Arda is a knitted upholstery textile which recreates complex natural forms, structures, surfaces, and colours found deep in the wild. It is part of a design project entitled Design by Nature led by Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren from the Swedish design studio Front.
The double-knitted textile replicates textures and tones discovered, photographed, and 3D-scanned by Front.
Its 12 colours express the experience of different natural environments found in Swedish forests, snowscapes, and lakesides.
Design by Nature was inspired by studies that show how spending time in nature has positive effects on wellbeing, memory, and creativity. Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren: ‘This idea made us wonder whether it could be possible to bring fragments of wilderness, of the natural world, directly into domestic settings.’
The tapestry-like expression of Arda changes to reflect the environment where it is situated. In this way, like the fluid experience of nature, the textile reveals surprising nuances and characteristics as its surroundings, or the conditions change.
Arda is crafted to minimise impact on the natural environments that it mimics. It is primarily constructed from natural woollen yarn – a renewable resource – using an innovative manufacturing process. A technique that, compared to conventional methods, reduces water consumption by between 80 to 95 per cent.
Aesthetically, Arda enables you to bring the organicity of wilderness into your home, it also delivers strong functional performance. Like all knitted textiles, it offers outstanding tactility,  omfort and is ideal for organic forms.