Uusi puu – The New Wood Project shows what wood can do. The project promotes wood-based innovations and provides information about them.
The Levonpuu® cradle, made by hand by designer Sirpa Levonperä, is simple in design yet has a deep meaning: it invites you to stop watching the screen and focus on being present.
Many of us constantly have our phones in our hand, in the handbag or on the nearest table – ready to interrupt us at a moment’s notice. The drawbacks of too much screen time are a constant topic, but concrete solutions of how to control it are few. Designer Sirpa Levonperä took up the challenge and created the Levonpuu® cradle, a place for the phone to rest which also encourages us to rest our minds.
Levonpuu® [Tree of Rest] is somewhere to put your phone down, but above all, it is a reminder that gadgets – and people – also need rest. The tree-shaped cradle stands on stubby legs and is finished with natural materials. Its colours, chosen intuitively, and its smooth surface also make it calming and pleasant to touch.
The cradles are made of massive teak and cherry wood. The hardwax oil used to finish them is fully natural, non-toxic and food safe. The surface is liquid-repellent and easy to clean, and is safe for humans, pets and the environment.
In addition to FSC-certified teak, the designer also uses Finnish timber, either felled or fallen, which means that in the future, production runs can be even more ecological. The cradles are durable and can be sanded and re-finished if needed.
Levonpuu® – also noted by British Vogue – is not just a design object, says designer Sirpa Levonperä. It is an everyday ritual. It invites you to put your phone down and be present. According to Levonperä, Levonpuu® embodies the idea that freedom and serenity are created in a space where the phone has a place of its own.
Forest.fi and New Wood are initiatives of the Finnish Forest Association.