Lessons from Stockholm

WHO: Alma Viviers WHERE: Stockholm, Sweden

Lesson: Look to your heritage for authentic design expression 

It seems that the Swedes – and their Scandinavian neighbours – are falling in love with their design heritage all over again. Many young designers, whose work I saw not only at the Stockholm Furniture and Lighting Fair, but also at other exhibitions, galleries and studios that I visited on my trip, are rediscovering traditional materials, techniques and craft knowledge. 

Provenance products

Swedish designer Staffan Holm clearly expressed a respect for tradition in the design of his Spin stool. It’s a nod to a Scandinavian classic, Alvar Aalto’s Stool 60, but reinterprets the iconic three-legged stool in a playful way. www.swedese.se

Børge Mogensen is probably one of Denmark’s best known furniture designers, responsible for spreading the concept of Danish Design to the world in the mid 20th century. Danish furniture company Fredericia still produces many of his popular pieces, including this spoke-back sofa with sides that can be raised or lowered by leather straps. A mix of classic sofa, English daybed and French chaise longue, it was designed in 1945. However, it proved too sophisticated for the post-war market, so didn’t go into production until the 1960s – when it was a resounding success.  www.fredericia.com

Students from the Art Academy of Latvia were challenged with the question: “What is craftsmanship nowadays?” The results were exhibited in the Green House at the Stockholm Furniture and Lighting Fair. One designer’s work, in particular, stood out. Jekaterina Stakle looked at her urban environment and observed that fired brick was the most common building material. So she explored the craft of fired brick by making a range of desktop vessels and containers. Her pieces were tactile and authentic, combining tradition and craft in a completely new application.  

Emma Olbers embarked on an epic journey to source only raw material found in Stockholm for her hyper-local products. After scouring the city, she saw the opportunity to use diseased and damaged trees in the city parks. Sawing and drying the wood for use in furniture presented a challenge because the trees hadn’t been grown for harvest. But Emma persevered and designed a small collection of furniture using the wood. www.emmaolbers.com

Svenskt Tenn

This interior design shop thrives on its heritage. Estrid Ericson, who later recruited Austrian architect Josef Frank, founded the store in 1924. Together they left a legacy of great design and an interior style that has outlived them both. There’s an archive of more than 2 000 furniture pieces and 160 textile patterns, some of which are still in production – alongside work by contemporary designers and artists whose quality and aesthetic complements the shop’s tradition. www.svenskttenn.se

Contemporary tradition

The first thing you notice when you meet soft-spoken Swedish designer Ake Axelson, are his hands. They’re the hands of a craftsman. Ake’s talent for carpentry was evident even at primary school, and at 15 he did an apprenticeship and qualified as a journeyman. He later completed a degree in furniture and interior design. Even at the age of 80, he is a workaholic, and continues to produce new designs every year. He has designed for one of the oldest furniture producers in Sweden, Gärsnäs, for the past 50 years and is a partner in the business. Faced with the challenge of a changing market, Garsnas turns to a tradition of function, quality and craftsmanship. “This is our treasure,” he says.  

Ake’s approach to furniture is functionality first and foremost, and he often designs with room-specific solutions in mind. One such an example is Moderna, a chair he was commissioned to design for the restaurant at the Modern Art Museum. He urges me to pick up the chair and feel its weight (it’s surprisingly light) and plonk it down again. Since the space where it will be used is all hard surface, he designed it to absorb sound through an acoustic panel in the bottom of the seat. Its slim size also allows for it to be used auditorium-style, and it’s easily stackable as well. 

Although Ake is not opposed to young designers using CAD and rapid-prototyping, he concedes that this is not the way he was trained to work. His process is very much based on “daring to try” and he crafts prototypes in his studio and workshop in Engarn, Vaxholm before they go into production. www.garsnas.se, www.akeaxelsson.com

To celebrate the rejuvenating season of spring we’re giving away a Braai Cube and case of Henry Shiraz from Zandfontein to two lucky readers.

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More trend reports

Lessons from Stockholm: Alma Viviers visits Stockholm Furniture and Lighting Fair and learns that we should look to our heritage for authentic design expression.

Lessons from Paris I: Tracy Lynch, our Cape Town decor editor, visits Maison & Objet in Paris and learns that the humble is turning heroic.

Lessons from Paris II: Gera Smuts also visits Maison & Objet in Paris and learns that design is going practical by prioritising assembly.

Lessons from Frankfurt: Annemarie Meintjes, our deputy editor, visited Ambiente in Frankfurt, Germany, and learnt about designing less, but designing better.