STUDENT CHALLENGE: FORBO X DAE

Take a walk on the wild side

The Student Challenge
FORBO FLOORING X DESIGN ACADEMY EINDHOVEN

How can a collaboration with a brand result in something truly personal and unexpected? That question marked the beginning of our collaboration with the Design Academy Eindhoven (DAE) in the Netherlands. Under the theme “Take a Walk on the Wild Side,” we teamed up with 18 international third-year students to explore fresh, unconventional ways of working with two of our linoleum products: Furniture Linoleum and Bulletin Board.

This wasn’t about traditional applications. The challenge was about pushing boundaries, unlocking the material’s potential, and expressing each student’s unique vision, whether through a three-dimensional object or a functional design.

Studio Thinking Hands

This collaboration took place within Studio Thinking Hands, a thematic DAE course that uses craftsmanship as a way of exploring ideas, with materials playing a key role in the design process.

For this edition, the students were guided by celebrated Dutch designers Kiki van Eijk and Joost van Bleiswijk. With their hands-on approach and emphasis on material exploration, students were encouraged to fully engage with Furniture Linoleum and Bulletin Board, discovering their possibilities in an entirely personal way. All participants were given free access to these materials and challenged to reimagine how they could be used.

The assignment

The brief was to create an inspiring, out-of-the-box interpretation of our linoleum products. Students were asked to explore what attracts them to the material, how they could make it their own, and how it might connect to themes that matter to them. The end result: a three-dimensional object—autonomous or applied—that shows a new perspective on how Furniture Linoleum and Bulletin Board can be used. The goal: to inspire, to surprise, and to show how linoleum can spark new ways of thinking and making.

Curious to see the final results? Click on the tabs above to explore a selection of student projects, dive into their design processes, and watch short videos that bring their ideas to life.
DISCOVER

all our previous Student Challenges

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about Furniture Linoleum

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about Bulletin Board
Zoé

ZOÉ

“This project began with the observation that linoleum shares certain qualities with leather. Inspired by traditional leatherworking techniques, I explored ways to give the material three-dimensionality through manipulation methods, including sewing. Some approaches were challenging, but the most successful involved an interlocking system inspired by zippers, which was fluid and gentle on the material.

Starting in two dimensions, I found that strategic cuts and curved patterns could lead to compelling 3D forms. This opened up possibilities for creating objects like bags, hats and skirts. These pieces blur the line between function and expression, playing with the tension between practicality and the unexpected nature of the material.”

Materials used:

Furniture Linoleum
4154 | burgundy
4023 | nero
Seojun

SEOJUN

“The floor is more than a flat surface; it’s a space that interacts with our lives. In Korean culture, this connection is especially strong through ondol, the traditional underfloor heating system. Living close to the ground shapes a distinct way of life centred around rest, conversation and shared moments.

My collaboration with Forbo Flooring began as an exploration of this relationship. Using their linoleum, I reimagined the floor as something more sculptural, rising up from the ground, wrapping around wooden structures, and forming a new surface at height.

The result is a piece that blurs the line between furniture and floor, both functional and emotional. It reflects a cultural philosophy, turning the floor into a central object that holds space visually and socially in everyday life.”

Materials used:

Furniture Linoleum
4023 | nero

Photography: Marie Kang
Arwan

ARWAN

“My research into linoleum started with an interest in bending and connecting. By using linoleum together with other connecting elements such as wood, metal, and rope, I explored its structural abilities through hands-on experimentation. I was curious about pushing it further, so I even tried soldering—carving into the linoleum and wrapping it with copper foil, allowing the solder to flow through the material.

Through these experiments, I discovered a strong visual and physical connection between linoleum and metal. In the end, I chose to focus on combining the two to create sculptural pieces that still serve a functional purpose.”

Materials used:

Furniture Linoleum
4176 | mushroom

Bulletin board
2162 | duck egg
2204 | poppy seed
2214 | blue berry
2212 | fresh pineapple
2209 | black olive
Fanny

FANNY

“This project transforms linoleum into a versatile material by layering and gluing sheets to form a solid block. When cut, the block reveals unique patterns shaped by the colours and thicknesses of the layers, making each piece one of a kind and highly adaptable.

The first pattern was inspired by a childhood memory, echoing the design of the tiles in the house where I grew up at Rue de la Fontaine Lison. Every cut turns this ready-to-use material into a distinctive artwork, highlighting its potential in furniture detailing, decorative flooring and interior design elements.”

