Kersti Sandin stdied interior architecture and furniture design at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design from where she graduated in 1977. She is at present PhD student in the field of design/ interior architecture at HDK-Valand Gothenburg University.
After graduation, Sandin worked for the Möbelinstitutet (Swedish Furniture Research Institute) until she 1978 founded the design studio Sandin & Bülow together with Lars Bülow. Sandin met Bülow at Konstfack, and their first commissions were international design exhibitions, with clients like Svensk Form, The Swedish Institute, and Governmental Ministries.
When KF – the Swedish Cooperative Wholesales Union in 1979 decided to develop a collection of utility furniture (basmöbler) the Sandin & Bülow Studio was asked to design the launching exhibition and later to design some objects for the series. During the 1980s the Sandin & Bülow Studio designed furniture and light fittings for a group of Swedish manufacturers. Their breakthrough was the serving trolley Supporter for Akuma (1980), followed by the table Cross (Mitab 1982), the cabinet Hommage à Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn/ Karl Andersson & Söner and the chair Zig for TUA, both in 1985. Four years later they designed the office furniture range MM for Skandiform and the Natura series for Akuma.
In 1992 Kersti Sandin and Lars Bülow founded their own manufacturing company Materia, which they ran until 2012. Kersti Sandin acted as the company's design director. Under the Materia brand, the duo launched furniture series mainly for the contract market. The sofa Arketyp (1991), the magazine rack and waste basket Vågspel (1994-96), the seating series Centrum (1997), and the barstool/ bench Plint (2001) are some of their cornerstones.
Sandin & Bülow was awarded the Excellent Swedish Design Award 20 times, alongside several other awards. They are represented at the Swedish National Museum in Stockholm, the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, and the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Cologne.
Kersti Sandin has been strategically engaged in the field of design and architecture, and in the development of the Swedish furniture industry and has had several assignments on the board of companies and organizations. For example, the Swedish Government at the Council for Architecture, Form and Design and as a special adviser in Architecture, Craft and Design at the Ministry of Culture. She has served as chairman of the Architects Sweden - Academy of Interior Architecture and as a board member of SVID - the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation.
For 24 years Kersti Sandin served as board member and vice chairman of the interior design company Svenskt Tenn and chairman of the Svenskt Tenn collection/Josef Frank Archive. In 2022 she was awarded the title of Honorary Member of Architects Sweden and the Swedish Furniture Industries Honorary Award.
In 2017, Kersti Sandin and Lars Bülow founded the Museum of Furniture Studies in Stockholm, showing their extensive private collection of Nordic and international design furniture from the late 1800s until today.
