From the project’s outset, the goal was to invent a viable alternative to wood sourced from fast-growing plants. Husarska’s designers collaborated closely with Green Lanes’ R&D to transform hemp and flax fibers – essentially agricultural waste from seed production – into a durable composite board. We guided the material’s development, shaping its sandwich structure and refining its natural color tones and textures. The resulting material, branded as Strumber®, is made with eco-friendly, biodegradable and compostable binders and it can fully replace solid wood in furniture, interior finishes, and even construction. By design, Strumber maintains mechanical strength and aesthetic warmth comparable to oak or beech, yet it’s far more sustainable – every cubic meter of this plant-based lumber absorbs over a ton of CO₂. In short, we helped prove that high-quality “wood” no longer needs to come from trees. This material-centric design approach was a challenge, requiring us to think like both designers and material scientists. We balanced technical parameters (density, fiber orientation, coatings) with design values (tactile feel, color, form) to ensure Strumber would meet industry standards while telling a compelling eco-story. The innovation has a clear mission: harness annual plants to preserve forests and enable circular, regenerative manufacturing. Today, what started as lab tests and material samples has matured into full production-ready boards, validated by prototypes and poised to revolutionize how the world thinks about wood.
As Creative Director for the brand, Jadwiga Husarska-Sobina infused design thinking into the startup’s DNA – from the naming and messaging around Strumber to the visual elements and educational content that communicate its benefits. We ensured that the material’s story – absorbing 25 tons of CO₂ per hectare of hemp, growing to harvest in just 150 days, and using post-agri waste – was front and center in the brand’s communications. The branding needed to appeal to both designers and investors, so we struck a balance between technical credibility and inspirational imagery. We developed guidelines for how Strumber is presented in print and online, highlighting its wood-like beauty and positive climate impact. This strategic branding has been crucial in gaining public and industry trust – ultimately contributing to Green Lanes’ successful funding rounds and IPO launch.
To demonstrate Strumber’s capabilities, we designed a family of prototype furniture that could rival conventional designs in form and function. For example, the HempStool is made entirely from hemp-based Strumber and showcases a refined, natural wood-like finish. Its clean lines and subtle grain prove that agricultural fibers can be as beautiful as timber. In parallel, the flax-based LinStool explores the material’s strength: it features a single-layer sheet of Strumber Flax elegantly forming the leg support, seamlessly joined to a three-layer composite top for stability.
We also created larger pieces like the HempSolo table – with a broad top composed of cross-laminated hemp boards – and the HempSquare bench and HempDen table set, which pair organic curves with sturdy construction. Each design accentuates Strumber’s unique character (such as the rounded edges and beveled lines that echo the gentle rhythm of hemp fibers) while fulfilling real usability needs.
Every piece of furniture merges elegance with eco-friendliness as part of the ReHemptation by Husarska collection.
One of the most innovative prototypes is the HempBean coffee table, born from a zero-waste philosophy. We engineered this low table as a flat-pack puzzle cut from a single sheet of Strumber, which means its production generates virtually no scrap material. Despite the minimal waste, the assembled piece is strong and stable – and remarkably, each HempBean stores about 10.9 kg of CO₂ within its bio-based material.
The entire ReHemptation furniture collection (as we dubbed it) serves as a tangible proof-of-concept: it confirms that fast-growing hemp and flax can yield furniture that’s durable, lightweight, and stylishly modern. It’s incredible to realize that through designing a material, we unlocked an entire ecosystem of products that don’t require cutting down a single tree. The question naturally arises: why destroy old-growth forests for furniture, when annual crops and circular design can deliver the same function and quality?
From the beginning, we knew that exposing this innovation to the wider design world would be key to its success. Husarska helped Green Lanes plan and execute a series of high-profile exhibitions that introduced Strumber to architects, designers, and manufacturers on multiple continents. The ReHemptation collection made its debut on the international stage at Milan Design Week (Isola Design District) in 2023, where the first furniture made from Strumber Flax drew widespread attention. We also organized showings at Vienna Design Week and facilitated the collection’s Polish premiere at the Łódź Design Festival, sparking conversations about biomaterials in design hubs known for innovation. In late 2024, Husarska and Green Lanes presented ReHemptation at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven – an exhibition titled “Polish Job 2.0” and at Klokgebouw – reaching an audience of cutting-edge product developers and sustainability enthusiasts. The collection continued on to Gdynia Design Days and other venues, each time earning enthusiastic responses. In fact, Strumber® has been enthusiastically received at the world’s top design fairs. By combining design showcase with education, we helped position Green Lanes not just as a materials manufacturer, but as a thought leader in sustainable innovation.
The project’s visionary nature also garnered numerous awards and honors. Green Lanes and the ReHemptation project have been nominated for and won accolades including the Green Product Award and Seoul Design Award, as well as tech/startup distinctions like the EEC Startup Challenge (at the European Economic Congress in Katowice) and Rzeczpospolita’s “Green Eagles of Innovation”. The venture earned a place in the prestigious Huawei Startup Challenge and Sebastian Kulczyk’s InCredibles mentorship program, and was recognized among the “Crystals of Polish Economy” – all signaling a high level of respect for its innovation and impact. Notably, Strumber even represented Poland’s green tech in the Polish Pavilion at World Expo 2025 Osaka, giving millions of visitors from all over the world a glimpse of this material’s possibilities. This widespread recognition underscores how impactful design-led innovation can be when it addresses a truly global challenge.
What started as prototypes and exhibits is now scaling into full-fledged production and commercialization. In mid-2025, Green Lanes S.A. took a major step by debuting on the Warsaw Stock Exchange’s NewConnect market – a public listing that provides capital and credibility for the company’s next chapter. Located in Tarnawatka (eastern Poland), the new plant will house the world’s first industrial production line for hemp-based lumber, capable of turning out thousands of cubic meters of Strumber boards annually. This means that soon, the prototypes we crafted by hand will give way to mass-produced materials ready for large-scale use in furniture, flooring, and construction. This journey from concept to IPO and factory is a case study in how a holistic design approach – spanning material science, product design, branding, and business strategy – can drive sustainable entrepreneurship.
When you’re ready to turn bold, eco-driven visions into reality – from the spark of an idea to the machinery of production – we’re ready to co-create that future with you.
