Swedish chef duo Adam Dahlberg and Albin Wessman have opened some of Stockholm’s most popular restaurants in recent years. It started with their fine dining restaurant Adam/Albin in 2012, which was awarded a Michelin star in 2022, followed by Solen – an 800-square-metre vibrant restaurant in the heart of the newly developed meatpacking district – and the izakaya-brasserie Misshumasshu in the historic Birger Jarlspassagen in Östermalm.

The duo’s most ambitious project so faris Adam Albin, a new restaurant overlooking the Royal Palace, the Royal Opera and the Swedish Parliament. It is an evolution of their original fine-dining concept, with a focus on seasonal Swedish produce, while still incorporating flavours from around the world.

Wallpaper* dines at Adam Albin, Stockholm

The mood: Eclectic mix

The chef duo has teamed up with Swedish design agency Halleroed. Led by Ruxandra and Christian Halleröd, the agency is known for its sleek fashion stores for brands such as Acne and Toteme. Marking their first restaurant project, the duo has worked to align the interior with the gastronomy.

Guests move through a sequence of rooms, including a lounge where dark wooden panels create an intimate setting, and a large dining room with arched windows that flood the space with light. Svenskt Tenn chairs, handblown glassware by Simon Klenell, and steak knives by Sámi craftsman Jon Tomas Utsi are just some of the carefully chosen objects. The open kitchen creates the feeling of a rustic home rather than a strict fine-dining restaurant, complete with Italian orange handmade tiles, stainless steel worktops and wooden chopping boards.

Overall, Halleroed aimed to create an eclectic mix – not something strictly Swedish or international, but rather a blend of styles. ‘It was important not to confine ourselves to any one country or style, but to work more intuitively,’ Ruxandra Halleröd explains. While classic white tablecloths are present, other elements, such as the 1960s and 70s aesthetic, add a sense of contrast. ‘We wanted to introduce small clashes in the interior,’ she says, noting that it reflects the chefs’ approach: ‘fine dining with classic rock – exuberant yet relaxed.’

The art, curated by local gallery Magnus Karlsson, features Swedish artists. Highlights include a sun in glazed porcelain by Klara Kristalova in the lounge, an oil painting of a large pink sofa by Anna Bjerger in the dining room, and Jockum Nordström’s collage Europa in the private chamber. Even the wine cellar has been given attention – a metal assemblage by Lisa Jonasson designed to withstand the cold and humid conditions.

The food: Swedish produce with panache

Having been able to build their dream kitchen, Dahlberg and Wessman have made sure to include the details they missed in their previous one. During Wallpaper*’s visit, the on-site pastry chef prepares items such as croissants filled with cheese and onion for snacks, bread buns, and chocolate sticks for coffee.

With one seasonal tasting menu and a selection menu – where guests choose two starters, one main course and one dessert – the kitchen is in constant flux. ‘It also depends on what produce is available,’ Wessman says, pointing to a box with quail birds currently on the menu. ‘We now place a greater emphasis on individual ingredients, allowing them to stand out on their own.’

One of the first courses features blue-shelled lobster with smoked reindeer and blackcurrant leaf ponzu, presented on handblown plates by Klenell. There is also grilled Swedish squid with Noir de Bigorre lard, chestnut honey ice cream with meringue and scallop and wagyu cooked in elderflower juice – altogether, food that leaves you wanting more. Spices and flavours such as cardamom, fig and leaf cilantro hint at the chef duo’s mixed sources of inspiration.

‘We have thought a lot about what a fine dining experience is,’ Dahlberg says. ‘For us, it’s about the pleasure of food – not the most precise techniques or perfection. We’ve tried to create an experience that goes beyond the food: it’s the chairs you sit on, the service you experience, and the overall ambience.’

Adam Albin is located at Regeringsgatan 2, 11 53 Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm Design Week was officially on pause for 2026, as the event is now biennial; nevertheless, the wheels of creativity rarely stop turning, and in the first week of February, designers and brands stepped in to organise their own alternative line-up of events throughout the city. The grassroots initiative aims to fill the gap left by the Stockholm Furniture Fair and its accompanying Design Week, both of which have been postponed until 2027.

Established creators, emerging designers, and renowned studios did not disappoint with their efforts to showcase brilliant craftsmanship and innovative ideas around the city. From Carl Hansen & Søn’s new launches and collection expansions to ‘Echo’, a newly launched design exhibition, here are our highlights.

