Svenskt Tenn Jubilee pattern by Josef Frank shows Stockholm’s popular streets

Celebrating 100 years of gorgeous graphic designs, Swedish textile and interior design company Svenskt Tenn starts its centenary year with the launch of a pattern designed in 1949 but never previously available for purchase. The new pattern follows a collection of previously unreleased furniture designs, and is part of a year-long anniversary celebration by the brand. 

Svenskt Tenn’s Jubilee pattern

The brand started life in 1924 under the discerning eye of art teacher Estrid Ericson, who opened a store on Smålandsgatan, Stockholm, stocked with 300 pewter objects created by Ericson and pewter craftsman Nils Fougstedt. However, Ericson’s interest in interior design drove the company in a different direction and Svenskt Tenn’s unique range of furnishings began to take form. 

The store moved to larger premises on Strandvägen (where it is still located today) and in 1934 Ericson began collaborating with Austrian modernist Josef Frank, who had moved to Sweden with his Swedish wife to escape the Nazis. It would be the start of a long and fruitful partnership, as Ericson and Frank embarked on a creative collaboration that would last for more than three decades. 

Among Frank's signature design traits was his love of whimsical patterns, often utilising bold, colourful motifs inspired by the natural world. To him, patterns had a calming effect on a room, with vibrant prints working as something for the eyes to focus on. He died in 1967, but there are around 250 of his textile prints preserved in the Svenskt Tenn archive, and to celebrate its centenary, the brand delved into his back catalogue to find a suitably celebratory design.

Launching now is a reimagined edition of an archival print from 1949, which depicts the city of Stockholm. One of very few custom orders that Frank made during his long career, the pattern shows his interpretation of central Stockholm, including familiar streets such as Folkungagatan, Karlavägen, Drottninggatan and Mynttorget in blue, red and green.

Reminiscent of Frank's ‘Manhattan’ print, the new pattern has been slightly updated from the original to include the words ‘Svenskt Tenn Est. 1924’ and will be available to purchase as fabric by the metre, as well as on cushions, trays, lamps and scarves, and on a limited-edition offering of stools, chairs and couches.

svenskttenn.com