often feature exposed dowel or peg joints, hand-planed surfaces, and visible tool marks - subtle indicators that the hand of the maker is still part of the final object. Rather than striving for the sleek perfection of industrial design, Ingman leans into irregularity and patina as part of an object’s character.</p>
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<p>One of his most admired works is the <strong>Ängsbacken Bench</strong> - a simple, low-profile seating piece crafted in solid ash with a split-slat seat and gently tapering legs. The form recalls both Swedish rural furniture and Japanese joinery traditions, but its execution is unmistakably contemporary. Like much of Ingman’s work, it carries a quiet authority: designed to disappear into a room and yet always draw the hand to its surface. Another notable piece is his <strong>Rötter Cabinet</strong>, which features exposed wooden pins and an oil-finished frame - a tribute to the honest utility of pre-industrial Swedish furniture, updated for modern interiors.</p>
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<p>Ingman produces his work in small editions, often in partnership with local workshops and sustainable sawmills. He is outspoken about resisting mass production in favor of circular, transparent making processes. Each piece is designed to be maintained, repaired, and handed down - rather than replaced. In that sense, he isn’t just a designer - he’s a systems thinker. His work isn’t just about form; it’s about how furniture lives, ages, and survives across time.</p>
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<p>At Design Preowned, Ingman’s philosophy aligns seamlessly with our mission. He’s not working in the past, but in the future - a future where craftsmanship, longevity, and sustainability are not niche ideals, but necessary standards. His furniture doesn't require reinvention; it requires care. That’s what makes it so rewarding to restore. We’ve had the pleasure of working with original Ingman pieces that have developed beautiful patinas through use - and in each restoration, we don’t aim to erase the years, but to honor them.</p>
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<p>What makes Ingman particularly relevant to today’s collectors and interior designers is the <strong>emotional integrity</strong> of his work. In an era where design is often about visibility and trend, his pieces feel like anchors - objects that ground a space and quietly tell you: <em>this was made to last</em>. He is part of a new wave of Scandinavian designers who aren’t trying to outdo the past, but to restore its values in a modern context.</p>
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<p>And yet, his work is not nostalgic. It is deeply contemporary - in its environmental awareness, its commitment to provenance, and its quiet rebellion against fast design. For Edward Gubi and the team at Design Preowned, that makes Ingman an ideal figure in the new design landscape: not just someone we admire, but someone whose ethos we share.</p>
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<p>In many ways, Mattias Ingman represents where Nordic design is going - not louder or trendier, but deeper. His furniture is made for the long term, both structurally and spiritually. It doesn’t shout. It stays. And in that staying power lies its beauty.</p>
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<p>At Design Preowned, we’re proud to support and restore his work - not as vintage, but as living design. Because the future of great design isn’t disposable. It’s durable, personal, and built with purpose - just like the pieces Mattias Ingman makes, one at a time.</p>
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