During Milan Design Week 2016, MOSSMANIA opened its first showroom devoted entirely to interior products made of "Nordic moss" - which is actually a type of lichen. From tabletops to lamps to the walls themselves, the springy material takes center stage as a zero-maintenance renewable resource with new promise for interior spaces.

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Up until now, lichen has been mostly featured in outdoor landscaping and green walls. By “stabilizing” the lichen, the 100% natural material is made suitable for indoor applications. The lichen, which MOSSMANIA sources from Finland, is dried and treated with a natural preservative. The result is a material that stays fresh, soft and pliable, without requiring any watering or other maintenance.

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The in-house studio at MOSSMANIA is dedicated to pushing the boundaries for using lichen indoors. Patch is a product consisting of plush panels of lichen with an adhesive backing, which can be applied to any surface. The showroom features columns covered in green lichen and a mosaic wall of colored panels.

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Cubes and benches are made of lichen encased in resin, making them suitable for indoor or outdoor use. The clear resin gives the lichen a “wet” look. Lamps that encase the lichen in plexiglass are an easy, functional way to bring nature into a living space.

Experimenting with contrasting hard and soft materials, the MOSSMANIA designers developed a collection that combines Japanese raku pottery with soft green moss for interior accessories and jewelry. With a fountain, multiple green walls, and even a lichen-covered fridge in their showroom, MOSSMANIA certainly lives up to its name.

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Images via Charlene Lam for Inhabitat