That the Stockholm Furniture Fair is the largest fair event in the Nordic countries doesn't really come as a surprise. From the minute you step out of the plane, design surrounds you. The city itself is a showpiece for good, solid product design, so it makes sense that it should have a trade show that reflects this.
At 60 years old though, this is also Sweden's oldest fair. But, luckily, with age it seems to have only grown in confidence rather than got stuck in its ways, launching a host of new endeavours this year including a Light Bar by Alexander Lervik and an inspirational exhibition by Uglycute about the Anatomy of Meetings.
There remained a distinct lack of international exhibitors, most keeping their new products under wraps for Milan, but the Nordic companies didn't let that stop them. Large 2011 collections by companies such as Offecct, Gubi, Asplund and Kallemö, were plenty to keep us entertained. And while the same Scandi big-name designers did tend to pop up again and again (Claesson Koivisto Rune launched products with 11 different companies and galleries this year), it was also nice to see some of the younger designers championed by Wallpaper*, such as Jens Fager and Broberg & Ridderstrale, sharing the spotlight.
The Greenhouse, a platform for independent designers, continued to inspire, with the Scandinavian design schools (Beckams, Carl Malmstens Furniture Studies, Oslo National Academy of Arts, Konsfack etc) showing off what is perhaps the finest, and most well-made undergraduate work around.
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Complex and stimulating, Federico Stefanovich's industrial designs act like a bridge between culture and economicsIn a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here Federico Stefanovich tells us about his increasing desire to find his own path
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Design practice Astraeus Clarke is inspired by cinema to tell a story and evoke an emotionIn a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here we speak to Chelsie and Jacob Starley the creative duo behind Astraeus Clarke
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Amelia Stevens' playful, minimalist design 'is geared towards beauty as a function of longevity'In a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here we speak to Amelia Stevens about the multi-disciplinary joy of design
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Feminism, fantasy and furniture at Stockholm Design Week 2020We traversed the Swedish capital to unlock the unmissable events at Stockholm Design Week 2020 (3-9 February) that included responsible design at Stockholm Furniture Fair, pop-ups in restaurants and ex-military bases, plus a recreated artist’s atelier
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A snowtopped landscape at Stockholm Design Week showcases the beauty of vinyl flooring -
A 19th-century former crispbread factory and residence showcases new designs at Stockholm Design Week -
Two’s company: Massproductions and Wästberg open Stockholm showroom -
Stockholm Furniture Fair 2014: new launches and artful collaborations -
Stockholm Furniture Fair 2013 -
Stockholm Furniture Fair 2012 -
Greta Magnusson Grossman retrospective, Stockholm
