Stockholm-based illustrator and pattern designer Alexander Adiels works are available exclusively through local bespoke wallpaper and fabric stockist Fabric Bank.

His work celebrates the art of patterns through both digital and analogue methods portraying abstract imagery combining art, design and puzzles. The wallpaper collection entitled The Laws of Fraction plays on the popular notion of “The Laws of Attraction”.

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“A pattern consists of many parts and fractions that needs to go under the same main rule to work together. The smallest piece is just as important as the largest one and each part plays a role in completing the full image,” he explains on the website. “The title is also a reference to natures fractals which can be found everywhere, in plants, animals, minerals etc. Fractals are a kind of pattern so I thought it would be fitting to use it in the title of the collection.”

For more information, visit fabricbank.co.za.

The post Fabric Bank: Alexander Adiels appeared first on Visi.

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.

To enter, tell us what your top spring trend is. Either Tweet it to @visi_mag with #springvisi or post it on our Facebook page, before Saturday 1 September 2012.

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.

The post Lessons from Stockholm appeared first on Visi.

Design Torget

This Big Blue-style design shop stocks an ever-changing collection of quirky and cool design items. Design Torget handpicks fresh and affordable design from established as well as unknown designers and stocks the items for a limited time in their shops. Stock-up on cheap gifts like beautifully designed tea towels here. I lost my heart to a pair salad servers in the classic stainless steel and wood combination. 

www.designtorget.se 

Iris

You simply have to pop into Iris to admire the beautiful handmade brushes by Hantverk. These Swedish handcrafted brushes will turn cleaning chores into domestic bliss. Made for every purpose imaginable from a shoe dauber to a table brush, they embody true luxury in the everydayness. 

www.iris.se

Granit

If I lived in Stockholm, I would shop at Granit often. These beautifully monochromatic stores stock rare (but much needed) elegant storage solutions. Boxes, jars and bins in wood, cardboard, glass and plastic are enough to turn even slobs into obsessive-compulsive organisers.

www.granit.se

Grandpa

This lovely shop is exemplary of the power of careful curation – quality fashion, breathtaking home accessories and vintage goods all in an understated setting.

www.grandpa.se

Svensk Tenn

An institution in Stockholm, Svensk Tenn is both a design studio and interior shop. This is kind of shop that you imagine when you think of traditional Swedish design. The big draw card is the range of textiles designed by Josef Franks in the 1930s and 40’s. They’ve also opened a lovely tearoom where you can sample some of their superb Svensk Tenn blend. 

www.svenskttenn.se

Design House Stockholm

A Design House Stockholm you will find contemporary Scandinavian designer pieces from over 60 contributing designers.

www.designhousestockholm.com

Moderna Museet and Architecture Museum

The Moderna Museet and Architecture Museum is well worth a visit.

Moderna Museet has one of the world’s finest collections of 20th and 21st century art and a photography collection goes back as far as 1840.

The Modern Museum shop also has a heartbreakingly awesome collection of design, art and architecture books. This is also the place to shop for gifts and souvenirs. The adjacent Architecture Museum located in a building by award-winning architect Rafael Moneo, give interesting insight into urban and architectural development in the city and country.

www.modernamuseet.se

www.arkitekturmuseet.se 

• Alma and other members of the VISI team report back on the lessons they learnt from a recent spate of international trade fairs. Read all about it in the latest issue of VISI – on sale now.

The post Design shopping: Stockholm appeared first on Visi.

KONTEMPORÊR

1+1-kershouer deur Stáss

Die naam sê alles: Twee stukke poeierverfbedekte staal glip ineen om ’n eenvoudige kershouer te vorm. Die platverpakte ontwerp met sy skoon lyne deur die Yslandse argitekte Árný Þórarinsdóttir en Helga Guðrún is eenvoudig maar baie treffend.

• www.stass.is

Gloria van Muuto

Die Gloria is uiters kontemporêr en stel jou in staat om na willekeur kerskombinasies te skep. Dit ontwerp bly elegant – of jy nou besluit om een kers te gebruik, of ses.

• www.muuto.com

HERINTERPRETASIES

Lup-kershouer deur Shane Schneck vir Hay

Die Deense meubelvervaardiger Hay het onlangs dié minimalistiese weergawe van ’n tradisionele kershouer by sy reeks gevoeg. Hoewel dit ook in swart beskikbaar is, het ons steeds ’n sagte plek vir koper.

• www.hay.dk

Grandma deur Elin Riismark vir Maze Interiors

Die Sweedse interieurversameling Maze het met dié moderne interpretasie van ouma se gehekelde doilies vorendag gekom. Die lasergesnyde doilie-ontwerp sal ’n tikkie nostalgie aan jou huis verleen.

• www.mazeint.nu

Vesper deur Axel Bjurström

Dié gestroopte ontwerp deur Axel Bjurström van Stockholm is ook deur ’n tradisionele koperkerskandelaar geïnspireer, maar sal met verloop van tyd ’n klassieke stuk in eie reg word.

• www.bjurstrom.com

Raw-kandelaar deur Jens Fager vir Muuto

Die Raw-kandelaar vorm deel van ’n versameling produkte wat bestaan uit rowwe, intuïtiewe interpretasies van ikoniese alledaagse voorwerpe. Elke stuk is uniek omdat dit met die hand gemaak word met behulp van ’n bandsaag.