Stockholm’s alternative design week – the Wallpaper* highlights

Stockholm Creative Edition

Located in the Industricentralen on Hudiksvallsgatan, Stockholm Creative Edition presented its own exhibition spotlighting newly established designers, studios and brands, including Public Studio, Studio Navet, Niklas Runesson and Pernille Knudsen. Here, they were united by experimentation and innovation. There were also new exhibitions and new materials unveiled, such as the Swedish interior architecture and product design studio Interesting Times Gang’s collaboration with Shimber, where circular design meets material innovation in the form of the ‘Kelp’ chair and ‘Shelf Life’ furniture made from oyster-shell biocomposite and coated in Shimber’s wood-based surface.

‘We want to highlight both the established and the entirely new. There is so much creativity and a strong desire to develop the Nordic design expression here in Sweden, and Stockholm Creative Edition provides a central platform for this,’ say Stockholm Creative Edition’s founders Ulrika Kjellström Attar and Philippe Attar. ‘We want to open up design for everyone and put the visitor experience at the centre, for everyone curious about design, and strengthen and spotlight the visionaries within the design sector for both an international and a local audience.’

stockholmcreativeedition.com

‘Echo’

Newly launched for 2026, ‘Echo’ is a design exhibition intended to create a space for ideas, forms and expression. The exhibition brings together both established creators and emerging talents, each sharing innovative projects.

The ‘Tilt’ stool by Staffan Holm caught our attention: minimalist by design, the seating sculpture is created to encourage movement and ‘active sitting’. With its convex base and concave top, the stool tilts and moves in different directions. Meanwhile, Fredrik Paulsen's Joy Objects launched a chair dubbed ‘Oy Chair One Alu & Pantera’, a take on the studio’s initial ‘Chair One’ design, but with a new material and colour. Featuring a recycled aluminium frame, its bubblegum-pink seating is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. We particularly enjoyed the fun contrast between the design’s industrial framework and vibrant colour.

echoexhibition.se

Svenskt Tenn: ‘Standing Tall’

For Svenskt Tenn’s spring exhibition, the design company presents ‘Standing Tall’, an evolution of iconic designer Josef Frank’s ‘Cabinet 522’, which was designed between 1934 and 1935. The cabinet is a tribute to the designer’s practice of upholstering furniture in tactile materials. The new iteration is upholstered in fine horse-hair fabric woven at John Boyd Textiles in England, available in black or white, and set on mahogany legsy. It marks Svenskt Tenn’s first furniture launch since the company’s centenary in 2024.

svenskttenn.com

‘The Building’

Located in a 17th-century palace reshaped by architect Ragnar Östberg in the early 20th century, ‘The Building’ presents leading Nordic design brands (String Furniture, Gemla, Grythyttan Stålmöbler, Källemo, ateljé Lyktan, Made by Choice and Haha studio) staging individual presentations.

Alongside the displays of craftsmanship and contemporary Nordic design, we also loved the spotlighting of seven emerging designers. Particular highlights were Simon Skinner’s lamps, and the work of Malin Perre’s cloud-like sculptural pieces, Truls Goldschmidt’s linear furniture, Gabriela Stencova’s luminescent lamps, and Nils Askhagen’s visually textured chairs.

Layered’s ‘Lozza’ collection launch by Erik Bratsberg

The ‘Lozza’ collection began with a practical problem: wine stains on a rug in a restaurant project. Artist and designer Erik Bratsberg approached Layered with the idea of creating a pattern that could ‘absorb’ spills. This idea snowballed into something larger, welcoming a full exploration of form, colour and function. Each rug has three tones, and two colourways (to suit warm and cool interiors); the lighter, outer edge should lift the room, while the deeper tones towards the centre offer depth.

‘The irregular shape provides far more flexibility than a traditional rectangle and introduces a gentle sense of motion,’ says Bratsberg. ‘I’ve always been drawn to sculptural forms that feel instinctively right rather than perfectly symmetrical. When the lines fall into place, something happens immediately – a kind of harmonious balance you can’t calculate.’

layeredinterior.com

Carl Hansen & Søn

Carl Hansen & Søn presented three new launches during the unofficial design week. The first is the expansion of its ‘Outdoor Series’. Designed by EOOS, the new ‘Embrace’ outdoor lounge table and chair explore the relationship between perfection and imperfection, from its crafted wooden frames to its relaxed upholstery.

In a separate presentation, the design house also presented the ‘ND550F’ footstool. This was originally designed by Danish architects Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel in 1955. The new edition features lower, more slanted legs, and a curved seat that is now fully upholstered by hand on both the top and bottom.

Adding to the ‘Elegant' series created by designer Marianne Tuxen, Carl Hansen & Søn also presented its medium-sized ‘Tulip Pendant’. Now available in three sizes, it was originally designed in 2022 for the Carlsberg Academy in Copenhagen as part of the restoration of JC Jacobsen's villa. The pendant design features a mouth-blown opal three-layered glass shade, which emits a soft glow and downward beam.

carlhansen.com

NK Interior's ‘Stay Curious’

‘We celebrate curiosity through expression in art and design, exploration of materials and techniques, craftsmanship and local production. I hope to create a meeting point where Swedish contemporary design meets a broader audience and inspires us to be more curious,’ says Kadi Harjak, CEO of NK Interior of the ‘Stay Curious’ exhibition in the entrance hall Ljusgården.