Materials used:

Bulletin board
2166 | nutmeg spice
2214 | blue berry
2212 | fresh pineapple
2182 | potato skin
2186 | blanched almond

Furniture Linoleum
4176 | mushroom
4172 | mauve
Hye-in

HYE-IN

“Based on my experience and material research through making, I became interested in creating unexpected abstract shapes by cutting lines into Bulletin Board linoleum. Focusing on the material itself, I aimed to give the forms both strength and function without adding any other materials.

Inspired by the skyscraper-like lines from my table leg models, I developed a ‘tea table village’. Each table has its own personality and diversity, achieved through colour combinations and the use of organic shapes in a geometric way. The result is a set of customisable pieces with a playful and functional character.”

Materials used:

Bulletin board
2186 | blanched almond
2162 | duck egg
2166 | nutmeg spice
2187 | brown rice
2208 | mushroom medley
2182 | potato skin

Furniture Linoleum
4176 | mushroom
4004 | blue haze
Katla

KATLA

“Material research with Furniture Linoleum led to a fascination with bending and cutting the material to create a 3D texture, where the top layer lifts away from the paper backing.

I created a series of lamps to demonstrate this cutting technique combined with a light source. The light shines through and over the surface, revealing the pattern and its shadows. The lamps naturally adopt the rolled-up form of the material when this technique is applied.

These lamps are just one example of the many possible applications for what I call the Dreki technique. They highlight the captivating interaction between pattern and light.”

Materials used:

Furniture Linoleum
4183 | pistachio
4184 | olive
4154 | burgundy
4023 | nero
4176 | mushroom
Marc

MARC

“During the project with Forbo Flooring, I was drawn to the flexibility and natural qualities of their linoleum. I explored how to use that flexibility without breaking it, shaping it with recycled wooden structures to make the linoleum more rigid and strong.

I created several samples by hand-carving the linoleum to add texture, alternating between manual precision and the use of workshop machines. I also experimented with repeating gestures and shapes to suggest a function or concept. That’s how I arrived at the idea of a flexible seat.

By attaching multiple linoleum pieces under tension, I discovered they could support one another and carry weight without breaking. Since the shape of the fauteuil adapts to the weight and body of the person sitting, I focused on simplicity and precision: cutting linoleum rectangles, drilling holes, and binding them together to form a seat.”

Materials used:

Furniture Linoleum
4176 | mushroom

Bulletin board
2186 | blanched almond
2166 | nutmeg spice
2187 | brown rice
2212 | fresh pineapple

The Student Challenge

Zoé

Seojun

Arwan

Fanny

Hye-in

Katla

Marc

Student Challenge DAE 2025 | group portrait | Forbo Flooring Systems

FORBO FLOORING X DESIGN ACADEMY EINDHOVEN

How can a collaboration with a brand result in something truly personal and unexpected? That question marked the beginning of our collaboration with the Design Academy Eindhoven (DAE) in the Netherlands. Under the theme “Take a Walk on the Wild Side,” we teamed up with 18 international third-year students to explore fresh, unconventional ways of working with two of our linoleum products: Furniture Linoleum and Bulletin Board.

This wasn’t about traditional applications. The challenge was about pushing boundaries, unlocking the material’s potential, and expressing each student’s unique vision, whether through a three-dimensional object or a functional design.

Studio Thinking Hands

This collaboration took place within Studio Thinking Hands, a thematic DAE course that uses craftsmanship as a way of exploring ideas, with materials playing a key role in the design process.

For this edition, the students were guided by celebrated Dutch designers Kiki van Eijk and Joost van Bleiswijk. With their hands-on approach and emphasis on material exploration, students were encouraged to fully engage with Furniture Linoleum and Bulletin Board, discovering their possibilities in an entirely personal way. All participants were given free access to these materials and challenged to reimagine how they could be used.

Student Challenge DAE 2025 | Forbo Flooring Systems

The assignment

The brief was to create an inspiring, out-of-the-box interpretation of our linoleum products. Students were asked to explore what attracts them to the material, how they could make it their own, and how it might connect to themes that matter to them. The end result: a three-dimensional object—autonomous or applied—that shows a new perspective on how Furniture Linoleum and Bulletin Board can be used. The goal: to inspire, to surprise, and to show how linoleum can spark new ways of thinking and making.

Curious to see the final results? Click on the tabs above to explore a selection of student projects, dive into their design processes, and watch short videos that bring their ideas to life.

ZOÉ

“This project began with the observation that linoleum shares certain qualities with leather. Inspired by traditional leatherworking techniques, I explored ways to give the material three-dimensionality through manipulation methods, including sewing. Some approaches were challenging, but the most successful involved an interlocking system inspired by zippers, which was fluid and gentle on the material.

