Location : Oslo, Norway
Profession / passion : Furniture designer/ maker
Website : www.poppylawman.com
Instagram : @poppylawman

One Day is an ongoing project sparked by the Covid-19. In the days of isolation we would like to focus on what we do best; bringing people together. Read more about the project here.
We will be posting one new day of someones life every day until we run out of contributors. See our instagram stories to experience these peoples One Day in action.

What is the story behind your profession/ passion?
My design practice focuses on transparent process, locality, form, and emotional design or slow design. The goal being to create objects that dance the line of art and design, objects and furniture that hopefully peek our curiosity and draw us into a deeper emotional connection or experience.

How do you want people to react to your work / passion?
I hope that these sculptural and reflective objects encourage people to live at a good pace and connect more to our surroundings and activities that we partake in.

How has the current situation affected how you work?
Many of my year’s exhibitions and projects have been canceled or postponed. I was meant to exhibit this year at the Milan Furniture Fair in April, with a big project I have been working on for many months, but it doesn’t look like that will continue in light of the current situation. However, as a small designer/maker I have been really touched that many of the small design shops that are also suffering greatly in this time are still willing to continue with their orders. So I am making what I can from home (my lounge has become my home office!), which is mainly brush making. But I am also taking the time to do the things I always plan for and never manage like improving my photo editing skills, working on my website and online shop (not online yet), and planning new projects.

What is the most inspiring text you read recently?
“In Praise of Slow’ By Carl Honore, is one of my favourite books. It explores the way we live life and at what pace we do so for our collective quality of life. Honore would say slow is about being calm, receptive, reflective, patient, quality over quantity, and making real connections with each other, our environment, or culture, etc.

Your greatest achievement?
For me, starting a business that I feel proud of what it stands for, what is produced, and how those objects are produced. I have only just started this business in the last year and being a maker and having a studio is all I have ever dreamed of.

Define what beauty means to you.
It is always changing year by year for me I feel, but currently I think it surrounds simplicity, curiosity, material experience, and story narrative.

Function or form?
Both, function and form! I love something that is both enjoyable to use and enjoyable out of use, as a sculpture.

Your best trait?
I think endurance. For many years I was a competitive long distance runner and when I stopped people were always commenting about what a shame. But I feel the part I was good at was actually endurance and that has been incredibly helpful in my current work. To keep going even when it’s tough, to work by myself, or keep going with the long hours etc...

What was the most defining moment in your life?
I’m not sure about most, but a very defining moment for me has been my husband and I’s decision to move to Oslo in Norway. We love it here, from the work life balance, to the forest being at the city’s doorstep, to the culture and lifestyle. Best decision we’ve ever made.

Quality or quantity?
Quality, long lasting beautiful quality.

Who do you miss?
I miss hanging out in person with my friends and co-workers. Going to a friends for a drink, dinner, or just plain and simple hello hugs! One doesn’t realize how ingrained it is and how much muscle memory until you have to actively stop your body from automatic hello hugs!

How do you relax?
At the moment it's definitely through cocktail making and cooking new and interesting things. I’ve been making ramen, dumplings, and exploring making cocktails with rum (I’m a bit of a gin girl so this is me branching out!).

Live in the same house or move to a different country every month or for the next ten years?
I am so tired of moving. My family has moved so many times between the US and the UK that I am very content to just live in Oslo forever now. Buy an apartment, get a dog, and just be delightfully boring and content.

Lastly, how do wish to see this current situation have a positive impact on our lives?
I hope we all slow down a bit more in our post-covid lives. I feel it forcing me to do so already and helping me to embrace and actively choose to put effort into what my priorities are.

One day : Poppy Lawman - furniture maker