Malin Pierre, Niklas Runesson, Nick Ross and Gustav Winsth present their personal works. Alongside this, in the display windows, visitors can explore designer Mimmi Blomqvist’s installation Forest, while Lisa Hilland’s new collection, titled ‘Harvest’, is also connected to nature. Other displays include Pia Wallén’s glass study ‘Flacons’, new releases from design studio Sekt and interior brand Cappelen Dimyr, all of which will be on view until 2 March 2026.

Nordic Nest presents two showcases

Since its founding in 2002, Nordic Nest has become one of Scandinavia’s leading design platforms. This year, for Stockholm Design Days, it presents two showcases. The first marks 100 years since the birth of Verner Panton, one of the most influential designers. Presented in Gallery Existens, some of the licensed work that is currently in production is presented through brands Montana, Louis Poulsen and &Tradition.

The second showcase, Icons of Today and Tomorrow, explores contemporary collections and novelties for 2026. This also features Montana, Louis Poulsen, &Tradition, alongside Ferm Living and Flos. Here, visitors see a presentation of lighting, furniture, tabletop and objects. New launches are coupled with long-standing designs making a point on how products are developed and shaped by material innovation, rather than seasonal trends.

By showing new launches in the same context as long-standing designs, the showcase explores how contemporary products transition into future classics, shaped by material innovation, cultural relevance, and longevity rather than seasonal trends.

Says Bank Bergström, CEO, Nordic Nest, ‘Our ambition is to create a platform where Scandinavian design is not only displayed, but discussed, challenged and made accessible. By connecting showcases, dialogue and direct access, we help design travel further, culturally, commercially and over time.’

nordicnest.com

NO GA (Nordiska Galleriet) presents the launch of NMNG

Nordiska Galleriet launched its ‘NMNG’ tables and chairs, a new series by the Italian design studio NM3. The collection, which comprises three dining tables – one round and two rectangular – and a chair, echoes a distinct architectural language.

NM3 has a fondness for industrial systems and simplicity, and created each piece with clear proportions and exposed construction. For its collection for Nordiska Galleriet, the studio worked with wood for the first time, crafting the pieces with distinct character and crisp lines. Says Nicolò Ornaghi, one half of NM3, ‘We try to create modernist designs, made by architects. Our design is system-based rather than object-based. It always starts from a language, with a clearly defined set of rules.’

no-ga.com

Svenskt Tenn, founded by Estrid Ericson in collaboration with designer Josef Frank, created some of the most memorable furniture of the 20th century, exemplifying the human-centred approach of Scandinavian modern design. Now, the firm is celebrating Frank’s legendary cabinets with a new exhibition at its Stockholm gallery.

Frank’s cabinets are instantly recognisable for their long legs, which leave the junction between floor and wall visible, giving rooms a sense of lightness. As he explained, ‘One should be cautious when creating architecture with furniture and thus disrupt[ing] the clarity of the room. To appear pleasant, the room itself must be clearly perceived. Therefore, the piece of furniture must stand on legs that are high enough so that one can discern (or at least sense) the line where wall and floor meet.’ Frank’s designs also favour warm, dark woods and brass fittings, as he deliberately avoided chrome-like metals, in contrast to the functionalist trends of his time.

'Standing Tall' features a selection of cabinets, beginning with a reimagined version of ‘Cabinet 522’ (1934-1935). Drawing inspiration from British furniture traditions, this piece exemplifies Frank’s signature combination of utility and artistry. The updated version, crafted by Anders Mattsson Cabinetworks in Valdemarsvik, Sweden, is upholstered in horsehair fabric woven on 19th-century looms and marks Svenskt Tenn’s first furniture release since its centenary in 2024.

Also on display is ‘Cabinet 881’ (1938), influenced by 17th-century furniture and crafted in vavona burl veneer. Produced by Eriksson & Söner since the 1950s, it is regarded as one of Frank’s masterpieces.

‘Cabinet 852, The Flora Cabinet’ (1937-1938) draws inspiration from Ericson’s visit to the home of Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus; reintroduced for Svenskt Tenn’s centenary, it features 115 hand-applied botanical plates. ‘The Stockholm Cabinet’ (1930-1950), also reissued for the centenary, showcases a detailed 1875 map of the city. Both are produced by Anders Mattsson Cabinetworks.

