Profile: Maya Burman – Only Natural Design Competitions

Maya Burman

Kontsfack University of Art, Craft and Design

My name is Maya Burman, and I grew up in northern Sweden, where nature has always been an obvious part of life. Forests, mountains, and the coastline have shaped me and given me a strong interest in sustainability and materials that are gentle on the environment. I now live in Stockholm with my husband and our two children. I have just completed my Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design at Konstfack, where I had the opportunity to deepen my interest in product development, design, and material understanding. I have always been a creative person who enjoys working with my hands, whether it involves building, sketching, or testing ideas through models and prototypes. During my studies, I worked a lot with wood but also experimented with other natural and bio-based materials. I am fascinated by the properties and history of wood – a material we have used for generations and that still holds great potential for a more sustainable future. For me, design is about understanding people’s needs and creating solutions that are both functional and beautiful, while having minimal negative impact on our planet. I am inspired by simple forms, clear constructions, and smart details that make everyday life a little easier. Looking ahead, I want to continue developing within product development and furniture design, working on projects where I can combine creativity, problem-solving, and environmental responsibility.

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LUMY

Category: Interior

Competitions: Home Competition 2025

Lumy is a series of lamps available in three different sizes, designed with a limited number of components. By simply changing out parts, the same lamp can easily be transformed into a floor lamp, table lamp, or pendant lamp. The assembly requires no glue, screws, or nails, making it easy to put together, take apart, and recycle when it eventually reaches the end of its life cycle. The lamps are made from leftover materials – wood and wallpaper – sourced from Swedish furniture and wallpaper factories. For me, it has been important to work with sustainable solutions and to give new life to waste materials from the interior design industry. I contacted several factories and asked for sponsorship in the form of offcuts, and from the materials I received, I created six unique lamps, each with its own character and expression. Lumy builds upon a lamp originally designed by my grandfather Henry in the 1960s. Using his original design as a starting point, I have developed a design language that combines nostalgia, sustainability, and contemporary aesthetics. Throughout this project, I have also felt a strong connection to my grandfather, who loved craftsmanship and spent much of his free time working with wood and creating things by hand as a hobby. Being able to carry forward his ideas while creating something new for the future has been a deeply meaningful process for me. As part of the project, I have also developed a digital tool that allows customers to customise their lamp. By choosing from the available leftover materials, wallpapers, and cords, each person can create a personal and environmentally friendly lamp – unique for every order. The lamp is assembled, packaged, and sent directly to the customer, ready to bring light and character into a new home while telling the story of sustainability, heritage, and thoughtful design.