In 1992, Nikari’s founder, Kari Virtanen, began conceptualizing the form of the perfect chair for a lecture at the University of Art and Design. He aimed to create an ideal that he could present during a lecture on traditional wooden furniture — a chair that would honor the natural qualities of wood, allowing the grain to shine in its full beauty, without a single metal or foreign connection. Only wood. Finnish woodworking craftsmanship in its purest form.

Thus, the KVT1 was born.

Virtanen later named the chair Seminar. It was chosen by Steven Holl for audience seating at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, and the rest is Finnish design history — and also the history of Nikari.

“The KVT1 chair, or Seminar, was the launchpad for Nikari’s own collection,” says Nikari’s creative director, Jenni Roininen.

This fall, we’re introducing a console table as a permanent part of the Seminar collection. Its proportions have been carefully considered, and every detail has been meticulously refined — just like all the products in our Seminar collection.

A Versatile New Console Table Joins the Seminar Series

As part of the Kiasma project, other furniture pieces were requested to accompany the chair, which led to the creation of a solid wood table and a bench version of the chair. Gradually, a whole collection evolved around the chair, expanding over time.

“We’ve listened to the needs of architects and interior designers, wanting to offer them new solutions to various spatial challenges,” Roininen says.

The chair and other pieces from the Seminar collection quickly became a hit. The collection is understatedly beautiful and functional, timeless, and works in a wide range of interior designs. It has been ordered globally for public spaces, from museums to restaurants.

“The series is one of Nikari’s best-sellers,” says CEO Johanna Vuorio.

Over the years, clients have occasionally requested smaller, console-like tables to complement Seminar furniture. This fall, we’re introducing a console table as a permanent part of the Seminar collection. Its proportions have been carefully considered, and every detail has been meticulously refined—just like all the products in our Seminar collection.

The table was designed by Nikari’s founder, Kari Virtanen, with Nikari’s creative director, Jenni Roininen, closely involved in the design process.

“The console table, like the other pieces in the Seminar series, suits different types of spaces because it’s so clean-lined and straightforward, modernly designed entirely in harmony with solid wood,” Virtanen says.

“Everything is meticulously considered, from dimensions to joints. The end result is a polished gem,” Roininen adds.

The console table adds a valuable new option to the Seminar series, providing architects and interior designers with fresh possibilities: it’s suitable for narrow spaces like hallways and lobbies, but can also function as a small desk, for example, in hotel rooms.

“It also works well in home offices and offices. The front panel provides more privacy and creates a tidier look, hiding cables and clutter, as well as the legs of the person sitting at the table.”

Seminar is a Tribute to Finnish Woodworking Craftsmanship

Seminar furniture is available in oak, ash, or birch wood. All Seminar pieces are characterized by very straight surfaces and forms. Since wood is an organic material, achieving a flat surface is technically challenging. It would be easier to create curved, soft lines and shapes. For this reason, every piece in the Seminar collection is a tribute to Finnish woodworking craftsmanship.

“When a carpenter can make the Seminar, they’re a skilled carpenter,” Virtanen says.

Seminar pieces are best viewed up close. Admire the finishing, how the grain flows across the chair’s surface, the thoughtful design of every line.

The leg joint of the Seminar chair is unique, and now the same type of joint is featured in the new console table. Typically, in chairs and tables, the joint is hidden, but in the Seminar series, the leg is visible, showing the wood grain and how it aligns with the surface grain of the table or chair.

All joint surfaces are hand-sanded to be perfectly square, with no industrial rounded corners. The entire piece shows no indentations or protrusions—the surfaces and edges blend seamlessly, with every point aligned to a tenth of a millimeter.

“I admire how these massive flat surfaces come alive, how they establish a certain hierarchy—everything is polished with incredible precision, down to the last detail,” Roininen says.

Even if one isn’t able to consciously notice the details, they are sensed instinctively. Seminar furniture radiates a kind of peace and dignity, born from the fact that they’ve been crafted with skill and respect by human hands.

“Many people look and comment, saying, ‘How can that be so harmonious and straight?’”

Seminar furniture and its edges invite you to touch them, to let your fingertips trace the corners and shapes.

Sustainable Design: Old Seminar Pieces Work Alongside New Ones

The Seminar collection fits beautifully into modern architecture, as the furniture doesn’t seek to draw attention to itself. Yet, it also works well in spaces with layers of history.

“The Seminar collection embodies the purest expression of Kari Virtanen’s and Nikari’s philosophy,” Roininen says.

“The wood composition has been carefully considered, and the dimensions of the furniture are designed with aesthetics, functionality, and durability in mind. We don’t waste wood with overly heavy structures or massive surfaces. We’ve used only as much wood as is necessary to make the pieces strong, durable, and beautiful.”

“No wood is wasted; every detail is meticulously considered,” Roininen sums up.

Seminar has been continuously produced by Nikari since 1992. Why change something that works, is timeless, and beautiful? The collection continues to evolve with new pieces—Kari Virtanen is already working on a new addition to the series.

Older Seminar pieces can be combined with newer ones from the collection, and the older pieces can also be maintained almost endlessly.

“The shape of the Seminar is eternal.”

Welcome to Design Post Cologne during Orgatec 2024 to view the New Seminar Console Table. See You in Germany!