Interview with Elin Fyhr from Plantstraws

Elin was the winner of Design Talent’s Best in Show award in August 2023.

Describe your product Plantstraws.
Plantstraws is a product that makes it both easy and beautiful to have plants at home. We make our products ourselves in our studio in Stockholm or in our workshop in Småland. We only use sustainable materials like metal and recycled cotton.

The product keeps the soil evenly moist using capillary action, a technique that has been used since the beginning of flower beds in English gardens. With Plantstraws, potted plants become an even more creative hobby or interior decoration, for all of us lazy people who may not always make sure to water on time.

How did Plantstraws start?
It all started on a small scale during a period of weekly commuting to Copenhagen. I wanted to find a solution to take care of the plants while I was away. During my architectural training, we had access to a metal workshop, and I, who has always liked to build things, started sketching my own solution. Now it has developed into a full-scale business that I run together with my father, Tomas Fyhr.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Nature is, of course, a source of inspiration in that the plant will always be organic in its form and therefore I wanted my metal product to be something different. The arc forms a perfect semi-circle, a shape rarely found on a plant.

On a personal level, I am also driven by the infinite capacity of all people to create and by a desire to make products that are playful in an inviting way. The clean shape is easy and fun to match with lots of different types of pots, plants and vases, I think. I want Plantstraws to inspire creativity, to make caring for plants fun and to express your own style.

How did you experience your participation at Formex Design Talents?
Participating in Formex Design Talents was inspiring and quite frankly a bit scary at first! But it ended up being a very validating experience. Being awarded Best in Show was a recognition that gave me the feeling that we are really on the right track with Plantstraws. It was also a great platform for networking and meeting other designers, stylists, entrepreneurs and inspirers for which I am incredibly grateful!

What are your plans for the future?Future plans for Plantstraws include expanding our collection with new colors, variations and small limited edition product lines. I also look forward to strengthening our cooperation with new retailers here in Sweden, something that Formex really helped with. Of course, we will continue to build our community through social media. For example, I usually include our followers in the selection of new colors.

But most of all, we look forward to continue doing what we love: creating beautiful and functional products that make life a little greener and happier for more people!

Visit the Plantstraws website here: www.plantstraws.co
Visit Plantstraws on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/plantstraws