Finnish Matri’s latest bed launch, Aina, took a long time to go from idea to production. What makes the bed so special is not only its adaptability but also the fact that the brand insisted on making it as durable and eco-friendly as possible.
AN ERGONOMIC BED is surprisingly important for a good night's sleep – let alone one that you can modify to suit your own specific needs. Add to the equation the wish for sustainability and longevity, and you've got quite the task for a bed manufacturer. In spite of all this, the Finnish brand Matri decided to take up the challenge: in 2021, it launched a bed called Aina, which adapts to the individual needs of different sleepers.
The Aina bed was designed by Matri's creative director Elli Lehnhoff together with her designer husband Andreas Lehnhoff. The aim was to create a durable bed that responds to the demand for circular economy and serves its owner at various stages in life.
“We wanted to create a timeless bed whose firmness could be modified,” says Elli Lehnhoff.
The Aina bed's development process took a long time: the idea for a modifiable bed arose years ago and the first prototype was created as early as 2018. Since then, Matri made dozens of testbeds until it reached a design that met its expectations.
The final push to launch the bed came in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the globe. Suddenly, it wasn't as simple as it used to be to test the beds in-store, and so the brand decided it was time for a bed that customers could easily modify at home.
Although the bar is always high at Matri, it became even higher in the case of Aina due to the brand's circular economy mindset: each part and component needed to be removable, repairable and replaceable.
“It's not always easy for a small business like Matri to find solutions on the market, but we're really happy with the end result. It has been delightful to see that more and more material suppliers are offering new, more sustainable options,” Lehnhoff says.
• Read also: Matri brings Nordic design into the bedroom >
Even though the bed is now launched, the development process and envisioning continue. The Matri teams' daydreams include leasing, cleaning and repair services for the brand's beds.
“We're always on the lookout for new and innovative solutions. For example, we would very much like to find a way to repurpose Aina's components before they end up being recycled. It would further reduce their impact on the environment,” says Lehnhoff.
See also:
• Aina bed >
• All Matri products >
Edit: Design Stories Images: Marja Wickman and Kaisu Kaplin