Eva-Lotta Axelsson, founder of Nude Ateljé, describes her brand as a storyteller of spatial experiences, where architecture and life intertwine. “Rooms are performances,” she explains, “with layers that magnify over time, inviting subtle mannerisms and inhabitation.” Drawing inspiration from the uncultivated beauty of Alvaret’s limestone landscapes and the wild creativity of old fashion houses, where production, studio, and shop coexisted, Axelsson infuses her designs with a sense of timeless exploration. This philosophy is embodied in the NOTKATE sideboard, a sculptural piece born from a collaboration with a Stockholm boutique hotel. What began as a humble sketch on a plane evolved into a bold, functional design that balances elegance with playfulness. Crafted from materials like birch, concrete, and corten steel, the sideboard reflects Nude Ateljé’s commitment to blending aesthetics and functionality. “The result is a piece with enough confidence to fill a room by itself,” Axelsson says, “yet with the grace to team up alongside any other furniture.” Rooted in traditional craftsmanship and inspired by the interplay of space and life, the NOTKATE sideboard is a testament to Nude Ateljé’s vision of creating enduring, lived-in narratives.
Natalia Muntean: The sideboard was born from a collaboration with a boutique hotel. Can you share more about how collaborations influence your design process and the unique challenges or opportunities they present?
Eva-Lotta Axelsson: We listen. A lot, and often. The customer is central to everything we do; we usually say that we interpret the assignment based on location, function, and client. Testimony to these values is our projects with boutique hotels and the one with Dennis Pop Awards, for which we created one of our lamps, Chimes of Light. The lamp was originally created for the auction at the 2017 Denniz Pop Awards. This lamp is our tribute to a talented and inspiring late music producer. We aim for this piece to embody the same warmth and brilliance he represented, honouring his legacy. It features thirty hand-turned walnut pendulums, each adjustable in height, dimmable, and emitting a warm glow. With these kinds of projects, my intention is to broaden the idea of creation, to inspire but also to be inspired. Then sustainability and quality are equally important, both in terms of materials and people.
The process begins with meeting the person for whom the room is for. I love observing them from every angle, carefully absorbing their world. Then I ask them a series of questions: what do you want to do in the room? How do you want it to feel when you leave it? When I have explored all this, I create a mood board, a one-pager, which we agree on as the strategy ahead, and then the drawing begins. Observing spatial culture and creating tailored spaces go hand in hand with Nude Ateljé’s anthropological pursuit, an investigation that gets translated into a collection of products. There is a fascinating process to unpack, maybe strategically framed as a day in the life of observations and qualitative questions.
NM: The sideboard features materials like birch, concrete, travertine, corten steel, and hardened glass. What inspired this specific combination of materials, and how do they complement each other in terms of aesthetics and functionality?
ELA: The common theme in our material expressions is elegance, eclecticism, and boldness, often accompanied by a degree of dissonance and friction. This creates a sense of tension and contrast. The products we design are objects where aesthetics and functionality are given equal consideration.
NM: Given that the NOTKATE sideboard is handmade, what role does traditional craftsmanship play in its creation, and how do you ensure consistency and quality across each piece?
ELA: The NOTKATE sideboard is a testament to the art of traditional craftsmanship. Each piece is carefully handcrafted by our small team of skilled artisans, who have years of experience working with solid wood. We value classic woodworking techniques, ensuring that every detail, from sturdy joints to a smooth finish, reflects our commitment to quality. At the same time, we’ve refined our process to keep each sideboard consistent while preserving the wood’s natural look and character. We follow clear design guidelines and use specialised tools to ensure precision, but we never hide the wood’s unique grain patterns that make every piece one of a kind.
Before leaving our workshop, each sideboard is carefully inspected to make sure it meets our high standards. The result is a piece that highlights the warmth and beauty of natural wood, crafted to last for years to come.
NM: Nude Ateljé is known for experimenting with innovative materials. How do you decide which materials to work with, and what role do sustainability and durability play in these choices?
ELA: Nude Ateljé has a distinct eye for creating life, discovering specific approaches through an anthropological process that starts with collecting materials. The work results in translations between inside and outside and the spaces in between rooms. For us, sustainability and durability are centred around longevity, using materials that outlast us, and improve over time with a natural patina and can be repaired or repurposed. For example, wood can be sanded and refinished multiple times. For NOTKATE we buy whole trees that we dry in the carpentry, from where we form the construction, the base and top of the object. Our room scent ‘Forest Temple’ is created with leftover wood from the production of the sideboard.
NM: Are there any upcoming projects, materials, or design concepts that you’re particularly excited about?
ELA: There are a lot of interesting things happening right now, and we are working on both residential and commercial projects, developing the architecture part, our furniture collections and the carpentry at the same time. We might even explore working with other materials and mediums going forward.
We are particularly excited about “Grundvik,” a concrete house where we have worked on both the architecture and interior design. This house will showcase Nude Ateljés' entire universe, encompassing architecture, interiors, and curated objects. It will serve as a “moment of truth” - a proof point of our narrative, positioning, and principles.
