Zetinn

What do you see when you look at these pieces?
We see possibility, intention, and care 💚

Sustainability definitely doesn’t mean compromising on creativity. Sometimes, meaningful design begins with what’s already around us: a leftover timber plank, an old bed frame, or materials otherwise destined to be wasted.

That’s exactly what explores in her work and what she’ll be showcasing in her upcoming exhibition Berlin Re:furnished, running May 15–17 as part of
We first met Angharad during one of our workshops and immediately connected with her thoughtful, hands-on, and circular approach to furniture.

Her pieces remind us that “waste” is often just a resource waiting for someone to care, imagine, and make something new. ✨

🌊 A stool filled with plastic waste recovered from a beach.♟️ A chess table made from reclaimed timber.Both asking us to look again. To think again.

If you’re in Berlin, don’t miss it! You might walk away seeing your next piece of furniture — and the materials around you — in a whole new way.

What’s your spirit… furniture? 🪑💫

At zetinn, we think furniture holds stories. Of who we are, where we’ve been, and how we live.
So we’ve been asking ourselves: If you were a piece of furniture… what would you be? Here’s what came up in our team:

Inés would be a comfy couch — the perfect spot for naps, but also for long, deep chats with friends.
Aída, would be a big creative desk — surrounded by creative chaos, for her this is a space to explore, reflect and where clarity is born.

And you?
Are you a chair that supports others?
A shelf full of memories?
A table that brings people together?

Tell us in the comments 🧡
Let’s give our inner furniture some love.

🪑 Not all furniture is easy to rehome.

During our campaign, we encountered a significant challenge: finding a new home for this cherry wood living room set, most likely from the late 80s. Despite its original Italian design, perfect condition, and high-quality craftsmanship, we ultimately had to donate it because no one was willing to pay for it.

Bought for thousands. Rehomed for free.

Why? Because in today’s fast-paced, high-mobility world, heavy, timeless, well-crafted furniture has become... inconvenient.

Over the past few decades, there’s been a generational shift in furniture preferences. In Germany, previous generations invested in solid pieces: meant to last, meant to be passed down.

But today? People rent. People move often. People prioritize flexibility over permanence. Even when that means letting go of something made to last and replacing it with something that likely won’t.

And so, a vitrine that costed thousands of euros ends up gifted or worse, discarded. Not because it lost value, but because most systems no longer make space for it.

This isn’t just one story. It reflects a broader shift:
🚪 The mismatch between the furniture we inherit and the lives we live today.
🛠️ The growing gap between quality and convenience.
♻️ And the urgent need to rethink what we keep, what we circulate, and what we throw away.

We’re not saying everyone should hold onto heavy furniture forever. But we do believe there's a way to make secondhand a first choice, and to design systems where good furniture gets the second life it deserves.

✨ Every piece has a story. Sometimes all it needs is a second chapter.

💬 Have you ever struggled to pass on a beautiful piece of furniture? We’d love to hear your story.

As our campaign is slowly coming to a close, we’ve taken some time to reflect on what we’ve learned from stepping into the shoes of people navigating the messy, emotional, and often urgent task of offloading furniture.

Spoiler: it’s not as easy as it looks.
Here’s what stood out most 👇

1️⃣ It’s not only about outgoers, it’s about transitions.
Anyone going through a life change might need to offload furniture: renovating a home, downsizing after a big life event, inheriting pieces that don’t fit your space or style, or simply deciding to never come back after a trip. Every story is different, but they all need one thing in common: a friendly, reliable hand to help during uncertain times.

2️⃣ Time pressure is a real driver.
Tight deadlines are at the root of most offloading stress, and often the reason the need arises in the first place. We tried it all: Facebook groups, Kleinanzeigen, ads, flyers… and still, some items didn’t find a new home in time. Even donating can be a hurdle: finding someone that wants what you have and won’t charge you to take it can take more time than people have. We couldn’t help but wonder—how many good pieces end up in the trash just because the clock ran out?

2️⃣ Trust is a big barrier.
We had to constantly deal with spam, scammy profiles, lowball offers, and people who just don’t show up – and we do this for a living. So for someone without experience, it can be overwhelming. That’s a huge pain point, and a real opportunity to build something more reliable.

🌱 These learnings reaffirm our goal at zetinn: to make offloading furniture simpler, more reliable, and more circular.
Because moving out shouldn’t mean wasting what still has value.

✨PS: Spring Cleaning isn’t over yet!
Whether you’re looking for furniture or needing to offload some, get in touch. We’re here to help 💛

As our campaign is slowly coming to a close, we’ve taken some time to reflect on what we’ve learned from stepping into the shoes of people navigating the messy, emotional, and often urgent task of offloading furniture.

Spoiler: it’s not as easy as it looks.
Here’s what stood out most 👇

1️⃣ It’s not only about outgoers, it’s about transitions.
Anyone going through a life change might need to offload furniture: renovating a home, downsizing after a big life event, inheriting pieces that don’t fit your space or style, or simply deciding to never come back after a trip. Every story is different, but they all need one thing in common: a friendly, reliable hand to help during uncertain times.

2️⃣ Time pressure is a real driver.
Tight deadlines are at the root of most offloading stress, and often the reason the need arises in the first place. We tried it all: Facebook groups, Kleinanzeigen, ads, flyers… and still, some items didn’t find a new home in time. Even donating can be a hurdle: finding someone that wants what you have and won’t charge you to take it can take more time than people have. We couldn’t help but wonder—how many good pieces end up in the trash just because the clock ran out?

