Lessons in bamboo with the professor

You know the feeling when you learn something new. The excitement, and the instant eagerness to learn even more. That’s how we felt when we were fortunate enough to cross paths with the “bamboo professor”. We didn’t even plan to use bamboo for RÅGRUND bathroom furniture, our original idea was a bed. But things changed. And now we know a lot more than we did before.

After some thinking and testing, we realized bamboo is more suitable for a bathroom than a bedroom. Why? It’s a grass that mostly grows in the tropics—a climate similar to a steamy, hot bathroom. To carry out their new plan, product developer Damon Hird and his team left the forests of Sweden and headed to a factory in China. Visiting factories to collaborate and design directly on the factory floor helps us maximize material use and save resources.

Meeting "the professor"

Damon says they met a man they started to call "the bamboo professor". "He literally knew everything about bamboo, and he could make mathematical equations on how to utilize the material, as well as maximize use and minimize waste from the top of his head." "It was really incredible," he adds. "It gave us so many ideas on how to best use the material and insights into what was possible and what wasn’t.”

Designing for life at home

The team focused on combining the need of more spots for storage, maximizing small spaces and wanting to sit comfortably with the lessons from the “bamboo professor.” After 5 days, they headed back to Sweden with a design that was finalized into RÅGRUND towel rack chair. Not only being a chair, it also has a shelf underneath and a high back where you can hang towels or clothes. Naturally, it matches the RÅGRUND shelving units, mirror and toilet roll stand. The story of RÅGRUND proves you never know when and where you'll learn something new!