Like a moth to a flame

The warm glow that only candlelight can provide is ever-present throughout Stockholm. You will find candles flickering on the pavement in front of restaurants, in the windows of shops and even on the boardroom table. According to a local the candlelight helps banish the gloom of the short winter days, but also has cultural and religious significance as a symbol of life. VISI rounds up a selection of candleholders by Scandinavian designers.

 

CONTEMPORARY

 

1+1 candleholder by Stáss

The name says it all. Two pieces of powder coated steel slide together to form a simple tea candleholder. The clean-lined flatpack design, by Icelandic architects Árný Þórarinsdóttir and Helga Guðrún, is simple yet striking.

 • www.stass.is

 

Gloria from Muuto

Utterly contemporary, Gloria allows you to create variable compositions of candles. Whether you choose to use a single candle or fill it up with six, the design remains equally elegant.

 • www.muuto.com


REINTERPRETATIONS

 

Lup candleholder by Shane Schneck for Hay

Danish furniture collection, Hay recently added this minimalist version of a traditional candleholder to their range. Although it is also available in black, we’re still in love with copper.

www.hay.dk

 

Grandma by Elin Riismark, for Maze Interiors,

Sweden-based interior collection, Maze brings you this modern interpretation of grandma’s crocheted doilies. The laser cut doily design adds a touch of nostalgia to your home.

www.mazeint.nu

 

Vesper by Axel Bjurström

Also taking his cue from the traditional brass candlestick, the reductive design by Stockholm-based Axel Bjurström, will in time become a classic in its own right. 

 • www.bjurstrom.com

 

Raw Candelabra by Jens Fager for Muuto

The Raw candelabra, is part of a product family based on rough and intuitive interpretations of iconic everyday objects. Every piece is unique because it is handmade using a band saw machine.

 • www.muuto.com

 

CLASSICS

 

Kubus by Mogens Lassen  

Architect Mogens Lassen approached his design work with mathematical precision. A pioneer of Danish functionalism, his Kubus Candleholder (1962) is a reaction against traditional candlesticks, which he saw as overly ornate and convoluted. Consisting of only the outline of a cube, it is a simple and angular design. This licensed classic has been brought back into production by his grandson, Søren Lassen.

www.bylassen.com 

 

The Knot of Friendship by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn

No list of Swedish design would be complete without something from Svenskt Tenn. This classic design by Josef Frank was first sketched out in 1938, one year before the outbreak of WWII. He himself fled his homeland of Austria in the face of the Nazi threat.  Frank is widely recognised as having had a huge influence on Swedish Design and Svensk Tenn still produce his designs.

 • www.svenskttenn.se