Stockholm Furniture Fair 2013

A room full of materials and fabrics
UK-based design duo Raw-Edges created a 'Picnic' installation for Danish brand Kvadrat, evoking a forest atmosphere in the midst of the trade fair
(Image credit: Raw-Edges)

Stockholm Furniture Fair may have had a big leaning towards office design this year, offering up and abundance of wooden conference tables, chairs and sound-proofing devices - but our top-scoring stand was rather more whimsical. UK-based design duo Raw-Edges created a 'Picnic' installation for Danish brand Kvadrat, evoking a forest atmosphere in the midst of the trade fair.

Over a thousand swatches of 20 different Kvadrat fabrics hung from a wooden structure of Dinesen Douglas Fir, cocooning the stand like a weeping willow. This made for an inviting place to ponder the brand's new launches. Meanwhile, over in its showroom in town, Kvadrat had another hit with The Wool Parade, an installation of Bauhaus- and theatre-inspired shapes by Doshi Levien upholstered in woolen fabrics, which also became characters in an animation by Studio AKA.

Another highlight at Stockholm Furniture Fair was the central meeting hub, conceived by Wallpaper* Design Award 2012-winner Nendo. White-framed structures were interspersed with a new outdoor seating collection, as well as older pieces by Nendo, all in shades of white - echoing the snow-covered landscape of Stockholm. Nendo first showed at Stockholm Furniture Fair's 'Greenhouse' - its annual hot house for independent designers and schools - in 2004, so the fair was happy to welcome back founder (and Wallpaper* Design Awards 2013 judge) Oki Sato as its guest of honour.

This year's Greenhouse proved as full of green shoots as ever, with a particular highlight being the work of Grand, which has produced a beautiful collection of basket-woven cupboards. An equally pleasing vase set came courtesy of Hallgeir Homstvedt.

Elsewhere, the fair was awash with pastel hues, pale woods and metal fixing details. We particularly liked the collaboration between Wästberg and Dinesen, who created a beautiful and solid collection of wooden seating and low tables that sat in harmony with the new Wästberg hanging lamp.
 
Of the satellite events elsewhere in Stockholm, the talk of the town was Svenskt Tenn, whose window gallery room was a delight. It offered up Joseph Frank designs re-interpreted by the very refined hand of Michael Anastassiades. But the design week's hottest ticket was the Wallpaper* and SodaStream Lock In party at the recently renovated Spirits Museum, the first in a series of soirees tied to the international fair agenda.

A room full of materials and fabrics

Over a thousand swatches of 20 different Kvadrat fabrics hung from a wooden structure of Dinesen Douglas Fir, cocooning the stand like a weeping willow

(Image credit: Joël Tettamanti)

A room full of materials and fabrics

This made for an inviting place to ponder the brand's new launches

(Image credit: Raw-Edges)

white structures

Another highlight at Stockholm Furniture Fair was the central meeting hub, conceived by Wallpaper* Design Award 2012-winner Nendo

(Image credit: Nendo)

white structures

Nendo's white structures - made from plastic foam board that was laser-cut and stretched into shape - recalled snow-capped mountains

(Image credit: Nendo)

chairs

In the midst of the installation was a new series of 'Curve' outdoor chairs for Berga...

(Image credit: Nendo)

white structures

... as well as past lighting and furniture hits from the Japanese design studio's back catalogue

(Image credit: Nendo)

window

Over in town, Svenskt Tenn held 'To be Perfectly Frank', an exhibition of Joseph Frank designs, reinterpreted

(Image credit: Michael Anastassiades)

objects in a room hanging from ceiling

Installation view at 'To be Perfectly Frank'

(Image credit: Joseph Frank)

objects in a room hanging from ceiling

Installation view at 'To be Perfectly Frank'

(Image credit: Joseph Frank)

mirrors in a row

Installation view at 'To be Perfectly Frank'

(Image credit: Joseph Frank)

Tables and chairs

Installation view at 'To be Perfectly Frank'

(Image credit: Joseph Frank)

Fishbone' light (seen from above)

'Fishbone' light (seen from above) for Moroso, pictured at NK Stockholm department store

(Image credit: Paricia Urquiola)

wool fabrics in a room

Kvadrat had another hit with The Wool Parade in its Stockholm showroom, an installation of Bauhaus- and theatre-inspired shapes in woolen fabrics...


(Image credit: Doshi Levien upholstered)

Store fronts

Form Us With Love staged a design exhibition and curated shop during the fair at Birger Jarlsgatan.

(Image credit: Jonas Lindström)

lights hanging from ceiling above a table

'Levels' hanging lamps With Love for One Nordic Furniture Company

(Image credit: Form Us)

Tables, stools, lights above

'Hood' lamps by Form Us With Love for Ateljé Lyktan.

(Image credit: Jonas Lindström)

stool

Stool With Love

(Image credit: Form Us)

Carpets

'Hidden Stockholm' carpets by Form Us With Love and JoV.

(Image credit: Jonas Lindström)

chairs

Back at the fair, we spotted this 'Forms of a Chair' installation

(Image credit: Aalto University)

table

'November' table for Nikari

(Image credit: Louise Campbell)

coat hanger

'Sticks' coat rail

(Image credit: Gridy)

pots

This 'Natural Paint' collection was a highlight of Lund University School of industrial Design's showcase called 'From Linear to Cyclic'

(Image credit: Luis Velazquez)

Shelf

'80:20' shelf

(Image credit: Thomas Jenkins)

bottles

'Tangent' and 'Grow' vases

(Image credit: Hallgeir Homstvedt)

Woven straw cupboards and Grand in text

Woven straw cupboards, which exhibited in the Greenhouse area of the fair, dedicated to independent designers and schools

(Image credit: Grand)

Dhurries

Dhurries

(Image credit: Oyyo)

a mirror

'Popsicle' mirror

(Image credit: Vera & Kyte)

clocks

Clocks

(Image credit: Minus Tio)

stools and tables

Outdoor stools and tables

(Image credit: Avarte)

Seating and low tables

Seating and low tables for Dinesen at the Wästberg stand

(Image credit: Claesson Koivisto Rune)

lamps

'w132' lighting collection for Wästberg

(Image credit: Nendo)

Chairs

'Kavai' armchairs for LK Hjelle

(Image credit: Hallgeir Homstvedt)

tables

'Steelo' metal and leather poufs for Karl Andersson & Söner

(Image credit: David Regestam and Junichi Tokuda)

various coloured Padded soundproofing

Padded soundproofing for office spaces

(Image credit: Zilenzio)

freestanding dividers

Freestanding dividers

(Image credit: Zilenzio)

blue sofa

'Kiki' sofa , originally designed in 1960, and reissued in blue by Artek

(Image credit: Ilmari Tapiovaara)

patterned paper sheets

Talks at the fair were held beneath an installation of 11,000 patterned paper sheets

(Image credit: Gert Wingårdh and Finnish artist Kustaa Saksi)

brass coffee tables

Brass coffee tables for Swedese

(Image credit: Monica Förster)

golden vessels

'Krukor' vessels for Skultuna

(Image credit: Monica Förster)

Console table and chair

Console table and chair

(Image credit: Klong)

coat hangers

Wardrobe system for Scherlin

(Image credit: Ulf Scherlin)

blue sofa

'Netframe' sofa for Offecct

(Image credit: Cate & Nelson)