Material innovation for a modular chair without VOC’s
Project: Diari Chair 001
Client: SURU
Location: Barcelona (Spain)
Year: 2023
Materials: Cellulose board (monomaterial), milk-based paint, biodegradable protective coating.
Keywords: Circular economy, repairability, monomaterial, flat-pack, local production
Why?
The furniture industry faces the challenge of reducing emissions and waste while ensuring materials can be easily recovered at the end of their life. Choosing monomaterial solutions and biodegradable finishes lowers VOC emissions and simplifies composting or recycling processes. At the same time, designing for repairability extends a product’s lifespan and minimizes waste. Through Diari, SURU and Nutcreatives offer a tangible response to these environmental challenges—an everyday object conceived under the principles of circular design and local production.
The project involved a lot of testing of the material, paints, and protective treatments combined with ergonomics and aesthetics.
What?
Diari is an everyday chair designed around the principles of circular economy. It is made primarily from Cellulose Board as a single material, which allows the entire piece to be composted or recycled after use. The surface is finished with milk-based paint and a biodegradable protective coating, ensuring durability while maintaining environmental integrity.
The chair ships in a flat-pack format, reducing transport volume and emissions. Every component can be easily replaced or repaired, preventing premature disposal and encouraging long-term use.
What?
The design relies on simplicity, transparency, and disassembly. Each part is cut from Cellulose Board and assembled using metal inserts and screws, without adhesives or complex fittings. This allows full disassembly for maintenance, repair, or end-of-life recycling.
All finishing processes — from painting to protective coating — are carried out locally in Barcelona, ensuring control over sustainability and quality. The result is a durable, repairable, and compostable chair that embodies SURU’s values of transparency, circularity, and responsible production — proving that sustainable design can also be beautifully simple.
