Q&A with Salak Studio

We sat down with Alicja Korbut, Founder of Salak Studio, to learn more about the Polish based brand pioneering furniture design across Europe.

Hi Alicja, can you tell us how Salak Studio started?

“I have been involved with art since I was a child, from my earliest years I sculpted, painted, drew… following my passion I went to study at the Academy of Fine Arts where I studied interior design. During my studies I also attended a furniture studio, created my first pieces of furniture with my own hands, renovated monuments from the 60s and spent my evenings in the carpentry workshop belonging to our university.

In parallel with my full-time studies I worked as an interior designer creating designs for residential and commercial spaces. I quickly realised that I preferred and felt better in product design and that deep in my heart I felt that I wanted to focus on furniture design”

“After my studies I went to Great Britain for six months where I worked two shifts in a warehouse dealing with alarm systems and in a design office in Birmingham. After returning I founded SALAK and from then on my whole world was focused only on furniture.

At first we made furniture, but very quickly the company began to grow. Already in the first years we found ourselves, among others, in on the list of “5 Polish Iconic Brands of Europe” according to the foreign magazine HypeandHyper. And so we create at an ever-increasing pace. However, everything is still hand-made in Poland, locally in our workshop”

What inspires you?

“I am inspired by geometry, composition. The way simple shapes can correspond with each other. I am inspired by modernism, but also by the stories of different creators such as Roman Modzelewski or Harry Bertoia”

What are your favourite pieces and why?

“I don’t have one favourite SALAK, but I think that one of my most important projects is the FUKU table [pictured right], which was not supposed to be created at all because on one hand it seemed too banal and on the other hand we needed such a large wooden ball for it that it seemed impossible. However, in 2020 we finally introduced FUKU to the world and it immediately became our bestseller. FUKU is already heading all over the world to Dubai, Germany and France”

Do you have any fond customer stories?

“There are so many stories it’s hard to choose one. However, what is most amazing and memorable is how much people appreciate our work, the high quality of the furniture and the fact that they see it so much and are happy about it that often customers call me just to thank me. It’s really amazing”

What is your top tip for buying sustainable items?

“I think the most important thing is to buy high quality products, made of honest materials (no veneers, laminates or plastic) doing this means your home will have the same furniture for many years, which you will also be able to renovate and they will always look good”

Shop Salak Studio’s beautiful, handcrafted pieces on the Redeco app.