Starting in two dimensions, I found that strategic cuts and curved patterns could lead to compelling 3D forms. This opened up possibilities for creating objects like bags, hats and skirts. These pieces blur the line between function and expression, playing with the tension between practicality and the unexpected nature of the material.”

Materials used:

Furniture Linoleum
4154 | burgundy
4023 | nero

SEOJUN

“The floor is more than a flat surface; it’s a space that interacts with our lives. In Korean culture, this connection is especially strong through ondol, the traditional underfloor heating system. Living close to the ground shapes a distinct way of life centred around rest, conversation and shared moments.

My collaboration with Forbo Flooring began as an exploration of this relationship. Using their linoleum, I reimagined the floor as something more sculptural, rising up from the ground, wrapping around wooden structures, and forming a new surface at height.

The result is a piece that blurs the line between furniture and floor, both functional and emotional. It reflects a cultural philosophy, turning the floor into a central object that holds space visually and socially in everyday life.”

Materials used:

Furniture Linoleum
4023 | nero

Photography: Marie Kang

ARWAN

“My research into linoleum started with an interest in bending and connecting. By using linoleum together with other connecting elements such as wood, metal, and rope, I explored its structural abilities through hands-on experimentation. I was curious about pushing it further, so I even tried soldering—carving into the linoleum and wrapping it with copper foil, allowing the solder to flow through the material.

Through these experiments, I discovered a strong visual and physical connection between linoleum and metal. In the end, I chose to focus on combining the two to create sculptural pieces that still serve a functional purpose.”

Materials used:

FANNY

“This project transforms linoleum into a versatile material by layering and gluing sheets to form a solid block. When cut, the block reveals unique patterns shaped by the colours and thicknesses of the layers, making each piece one of a kind and highly adaptable.

The first pattern was inspired by a childhood memory, echoing the design of the tiles in the house where I grew up at Rue de la Fontaine Lison. Every cut turns this ready-to-use material into a distinctive artwork, highlighting its potential in furniture detailing, decorative flooring and interior design elements.”

Materials used:

HYE-IN

“Based on my experience and material research through making, I became interested in creating unexpected abstract shapes by cutting lines into Bulletin Board linoleum. Focusing on the material itself, I aimed to give the forms both strength and function without adding any other materials.

Inspired by the skyscraper-like lines from my table leg models, I developed a ‘tea table village’. Each table has its own personality and diversity, achieved through colour combinations and the use of organic shapes in a geometric way. The result is a set of customisable pieces with a playful and functional character.”

Materials used:

KATLA

“Material research with Furniture Linoleum led to a fascination with bending and cutting the material to create a 3D texture, where the top layer lifts away from the paper backing.

I created a series of lamps to demonstrate this cutting technique combined with a light source. The light shines through and over the surface, revealing the pattern and its shadows. The lamps naturally adopt the rolled-up form of the material when this technique is applied.

These lamps are just one example of the many possible applications for what I call the Dreki technique. They highlight the captivating interaction between pattern and light.”

Materials used:

MARC

“During the project with Forbo Flooring, I was drawn to the flexibility and natural qualities of their linoleum. I explored how to use that flexibility without breaking it, shaping it with recycled wooden structures to make the linoleum more rigid and strong.

I created several samples by hand-carving the linoleum to add texture, alternating between manual precision and the use of workshop machines. I also experimented with repeating gestures and shapes to suggest a function or concept. That’s how I arrived at the idea of a flexible seat.

By attaching multiple linoleum pieces under tension, I discovered they could support one another and carry weight without breaking. Since the shape of the fauteuil adapts to the weight and body of the person sitting, I focused on simplicity and precision: cutting linoleum rectangles, drilling holes, and binding them together to form a seat.”

Materials used:

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STUDENT CHALLENGE: FORBO X DAE

FORBO FLOORING X DESIGN ACADEMY EINDHOVEN

Studio Thinking Hands

The assignment

DISCOVER

READ MORE

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ZOÉ

Materials used:

SEOJUN

Materials used:

ARWAN

Materials used:

FANNY

Materials used:

HYE-IN

Materials used:

KATLA

Materials used:

MARC

Materials used:

FORBO FLOORING X DESIGN ACADEMY EINDHOVEN

Studio Thinking Hands

The assignment

DISCOVER

READ MORE

Read more

ZOÉ

Materials used:

SEOJUN

Materials used:

ARWAN

Materials used:

FANNY

Materials used:

HYE-IN

Materials used:

KATLA

Materials used:

MARC

Materials used: