SFF2023
The bright future of wellbeingAmidst the less than inspiring current affairs, it was a joy and perhaps also a relief to experience this year's Stockholm Furniture Fair and Stockholm Design Week after a two year covid related hiatus and find an environment so very focussed and determined on getting things done. Nordic coolness paired with rational can-do attitude and lots and lots of work since the last edition in February 2020 have resulted in very inspiring and optimistic exhibitions with focus on opportunities instead of difficulties going forward. Three outstanding exhibitions were: |
Guest of Honour: Front
Design by natureFront Design Studio, who first presented their work at the fair's Greenhouse back in 2004, was invited as Guest of Honour to this year's fair. Their exhibition in the entrance hall immersed the visitor in the calmness of nature already at the beginning of the fair and made us stay focussed on the task at hand throughout the visit. Front Design Studio's "Design by Nature" project has taken years of development. Front writes: "The design approach behind the work pays close attention to nature, and builds on research about the physical and mental health effects, as well as the cultural and psychological significance, of natural settings, especially in Front’s native Sweden." This work has, among others, lead to the development of the Arda fabric by Kvadrat. |
The invisible impact of materials
Now or neverSpearheaded by sustainability strategist and designer Emma Olbers, the exhibition "Now or Never 1 kg CO2" focussed on the invisible impact of furniture by showing how much CO2 could be saved by choosing a different material in each specific case. "Each material is represented in one kilo of emissions, CO2e, which makes it very easy to see the differences and how much material you actually get for one kilo of CO2e", says Emma Olbers. |
Baux at the SFF23
The bright future of wellbeingBaux, a Swedish company developing acoustic building materials invited eight students from the best Scandinavian schools of architecture and design to explore different types of spaces from cultural, work, health, education to leisure and to visualise how the buildings of tomorrow can nurture people's wellbeing, creativity, and productivity – without compromising sustainability. |
Pira G2 from String Furniture
News from our suppliersIn general, there was quite a bit of flirting going on with the 70's. Not only were obvious shapes, colours and patterns on display, but perhaps there was also a lingering feeling of wanting to recreate the well-being of "loungy" living and "happy" colours of those times. Another observation was that flexible furniture solutions were very popular, all in line with supporting longevity and sustainability in design. There were lots of news in Stockholm and we cannot list them all but will restrict to pointing out a couple and revert back to others as the year progresses.
STRING Among many good news, we were happy to experience the rebirth of, or perhaps better, the reimagined version of the Pira System, a modular and flexible storage system developed by Olle Pira as early as 1954. Architect Anna von Schewen and industrial designer Björn Dahlström have succeeded in creating a contemporary version for String Furniture, Pira G2, that despite being modular, gives the perception of having been built as one. A seemingly jointless appearance, without beginning or ends, with the options of floor to ceiling assembly or wall mounted.
MASSPRODUCTIONS Another of our dear suppliers, Massproductions, keep reaping the fruit of success. This year they were awarded the Producer of the Year award as well as the award for Furniture of the Year for Chris Martin's 4PM lounge chair. It is a homage to the Italian designer Enzo Mari and accordingly a 4PM Self Build was also created, where you build a chaise longue yourself with the help of drawings and materials from your local hardware store. Chris Martin, a receiver of the distinguished Bruno Mathsson Prize, has since also introduced the Boundary lounge table, making us want to invite all our friends over for a unrestrained party with a friend dj'ing late into the night. Don't make us try to explain that... And, as fate should have it, Massproductions was also invited by the prestigious Sven Harrys Art Museum in Stockholm to answer the question "Where does the art start?" while honing in on that mysterious “X-factor” – the element that makes good design great.
ASPLUND Our long-time partner Asplund, also manages to curate their collection in quite a remarkable way. This time around they have introduced a round, finely shaped yet strong looking lounge table, Iris by Daniel Lavonius Jahrefeldt, which comes in selected material combinations and three sizes. The different versions with a stone top or a metal tray top invites you to create whichever solution or "look" you want.
ADEA The Finnish family company Adea, that specialises in upholstered furniture, just set up a new showroom in Stockholm's southern district "Söder" where they among other pieces also displayed one of our favourite sofas, Origami, with improved seating quality thanks to enhanced cushioning.
ARTEK We're a huge fan of TAF Studio, a designer duo who just designed their second product for Artek, the Kori light, after having created the Atelier chair in 2018. The Kori is a light series with a strong character including pendant, floor and table versions. The design centres around the basket shape to cast a direct light that is practical, glare-free and attractive onto surfaces beneath. Kori is the Finnish word for "basket".
CARL HANSEN & SØN Rikke Frost has made a natural addition to her Sideways Sofa for Carl Hansen & Søn: the Sideways footstool. But it's more than that, it's a seating possibility that we also see as a stand-alone piece in many rooms. A beauty in its own right, just as the sofa. In addition, Carl Hansen introduced the Alfred Homann outdoor series with stackable chairs and tables and a cleverly designed sun lounger. |
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Montana Mini
Special OffersIn the coming weeks we are happy to introduce several too-good-to-miss specials:
MONTANA MINI When you buy 4 Montana Mini modules, the least expensive one will be free of charge! The campaign applies to all Mini products in all colours:
ARNE JABCOBSEN'S SERIES 7, ANT & Grand prix chairs When you buy 6 Series 7, Ant or Grand Prix chairs, the least expensive version will be free of charge! The offer includes the stackable versions with and without armrests (excluding the Anniversary Edition).
CARPE DIEM BEDS TOPPER Carpe Diem Beds will give you the topper for free when ordering one of their box spring beds until May 6th 2023! Choose among the following available toppers:
Le Klint Modell 172, Carronade & Bouquet When you order a light of any size in the above series from Le Klint, we can offer you a 10% deduction on the price.
We are happy to help you out should you have any questions regarding these attractive specials. To be certain that we have enough time for you when you stop by, we recommend making an appointment beforehand. |
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Upcoming eventsBlickfang, with Dieter Hofmann and team, one of our partners since way back, is launching a new format, Fashion + Food, where small, selected and independent manufacturers not only from the fashion but also the food business will be represented. The venue takes place at the Kongresshaus from March 31st to April 2nd. Tickets are available here. |