3️⃣ Trust is a big barrier.
We had to constantly deal with spam, scammy profiles, lowball offers, and people who just don’t show up – and we do this for a living. So for someone without experience, it can be overwhelming. That’s a huge pain point, and a real opportunity to build something more reliable.

🌱 These learnings reaffirm our goal at zetinn: to make offloading furniture simpler, more reliable, and more circular.

Because moving out shouldn’t mean wasting what still has value.

✨PS: Spring Cleaning isn’t over yet!
Whether you’re looking for furniture or needing to offload some, get in touch. We’re here to help 💛

📦✨ We made our first transaction!

Through our campaign, we received a beautiful set of vintage furniture ready for a second life. One piece stood out, a 1920s desk with character. Not exactly a quick sell but we believed she had more stories to tell.

Last week, she found her match.

Meet Scholarly Sabine, now rehomed and ready to accompany Olivia on her PhD journey. A desk with a centenary past that is now supporting someone’s future. 🖋️📚

We couldn’t be happier to share this first chapter with you. It’s a small but meaningful step in what we hope will be many moments of circularity, care, and connection.

Thank you Olivia for trusting us (and Scholarly Sabine!) to be part of your next chapter.

Swipe through for snapshots of the journey — from pickup to placement!

✨ Halfway there! ✨
Today we're celebrating midterm day at@impacthubberlin — and taking a moment to look back, breathe, and feel grateful for how far we’ve come.
Big thanks to everyone who’s supported, challenged, and encouraged us along the way. This process wouldn’t be the same without you 💛

💭 So, what have we been up to?
✔️ Clarified our vision, mission & brand
✔️ Opened our channels to connect with the community
✔️ Engaged and validated people’s needs through fieldwork
✔️ Started building relationships in the industry and exploring the local ecosystem

🌱 What’s next?
🔎 Refining our business case to stay true to our mission
🛠️ Developing our MVP (coming soon!)
💸 Explore funding opportunities to keep growing zetinn

We’re learning a lot and building something we truly believe in — a more circular and caring way to furnish our homes, especially during life’s transitions. All while reducing waste, challenging mass production, and promoting slow and sustainable consumption.

Rethinking furniture waste starts with making moving out easier

💬 “How might outgoers pass on furniture seamlessly while recovering costs and avoiding waste?”

Aside from packing boxes, moving out is a race against time. For many outgoers, selling or passing on furniture is a hassle. Here’s why:

⏳Too much to do in too little time: sorting, listing, and negotiating feels like another full-time job.
💰 Financial strain: selling furniture can help cover moving costs, but many don’t know how to price their items.
🚛 Logistics are a nightmare: coordinating transport or bulk waste collection last-minute is costly and stressful.

The result? Usable furniture gets left behind, while newcomers struggle to furnish their homes. The problem isn’t scarcity, it’s circulation.

What if passing on furniture was as seamless as discarding it? At our workshop, we explored ideas like:

🔄 Neighborhood-based furniture leasing to keep items in circulation instead of the landfill.
📑Consignment services that handle pricing and selling for you.

At our first workshop, we discussed how furniture isn’t just functional, it is also a valuable resource. The real challenge is making its recirculation the easiest and most practical option to ensure quality pieces don’t end up as waste.

💡 What would make passing on furniture easier for you? Drop your thoughts below!

📢 This is our final insight from the workshop—check out our last posts for more.

Furniture as a social connector.

💬 “How might newcomers and outgoers connect and help each other during their transitions?”

Furnishing and un-furnishing a home in Berlin is a complex process that involves navigating uncertain markets and figuring out who to ask for help. In this context, accessibility and finding a network is a major challenge. Here’s why:

👵For an elderly resident downsizing their home, a heavy wardrobe might as well be an immovable wall. Without a support network, even the simplest move becomes impossible.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Students and families look for affordable furniture, but quality secondhand options vanish fast, leaving them stuck with overpriced or impractical choices.
🛋️ International newcomers and refugees face language barriers and lack access to information about convenient options.

But what if finding and offloading furniture was an opportunity to connect? During our workshop, participants explored ways to make furniture exchange less transactional by turning it into a social experience:

🔄 “Movers-in & Movers-out” network to connect newcomers with outgoers for furniture and city insights.
📍Localized community events and garage sales to bring people together while rehoming furniture.
🤝 Buddy systems where Berliners can offer guidance, moving help, or maintenance tips to those new to the city.

As we saw in our last workshop, sustainable furnishing is a collective act and by making furniture exchange a community effort, we can build networks of support.

💭 What’s one way community support helped during your move? Tell us below!

📢 This is the second of three insights from our workshop—stay tuned for the last one!

📢 Secondhand furniture should be easy to access, but in Berlin, transport is the biggest barrier.

💬 “How might we streamline and organize secondhand furniture pickup in order to save time and money?”

In our first workshop, we uncovered that furnishing a home is a journey shaped by budget, identity, and time. But what happens when that journey hits a roadblock?
For many newcomers in Berlin, transportation is the biggest barrier to furnishing their homes sustainably. Here's why:

🚗 Many don’t have a valid driver’s license and can’t access car-sharing services.
💸 Transport costs start at €60—too much for a single item.
⏳ Finding furniture nearby? A time-consuming gamble with endless scrolling.

The result? Frustrated buyers give up on second-hand options and buy new instead.

At our latest workshop, expat Berlin residents tackled this issue and explored solutions like:
✅ Shared pick-up services to cut transport costs
✅ Neighborhood “Kiez” collection points
✅ Community-driven transport networks connecting people with extra car space

💡 Have you struggled with secondhand furniture transport in Berlin? Tell us your story in the comments!

📢 This is the first of three insights from our workshop—stay tuned for more!