Saidan verhoomo
Furniture excess leather
New life to upholstery trash
We at Lovia want to minimise the environmental burden and make bags that are truly made for everyday use. This is why it is crucially important that we share the same values with our partners. One of them is Lahti-based company Saidan Verhoomo, an upholstery maker. With a strong 5-person team of women their goal is to rescue as many pieces of old furniture as possible. They create works of many kinds to both new and old furniture pieces - the main goal being that they are made to last. Sustainable thinking is heavily shown in their actions, which is why recycling their own excess material is close to their hearts. From Saida upholstery cutting waste, we get to create bags with real purpose.
FOUNDED: 2015
EMPLOYEES: 5
LOCATION: LAHTI, FINLAND
Cutting waste turned to accessory
How are design bags crafted from upholstery cutting waste? From their leather works, there are always scraps of material left over, too small to cover any more furniture, but perfect for bags. By upcycling this otherwise discarded material, we can make an impact and simultaneously give new life to this so-called trash, instead of utilising brand new material.
Now that you know, how the leather pieces from a Lahti-based upholstery company end up on the Lovia design table, you may wonder about the origin of the leather? It comes from a Danish supplier, Sorensen. After being utilized by Saida and her team in Lahti, the excess material ends up on the design table of our creative director Outi, where they transform into sketches for new bags.
Greetings from Saida in Lahti
“I feel that working in upholstery is in itself an ecological act. Although we also make new furniture and their upholstery, the carrying thought is that everything is made to last. We craft with care and well. When I started, there was loads of scrap material left by the old masters, as they had kept the cutting waste. We had done some upcycling to colleagues, jewellery makers and seamstresses, and now more recently, to Lovia. At times the cutting waste piles up, so it is definitely best to pass it forward to those who can still utilise it.
Wellbeing of the people here is a priority to me. In order for things to work, the makers have to be well. Come fall of 2021 we moved to a four-day work week. You can plan your days freely and everything is rather flexible. We also have a menstrual leave, because there is nothing worse than physical labour in cramps or brain fog.”
- Saida, founder of Saidan Verhoomo
Where can we do better?
We know that easing the burden on our environment requires concrete actions, and also continuous self-improval. We are proud of the work towards a circular economy we do with Saidan Verhoomo, but there is always room for improvement.
We are already rescuing pieces too small for furniture together with Saidan Verhoomo, but there are still scraps that end up in the trash. Our goal in the future is to create a sort of kibble from this resource, that could function as a raw material for a newly produced recycled material for our bags.
We are also looking into testing out a new type of collaboration model with Interface, where we give out the necessary measurements for pieces and Saida does the first stage of sorting. This means less time for us to travel to Lahti and examine the pieces, saving on emissions. Achieving sustainability is always a never-ending process, making us never ready but always hungry for development. Welcome along the journey!
Saidan verhoomo
Furniture excess leather
New life to upholstery trash
We at Lovia want to minimise the environmental burden and make bags that are truly made for everyday use. This is why it is crucially important that we share the same values with our partners. One of them is Lahti-based company Saidan Verhoomo, an upholstery maker. With a strong 5-person team of women their goal is to rescue as many pieces of old furniture as possible. They create works of many kinds to both new and old furniture pieces - the main goal being that they are made to last. Sustainable thinking is heavily shown in their actions, which is why recycling their own excess material is close to their hearts. From Saida upholstery cutting waste, we get to create bags with real purpose.
FOUNDED: 2015
EMPLOYEES: 5
LOCATION: LAHTI, FINLAND
Cutting waste turned to accessory
How are design bags crafted from upholstery cutting waste? From their leather works, there are always scraps of material left over, too small to cover any more furniture, but perfect for bags. By upcycling this otherwise discarded material, we can make an impact and simultaneously give new life to this so-called trash, instead of utilising brand new material.
Now that you know, how the leather pieces from a Lahti-based upholstery company end up on the Lovia design table, you may wonder about the origin of the leather? It comes from a Danish supplier, Sorensen. After being utilized by Saida and her team in Lahti, the excess material ends up on the design table of our creative director Outi, where they transform into sketches for new bags.
Greetings from Saida in Lahti
“I feel that working in upholstery is in itself an ecological act. Although we also make new furniture and their upholstery, the carrying thought is that everything is made to last. We craft with care and well. When I started, there was loads of scrap material left by the old masters, as they had kept the cutting waste. We had done some upcycling to colleagues, jewellery makers and seamstresses, and now more recently, to Lovia. At times the cutting waste piles up, so it is definitely best to pass it forward to those who can still utilise it.
Wellbeing of the people here is a priority to me. In order for things to work, the makers have to be well. Come fall of 2021 we moved to a four-day work week. You can plan your days freely and everything is rather flexible. We also have a menstrual leave, because there is nothing worse than physical labour in cramps or brain fog.”
- Saida, founder of Saidan Verhoomo
Where can we do better?
We know that easing the burden on our environment requires concrete actions, and also continuous self-improval. We are proud of the work towards a circular economy we do with Saidan Verhoomo, but there is always room for improvement.
We are already rescuing pieces too small for furniture together with Saidan Verhoomo, but there are still scraps that end up in the trash. Our goal in the future is to create a sort of kibble from this resource, that could function as a raw material for a newly produced recycled material for our bags.
We are also looking into testing out a new type of collaboration model with Interface, where we give out the necessary measurements for pieces and Saida does the first stage of sorting. This means less time for us to travel to Lahti and examine the pieces, saving on emissions. Achieving sustainability is always a never-ending process, making us never ready but always hungry for development. Welcome along the journey!