• www.muuto.com

KLASSIEK

Kubus deur Mogens Lassen

Die argitek Mogens Lassen benader sy ontwerpwerk met wiskundige presisie. Sy Kubus-kershouer (1962), ’n baanbreker van Deense funksionalisme, was ’n teenreaksie op tradisionele kerskandelare, wat hy as te oordadig en ineengestrengel beskou het. Die Kubus bestaan net uit die eenvoudige, hoekige buitelyn van ’n kubus, en die gelisensieerde klassieke ontwerp word nou weer deur sy kleinseun Søren Lassen gemaak.

• www.bylassen.com 

Die Knot of Friendship deur Josef Frank vir Svenskt Tenn

Geen lysie van Sweedse ontwerp sal volledig wees sonder ’n ontwerp van Svenskt Tenn nie. Hierdie klassieke ontwerp deur Josef Frank is in 1938, die jaar voordat die Tweede Wêreldoorlog uitgebreek het, die eerste keer geskets. Frank moes voor die Nazi’s vlug uit sy vaderland, Oostenryk. Hy geniet wye erkenning as iemand wat ’n groot invloed op Sweedse ontwerp gehad he, en Svensk Tenn vervaardig steeds sy ontwerpe.

• www.svenskttenn.se

The post Soos ’n mot na ‘n kers appeared first on Visi.

The new carpet collection, which was on display at the Stockholm Design and Lighting Fair, finds inspiration in colour tinges and mixes of luxe materials. Some of the botanical silhouettes pop in fruity colours while others depict forest inspired greens and browns.

Our favourite design, Lupin, is a handcrafted carpet with a simple leaf motif that is repeated in different colours in a row. Designed by Lisa Vilhelmson the viscose and wool carpet has a shimmery surface that reflects movement and imprints.

The Lupin range is available in five colourways and multiple sizes.

More information: www.almedahls.se

The post A carpet of leaves appeared first on Visi.

Last night two Swedish design stalwarts, production house Offecct and starchitects Claesson Koivisto Rune, celebrated 15 years of collaboration.

During the atmospheric cocktail party at Offecct´s Stockholm showroom, the company’s CEO recalled how their partnership started when the architectural trio was fresh out of university. Each member of the Claesson Koivisto Rune team then proceeded to reflected on a project that has been memorable to them.

Märten Claesson recalled the brief to design a space-saving lounge chair for a hotel with confined rooms. Pal was the result. As Märten explains: “Pal is little like siblings, similar but different.” By simply flipping the seat of the chair to the become the backrest, the chair becomes a lounger.

Eero Koivisto remembered when Offecct tasked them with injecting more playfulness into the furniture collection. They designed the Flower Stool for the Offecct 2004 Stockholm Furniture Fair stand, never thinking that it would take off. The stand was decorated with about 30 of these stools. After the first night they started to notice that each night a few of them disappeared. “We though, well if people are stealing them, then we have certainly created a desirable object,” said Eero. The stool – made from cold foam with polyurethane surface –  is incredibly light and surprisingly easy to carry.

Rounding out the trio was Ola Rune. He retraced the many failed attempts at redesigning the facade of the Offecct factory in Tibro. After almost giving up they jokingly presented Offecct with the idea to create a facade from the plastic ends used on chair legs. The facade would be made from perforated stainless steel, and the plastic ends would be used almost like pixels to spell out the name of the company. Offecct loved the idea. It took a crew of ten three days and more than 16 000 white plastic ends to create the now icon facade.

One of the latest products created by the Claesson Koivisto Rune team for Offecct is the Nobis Table that was designed specifically for the Nobis Hotel in Stockholm. The firm also designed the hotel and its interior. 

For more information go to www.ckr.se / www.offecct.se

The post Swedish design collaboration appeared first on Visi.

WORDS: Alma Viviers, reporting from Stockholm

Exciting young Swedish design studio Form Us With Love launched an exhibtion last night to kickstart the Stockholm Design Week. The exhibtion entitled Form Us With Friends aims to highlight collaborations between the studio and some of their producers. 

The exhibition, which has been presented for the third consecutive year, showcased five new products, four of which will go into production.  

The Plaid dividers for Abstracta seeks to create a more tangible, playful office space divider. If can either be draped over a existing frame or suspended from the ceiling.

The nifty Plug lamp for Atelje Lyktan combines two functions in one; a plug and a lamp. The Form Pendants are a collection of elegant pendant light that can either be used individually or en mass.

Probably the most interesting of the designs is the Slab vases for Cosentino Silestone. Although the vases wont go into production due to the prohibitive cost, it is an elegant exploration of materiality. The engineered stone was cut into three different circles which can be stacked “like grown up Lego” to create variation of the vase.

One the otherhand the Bento Chair for One Nordic Furniture Company holds create commercial promise. In IKEA style the concept was to create a chair that could be easily shipped since it will be sold online. Using bent wood technology the studio designed a chair with four components that can be assembled using no tools or instructions. The designers said that they wanted it to an intuitive assembly so that anyone can put it together with being design savvy. In form the chair flirts with Alvar Aalto aesthetics and depending on price point it is sure to be a hit. They have already also designed a table in the Bento series.

More information: www.formuswithlove.se

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