Shimber is a Helsinki-based company creating an iridescent coating – made entirely from wood. Instead of using pigments or plastics, Shimber produces colour through microscopic structures that interact with light – the same principle that makes butterfly wings shimmer or peacock feathers glow. We had a conversation with the founders – Monika Nars, Noora Yau, Anna Semi and Konrad Klockars – to learn more about their story.
How would you describe your journey to creating the world's first biobased, microplastic free coating made from renewable wood pulp?
Our journey began in material science at Aalto University, where wood-based structural colour was being researched. Early on, we recognised that beyond its functional potential, there was something visually remarkable in the material itself: a depth, luminosity, and dynamic colour expression unlike conventional pigments.
That realisation opened an entirely new direction for us: how could this phenomenon become accessible to design? From there, the challenge was to transform a highly specialised innovation into a versatile coating that could be applied across materials, surfaces, and geometries.
What emerged was Shimber – a new kind of finish where renewable wood pulp, advanced nanostructure engineering, and aesthetic expression converge in one material language.
Shimber introduces a new material language for design – one where visual impact and environmental responsibility are not in conflict. When working in this intersection of craft and science, what do you hope people feel when they touch or see the material for the first time?
When people first encounter the material, we hope there is a moment of quiet surprise. Shimber is something that feels both unfamiliar and deeply natural at once.
Visually, the surface does not behave like a conventional paint or finish. It shifts with light, carries depth, and reveals subtle variation rather than flat uniform colour. Often, it invites a second look, then a third. You turn it towards the light and discover something new each time.
More than anything, we hope people experience a sense of wonder: that something so expressive and alive can emerge from nature-inspired structure rather than synthetic colourants.
Could you explain the practice behind bringing a product with Shimber coating to life? What does the hands-on process look like with your team?
Each project begins with understanding the object itself: the material, geometry, texture, and intended atmosphere. Because every surface behaves differently, preparation is an essential first step. Surfaces are carefully pretreated to ensure the coating performs beautifully and consistently.
From there, Shimber is applied using a range of coating methods, selected according to the needs of the object. The process may vary depending on whether we are working with flat surfaces, complex forms, tactile textures, or larger-scale pieces.
What makes our practice compelling is that it exists between precision and exploration. Scientific control is essential, but so is an openness to how light, form, and materials interact in unexpected ways.
Since Shimber is designed to be material-agnostic and geometry-flexible, how does it change or adapt to the personality of the surface it's coating?
One of the defining qualities of Shimber is that it contains no pigments or traditional colourants. The coating itself is transparent and colour is created through the nanostructure within the material, which reflects light in highly specific ways.
Because of that transparency, the underlying surface remains present. You still perceive something of the substrate beneath: its warmth, texture, grain, softness, or density. In this sense, the coating does not conceal the object’s identity but it collaborates with it.
The surface can also influence the final colour expression, meaning each application develops its own character. Rather than imposing uniformity, the material responds to what is already there.
Every innovation has its quiet struggles. Looking back, is there a challenge you faced that unexpectedly opened a new door or changed the way you see the material today?
One of our greatest challenges was learning how to coat three-dimensional surfaces while preserving the optical quality of the material. What worked beautifully on flat samples did not automatically translate to curved or complex forms.
That obstacle ultimately became a turning point. It led us to develop new layering techniques that not only solved the technical challenge, but also introduced entirely new visual effects and surface aesthetics.
It also reinforced how essential design processes are within material innovation. Through testing, iteration, and close collaboration with our clients, we are able to find the most compelling balance between the possibilities of the Shimber coating and the specific needs of each project. It also reminded us that challenges often contain hidden opportunities. Some of the most fantastic qualities of the material were discovered through spontaneous deviations from the original plan.
You work with projects from architecture and product design to art installations and fashion – do you have any personal favorites? And where would you like to see Shimber next?
We are especially drawn to projects where the material can shape the atmosphere, where it becomes part of how a space or object is experienced. At the same time, working across disciplines, from furniture and interior design to consumer products, architecture, fashion and arts becomes a key driver of both creative and commercial growth for Shimber. Each collaboration allows us to validate the material in new markets, applications, and user contexts.
Every sector brings distinct technical requirements and design priorities, which in turn accelerate the material’s development. A furniture project may focus on durability and tactility, consumer products may prioritise scalability and consistency, while art installations demonstrate impact through light and spatial experience.
For us, this cross-disciplinary—or even interdisciplinary—approach is strategic. It expands the relevance of the material, creates new partnership opportunities, and continuously reveals where natural colour can deliver both aesthetic value and functional performance.
Thank you, Shimber, for showing us a glimpse of their shimmering world.
