Sancal becomes the canvas for the new Elmonordic collection.
At Sancal, we have always understood design as an opportunity for experimentation. Our pieces, with their iconic, extroverted and sometimes bold shapes, lend themselves to this kind of play, leading us to discover new aesthetic languages. So, when Elmo Leather and designer and colourist Tekla Evelina Severin (Teklan) envisioned how to present the renewed Elmonordic palette, they found the perfect canvas in our furniture.
The result is a vibrant mise-en-scène in which colour takes centre stage. Teklan has revisited the Swedish tannery’s collection, keeping ten neutral tones and reinventing twenty more with a fresh, unconventional approach: blues that evoke the shades of a clear sky, warm reds with an orange twist, fresh and luminous greens, and yellows bursting with vitality.
Applied to our furniture, these colours take on a new dimension. Through the use of colour blocking, the pieces are transformed into sculptural volumes, while the interplay of hues and forms generate contrasts that multiply their expressiveness.
To showcase the renewed collection, Teklan has conceived four carefully curated scenographies that work as narrative capsules. With influences from Edward Hopper’s painting and a touch of psychedelic aesthetic, these settings reveal how colour transforms the perception of both space and object. Light, chromatic blocks and composition turn each scene into a visual experiment brimming with optimism.
In Teklan’s words “Overall, I aimed to make the collection feel contemporary.” She adds “There’s a lot of conformity in design, and I strive to disrupt that by introducing new perspectives and combinations. New light allows us to discover new things, light itself is energy.”
Thus, in this three-way collaboration, Elmo contributes the materiality, Teklan the chromatic vision, and Sancal the forms. Together, we bring to life a narrative that challenges Nordic tradition, embracing a more expressive, radical and vitalist aesthetic. It is also an invitation to discover colour as matter.
SET 1. Lounge Area. Canto modular programme by Sancal.
In this scene, Sancal’s Canto modules are presented as blocks of colour that highlight the versatility of Elmonordic leather.
The tones are combined in an unexpected chromatic sequence: from deep burgundy to salmon, a stony grey, alongside two shades of blue. This palette reinforces the versatile character of Canto, a design open to multiple interpretations, capable of transforming not only through colour but also through its modular configurations.
The use of colour enhances the bold curves and geometry of each module, revealing them as almost sculptural pieces. The result is a dynamic, contemporary living area, where colour emerges as the true visual axis of the space.
SET 2. Introspective space. DB armchair by Sancal.
This setting conveys a more intimate atmosphere, where the comfort of the DB armchair is heightened by the tactile warmth of Elmonordic leather. The sky-blue hue chosen to upholster the piece emphasizes the softness of its curves and invites relaxation, turning it into an embracing seat thanks to its generous proportions and plush cushions.
The chromatic dialogue is completed by the Duplex side table in Mango and a Pion stool in Champagne finish with a seat upholstered in Elmo leather. Each element becomes a block of colour within a scenography of graphic and almost pictorial character, reaffirming Teklan’s commitment to colour blocking as a visual language.
SET 3. A chromatic family. Tortuga armchair and Mini Tortuga lounge chair by Sancal.
In this scene, the Tortuga armchair and its compact version, the Mini Tortuga, appear as a play of contrasts within the same family. Upholstered in Elmonordic leather, the first in olive green and the second in a combination of two yellow tones, both pieces reveal how a single design can adopt different personalities depending on size and colour.
The rounded and welcoming shapes of this family are transformed here into bold chromatic blocks, where contrast amplifies each piece’s expressiveness and introduces a playful, extroverted spirit, true to Teklan’s chromatic vision.
SET 4. Bicolour geometry. Roll chair and Totem stool by Sancal.
The rounded, minimalist forms of both pieces, treated here as pure volumes, are elevated into authentic sculptures, a perfect example of how colour blocking enhances expressiveness and turns furniture into an almost artistic composition.
In this set, the Roll chairs are upholstered in Elmonordic leather in a two-tone green combination that highlights their unmistakable cylindrical shapes. The contrast between the two tones adds rhythm and depth, underscoring the design’s graphic and contemporary character.
Next to them, the Totem stool introduces an even bolder chromatic twist: its Mango-coloured structure supports a seat upholstered in red-burgundy Elmo leather, creating a subtle yet vibrant contrast.
Coming soon: Teklan x Elmo arrives in Madrid. Discover our pieces at COLAB… dates to be announced shortly!
Images by Björn Ceder, courtesy of Elmo Leather.
