Sixty years ago, great Scandinavian designers like Hans Wegner and Alvar Aalto were crafting furniture that was streamlined, comfortable and made from natural materials. Now, decades after mass-produced industrial furniture became the norm, these Nordic classics are back in fashion. But why?

It turns out they were well ahead of their time. These days, slow living is the new mantra, a way of being that emphasises wellbeing, mindfulness, quality and a connection to nature. Modernist design being back in the spotlight speaks to a collective desire for simplicity and authenticity - a return to roots. When it first emerged, modernism stripped away the ornamentation and frills of earlier eras. In a way, their minimalism was a reaction to the pressures of modern life. Today, the upheaval of globalisation and the digital revolution has provoked a similar response. It’s a paring away of the inessential in order to find something meaningful.

Ironically, though, this reaction against global sameness has led to a global aesthetic that is being criticised for, well, its sameness. It’s something that writer Kyle Chayka calls AirSpace. “It’s the realm of coffee shops, bars, startup offices, and co-live/work spaces that share the same hallmarks everywhere you go: a profusion of symbols of comfort and quality, at least to a certain connoisseurial mindset,” he says.