Lise Vester’s wavy bench for Muuto is a soothing take on outdoor seating

‘Sensory design is, in many ways, a super-language – one we all intuitively speak. From the moment we’re born, touch is our first sense, forming the foundation of how we connect to the world around us and feel love,’ says Danish designer Lise Vester.

This design code is rooted in her work, and is showcased in the ‘Dream View Bench’ for Muuto, crafted from stainless steel moulded into wave-like curves and previewed during 3 Days of Design (18-20 June 2025).

‘Dream View Bench’ previewed at 3 Days of Design

‘When we design with the senses in mind, we create spaces and objects that allow people not just to function – but to feel, reflect, and thrive,' says the designer. ‘Sensory design enables us to craft atmospheres that are calming, stimulating, or restorative. It’s through our senses that we explore, discover, and make sense of the world –and of ourselves.’ Made in Denmark, the bench boasts smooth curves that follow the body’s form, and allow the user to gaze up towards the sky.

‘My intention was to create a playful, sensory, ergonomic experience – an open invitation to pause and drift into a daydream,’ Vester tells Wallpaper*. ‘The [form] invites the body to lean back and gaze upward, letting the sky become a blank canvas for thought and wonder.’

Designed for outdoor use, the bench needed to withstand the elements. Stainless steel was used for its durability and also for its visual and tactile qualities. ‘The brushed surface softens the material’s otherwise industrial character, making it inviting to the touch,’ says Vester. ‘Its reflective quality allows the bench to mirror its surroundings – especially the sky – bringing the heavens, quite literally, down to Earth.’

The ‘Dream View Bench’ was partly inspired by the designer's personal experience. After losing family members in hospitals, she witnessed firsthand how clinical environments can feel cold and alienating. However, ‘when my aunt spent her final days at a hospice in 2011, the experience was profoundly different’, she explains. ‘The space was warm, welcoming, and comforting – offering dignity and calm in the midst of grief. That moment shaped the way I approach design.

‘Later, I returned to that hospice as a student, for one of my first design projects. I interviewed nurses, the palliative care team, and families to understand what made that environment so healing. My dream is that the empathy and beauty found in palliative care settings can be woven into homes, workplaces, cities – into the everyday fabric of life – so that design quietly, but powerfully, supports us wherever we are.’

The ‘Dream View Bench’ by Lise Vester will be pre-launched at the Muuto space in Copenhagen during 3 Days of Design 2025 and will officially launch on 1 September 2025