Henry Julier Brings Danish Paper Cord to USM’s Iconic Modular System

In Henry Julier’s newest collection for USM, Woven Structures uses Danish paper cord weaving to transform the clinical precision of modular furniture into something altogether more intimate, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of one of design’s most enduring systems.

The USM Haller System, born in 1963 from Fritz Haller’s architectural thinking, has long stood as modernism’s purest expression of functional logic. Its chrome spheres and powder-coated panels speak a language of industrial efficiency that helped define both corporate and residential aesthetics for decades. Yet Julier, with his decade-long tenure shaping Standard Issue’s multidisciplinary practice, recognized an opportunity to soften this mechanical poetry without compromising its essential character.

Paper cord itself carries a remarkable history. Developed in Denmark during World War II as a substitute for scarce materials, it became the foundation of Nordic furniture’s warm modernism. Hans J. Wegner’s Wishbone Chair and countless other icons owe their tactile appeal to this twisted paper, which ages gracefully and can be rewoven when worn.

This marriage of materials represents more than aesthetic choice – it signals a broader shift in how we understand the relationship between industrial production and craft tradition. The proven legacy of the USM Haller System finds new expression through the durability and repairability of paper cord. Together, they create a family of home objects that offer both visual richness and functional longevity.

The 10-piece collection – spanning everything from the essential WS Chair and Stool to the WS Split-Level Table – maintains USM’s modular DNA while introducing textural complexity. This collaboration arrives at a moment when design culture increasingly values longevity over novelty, repair over replacement. Woven Structures embodies this ethos, suggesting a future where industrial systems embrace rather than reject the imperfections and variations that makes each object unique.

For more information on the Woven Structures collection by Henry Julier for USM, visit usm.com.

In-situ photography by Chris Mottalini, product photography by Marco Galloway.