Mater is a Danish furniture and lighting brand founded in Copenhagen in 2006 by entrepreneur Henrik Marstrand, built on a singular conviction: that beautiful, contemporary furniture and genuine sustainability are not opposing forces. The brand has been FSC-certified from its very first year, uses recycled aluminum containing at least 70% post-consumer content, and pioneered its proprietary Matek® composite — a material made from e-waste and industrial waste — that can be taken back and recycled at end of life. Comosum carries Mater because they represent the clearest case we know of a brand treating circular design as operational reality rather than marketing language.
The Story Behind Mater
Henrik Marstrand launched Mater in Copenhagen in 2006 with a design brief that most furniture companies wouldn't touch: make objects that are genuinely beautiful, made responsibly, and prove that those two things can coexist. The name comes from the Latin root for "mother" and "material" — a quiet signal that this was always going to be about where things come from and what they're made of.
In the early years, the brand built its reputation around FSC-certified wood and recycled aluminum. The Mater High Stool, launched in 2007 and still one of their best-selling pieces, was one of the first modern furniture designs made from aluminum with 70% recycled content. Clean, precise, and elegantly proportioned, it became a signal of what responsible furniture design could look like when it wasn't apologizing for itself.
Over the following decade, Mater deepened their material story. The Bowl Table, introduced in 2012, used mango wood — a byproduct of the mango fruit industry that would otherwise be discarded once the trees stop producing fruit. In 2019, the brand began using ocean-recovered plastic in their outdoor series, and a landmark version of the Ocean Collection used recycled Carlsberg beer kegs. In 2020, they launched Matek® — their most significant material innovation — developed in alliance with large corporations to recycle e-waste (end-of-life electronic appliances) into a structural composite. By 2022, a Mater Takeback program allowed customers to return Matek® furniture for recycling. In 2024, they introduced a biodegradable variant of Matek™.
Mater works with an international roster of designers. The Danish-German designer Sebastian Herkner created the Terho pendant — a sculptural forest seed shape in hand-blown glass. Norwegian designer Andreas Engesvik designed the Nestor chair series, one of the most considered wooden dining chairs in contemporary production. Henrik Pedersen collaborated on the Liuku pendant, a precise, architectural lighting piece made from FSC-certified wood. Each collaboration reflects Mater's standard: designers who understand materials as deeply as they understand form.
How Mater Builds Sustainably
Materials
Mater's material palette is unusually specific and verifiable. FSC-certified wood has been used since 2006 — not added later as a certification trophy, but built into the brand's DNA from the start. Their recycled aluminum carries a minimum 70% post-consumer recycled content, which is significantly higher than industry standard. Mango wood (used in the Bowl Table series) is a genuine agricultural byproduct: mango trees stop bearing commercial fruit after about 15 years, and using their wood avoids harvest of virgin timber. The Ocean Collection uses plastic recovered from ocean and coastal waterways. Matek® incorporates e-waste — specifically end-of-life electronic appliances — reducing the volume of material headed for landfill or incineration. The 2024 biodegradable Matek™ variant goes further still, combining recycled content with end-of-life material breakdown.
Manufacturing & Circular Economy
Mater manufactures across multiple specialist workshops, pairing the right production context with each material — Danish and European workshops for some pieces, specialist producers in Asia for others where traditional craft skills are embedded. Their Takeback program, launched in 2022, offers to collect and recycle any product made with Matek® at end of life — one of the few furniture brands with a formalized take-back commitment in place. This closes the loop on their most innovative material and sets a standard for the category.
Certifications & Transparency
Mater holds FSC certification and publishes annual Sustainability Reports — the 2022 and 2023-24 reports are publicly available on their website. They maintain a public Code of Conduct. Their sustainability approach is documented, dated, and available for scrutiny, which is rare in the furniture industry. Explore Mater's full story and sustainability timeline on their website.
Why Mater Belongs at Comosum
Comosum's three pillars — sustainability, original design, and quality craftsmanship — find an unusually complete expression in Mater. On sustainability, the material credentials are specific, dated, and third-party verified. On original design, Mater has never made derivative furniture: every piece in the collection begins with a genuine brief and ends with something that couldn't have come from anyone else. On craftsmanship, pieces like the Nestor chair and the Bowl Table are held to standards that most furniture at their price point never approaches.
What sets carrying Mater through Comosum apart is context. We've selected a focused range of their strongest pieces — the furniture and lighting that best represents the brand's core story — and we can speak to why each piece exists, how it's made, and what makes it worth the investment. You're not browsing a warehouse listing; you're choosing with intention.
From the sculptural Bowl Table in mango wood to the precise Nestor dining chair series, the Mater collection at Comosum spans dining chairs and armchairs, dining tables, pendants, side tables and lounge tables, stools, and accessories. Price points run from around $500 for the Firefly pendant to over $2,700 for The Lounge Chair — furniture priced for what it is, built to last decades.
Explore Mater at Comosum
A few standout pieces from the Mater collection currently available:
Mater Nestor Sidechair — Designed by Andreas Engesvik in FSC-certified solid oak, the Nestor is a rare dining chair that is both genuinely comfortable and visually refined. The joinery is precise, the proportions are considered, and it ages beautifully. From $1,114.
Mater Bowl Table — Made from mango wood — an agricultural byproduct from trees that have finished fruiting — each Bowl Table is slightly different, shaped by hand. Available in small, medium, large, and extra large, from $666.
Mater Liuku Pendant — Designed by Henrik Pedersen in FSC-certified wood, the Liuku is an architectural pendant that earns its presence without competing for attention. A considered piece for dining rooms and kitchen islands. From $576.
Mater Low Stool — In recycled aluminum, the Low Stool embodies Mater's earliest material commitment. Compact, versatile, and built to last. From $1,134.
Mater Dining Table — Clean, modern, and made from recycled aluminum or sustainable wood. Pairs naturally with the Nestor chair series. $2,199.
Browse the full Mater collection at Comosum →
Frequently Asked Questions About Mater
Where is Mater furniture made?
Mater is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a showroom on Glentevej in Copenhagen NV. Their furniture is produced across specialist workshops selected for each material — some in Europe, some with master craft traditions in Asia. All production is governed by Mater's published Code of Conduct.
Is Mater furniture sustainable?
Yes — with specific, verifiable credentials. Mater has used FSC-certified wood since 2006, their recycled aluminum contains at least 70% post-consumer recycled content, and their Matek® material is made from e-waste. They publish annual sustainability reports and operate a take-back program for Matek® products.
What materials does Mater use?
Mater's core materials include FSC-certified oak and walnut, recycled aluminum (minimum 70% recycled content), mango wood (an agricultural byproduct), ocean-recovered plastic, and Matek® — their proprietary composite made from recycled e-waste. Each material has a documented origin story.
What is Mater's Matek® composite?
Matek® is a proprietary material developed by Mater in 2020, made from recycled e-waste (end-of-life electronic appliances) and industrial waste processed into a structural composite. It is used in several Mater products and is covered by a Takeback program: Mater will collect and recycle Matek® furniture at the end of its life. A biodegradable variant was launched in 2024.
Does Mater furniture ship to the US?
Yes. Mater furniture is available through Comosum with shipping across the United States. Browse the complete Mater collection at Comosum with free delivery on eligible orders.
Learn more about our approach to sustainable furniture brands at Comosum, or explore our broader guide to the best sustainable furniture brands we carry.
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