With the launch of our new Iska Sauna and the Black Viking Linseed Oil treatment, we invited Natalie Yon-Eriksson from Earth and Flax to join us on the Harbor Dispatch. We intentionally source this exterior treatment for our saunas from her, and invited her to share more about the Scandinavian materials and techniques she is so knowledgable about.

The creation of Earth and Flax was actually returning to my roots in many ways. I had grown up in the historic preservation and healthy finishes world with my family business in Upstate NY, and while I appreciated it as a kid, I didn’t really grasp how I could contribute to it in my own way until I had lived a little and worked for others. People, around the world, are interested in creating beautiful spaces and healthy homes, for new builds, as well as restoring and preserving old structures. To be able to be a part of that conversation, as well as provide some of the building blocks of that process is pretty amazing to me. There is so much confusion and conflicting information out there. It can be overwhelming for a homeowner, as well as a craftsperson trying to build in the best possible way that they can. So, after finishing Peace Corps service in Eastern Europe and working in a corporate world for a few years, the idea of an education and craft based online retail space began to take form. Earth and Flax was born.

This is a great question as the market is very confusing for consumers, many of whom go out of their way to try to use safer, healthier, and more environmentally friendly materials and products for their homes. What we do at Earth and Flax is follow our own set of guidelines, doing the research and testing before partnering with the suppliers and manufacturers we believe in. We look for materials with a long history of use, with as simple a formulation as possible – 4 or 5 ingredients is the sweet spot we have found, and that are as petrochemical-free and as solvent-free as possible. Everything available at Earth and Flax is far from the complex petrochemical formulations available at the average American hardware store, it is hard to even compare them. Simply put, most of the finishes we work with are plant-based, creating breathable, effective coatings that are safe to live and work with. This is old knowledge and expertise in the context of modern life and design.

Modern building practices rely heavily on plastics and complex petrochemical formulations, many of which fail very dramatically and cause issues that are very expensive to address. Combine that with the human health concerns and negative environmental impact, it has pushed many to look for alternatives. What is really important for us is that the skill and craft to create these healthy, traditional materials, along with corresponding traditional building techniques, both of which have almost been completely been lost in North America, are still alive and culturally supported in Scandinavia. I think we feel the need and longing for this knowledge of craft to return, and thankfully, we have Scandinavian and other talented craftspeople around the world to work with and learn from.

The Viking Black Linseed Oil Paint is specially formulated for exceptional moisture and UV protection for exterior surfaces. It is created from purified/degummed linseed oil, which is made from the flax plant. Flax fiber is what is used to create beautiful linen fabric. The factory is located near Gothenburg on the west-coast of Sweden and is run by a three generation paint making family. The paint soaks into the porous wood surface, creating a breathable, protective finish that does not trap moisture that can cause the conditions for rot and deterioration. Apply relatively thin, even coats and the finish will slowly matte out with time and exposure. Whenever it begins to look very dry, that is a visual cue that it is time to apply a coat of Purified Linseed Oil to maintain the moisture protection, as the oil is the binder that keeps the black pigment adhered to the wood, or another thin, even coat of the Viking Black Linseed Oil Paint. Anything of value needs to be maintained but we want to see basic maintenance: cleaning and reapplication is as simple as it gets, by using a solvent-free paint and solvent-free clean-up process with Linseed Oil Soap, it creates a system steeped in tradition but also designed to excel in our modern world.

Earth and Flax has primarily focused on exterior applications, as that is where you see the modern coatings fail the most dramatically, but we are excited to expand our options for interior wood, drywall, plaster, etc. surfaces. Using healthy materials are arguably even more important inside our homes than out since we spend so much of our lives in these spaces, so I am personally exciting to see growth in this direction. We are also planning more material and craft workshops, hoping to encourage and support more craftspeople towards gaining expertise, offering the traditional materials and Swedish Windowcraft methods (a full system for restoring old windows), and build-out more of our educational resources on our Learning Center and video library.

Follow the journey at www.earthandflax.com and on Instagram: @earthandflax.