Style and substance
- Gústav's furniture is built to last
- He plants a tree for each item sold, giving back what he takes
- He believes craft is a virtue which will bloom as a reaction to modern life
Gústav Jóhannsson works under the name AGUSTAV, an award-winning partnership established with his wife, designer Ágústa Magnúsdóttir. The brand embodies simplicity of design and a passion for the natural material of wood. Each piece is handmade by Gústav, who is guided by generations of ancestors who worked with the material before him. His work embraces traditional Scandinavian techniques and uses high quality, carefully chosen materials. AGUSTAV is a regular exhibitor at DesignMarch, Iceland, and has been featured at fairs in Dubai, Scotland and New York. Both style and substance can be found in his classic designs, which do not compromise on craftsmanship.
INTERVIEW
I come from a long line of carpenters and cabinetmakers, so it’s always been in my blood. Wood is a material I grew up with it; I understand its natural properties and how it works. I fought it for a while, thinking I wanted to break the pattern, only to realise this is exactly where I belong.
We mainly work on things we personally need for our home, things we would love. The first object I made was a cabinet I fitted into a corner of our kitchen. I find it important to create objects that are timeless, that work with people’s lives and have a long lifespan.
I mainly use oak and walnut because living in Iceland I am limited by what can be imported. These are the materials I know are always available. It is important to know I can get the quality materials I need to do the job.
All our product design is a joint effort. Once we have visualised what we want to do, I start the creation. We twist and turn until we are happy with the outcome, which might be completely different from the first idea. Our design process is very hands-on, rooted in the craft itself.