Other highlights of ‘Standing Tall’ include ‘Cabinet 2192’ (1954), featuring an irregular ribbed front that casts dramatic shadows as well as a combination of lacquered surfaces, mahogany and brass acorn-shaped hinges. ‘Cabinet 2215’ (1957) demonstrates Frank’s architectural sensibility through a careful balance of lines and a mix of light and dark woods. The former has been crafted by Anders Mattsson Cabinetworks for over 25 years, while the latter continues to be produced by Eriksson & Söner.

‘To Josef Frank, cabinets were both functional and artistic creations – designed with meticulous attention to detail, even down to the keys,’ says Tora Grape, marketing and brand communications director at Svenskt Tenn. ‘Standing Tall’ offers a close look at this vital aspect of Frank’s work, as well as highlighting the design philosophy behind his broader vision of the home as a space for comfort, conviviality, rest and joy.

‘Standing Tall’ is on view at Svenskt Tenn’s Stockholm store from 22 January to 29 March 2026. Josef Frank’s cabinets are available to purchase in-store and online at svenskttenn.com

There is something about miniature room sets that awakens childlike wonder in even the most serious of us – the simple pleasure of peering into tiny, self-contained worlds. So if you also happen to be a fan of midcentury design and Swedish interiors, then new exhibition 'Svenskt Tenn on a Small Scale' at the brand's Stockholm flagship is unmissable, charting 101 years of its exhibition history through nine exquisitely detailed dioramas.

First created for Svenskt Tenn's 2024 retrospective at Liljevalchs gallery in Stockholm, the models have been brought back together for a second showing, celebrating the company’s 101-year legacy of interior design and exhibition-making. Crafted by Stockholm-based Ray Atelier, a specialist in precision model-making, the nine miniature rooms reproduce pivotal moments from Svenskt Tenn’s past – from early international showings in Paris and San Francisco to in-store installations on Strandvägen 5.

'Just as the original exhibitions were carefully staged to present new ideas in furniture, textiles and interiors, it was important that these miniatures carried the same level of craftsmanship,' Tora Grape, head of marketing at Svenskt Tenn, told Wallpaper*. 'Last year’s retrospective reaffirmed the significance of Svenskt Tenn’s exhibitions in shaping not only the company's history but also Swedish and international design at large,' she adds. 'Bringing the models back together allows us to highlight that legacy in a new way – on a smaller scale – offering visitors a concise overview of the brand’s aesthetic trajectory over more than 100 years. Many of the patterns and furniture designs that first appeared in these exhibitions remain in our assortment today, so this presentation underscores both continuity and innovation.'

Each interior set – in scales of 1:5 and 1:8 – includes faithfully reproduced scaled-down fabrics and wallpapers to preserve the atmosphere and integrity of the original exhibitions. Among the scenes are the 1934 Liljevalchs exhibition announcing Svenskt Tenn founder Estrid Ericson’s collaboration with architect Josef Frank; the 1937 Paris World’s Fair terrace furnishings; the 1939 Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco; and, more recently, the 1998 ‘White Exhibition’, the 2017 ‘Black Exhibition’, and India Mahdavi’s exuberant ‘Frankly Yours’ installation of 2022.

Running alongside the models, Svenskt Tenn's Interior Design Studio has created two contemporary room settings in the store, showing how Ericson and Frank’s humanist approach to interiors remains as relevant to modern homes as it was a century ago.

The exhibition is on view at Svenskt Tenn, Strandvägen 5, Stockholm, until 19 October 2025, svenskttenn.com

Known for his whimsical aesthetic, Gustaf Westman is fast becoming a household name in interiors. The Swedish designer’s pastel-hued designs have captured the imagination of a young, Instagram-savvy generation.

His Stockholm apartment is exactly what you’d imagine: a fantastical space that feels like stepping into a grown-up cartoon – playful, surreal, and now open for overnight stays. As part of a collaboration with home-swapping app Kindred, Westman has listed his home on the platform.

The space is a maximalist take on Scandi-cool, infused with Westman’s signature postmodern flair. It’s populated with pieces such as a Ligne Roset Togo sofa, Westman’s own sculptural Spiral Stands, and his Curvy Mirror, which went viral in the early 2020s – all cast in electric blues, pastel pinks, and splashes of red, green and yellow.

‘There’s something unique about letting people experience my designs in a personal space where there is no curation whatsoever, just my own creative chaos of whatever I’m working on at that moment. It’s a full expression of my world,’ says Westman.

This partnership highlights a wider shift in how design is marketed. In an age where audiences crave connection over consumption, immersive, experiential activations are on the up. Westman’s European pop-up tour – where he’s showcasing his collections inside real Kindred homes rather than traditional exhibitions (he will be coming to Amsterdam August 30-31 and Madrid September 6-7) – further exemplifies this new model. (Recently, Danish brand Vipp took a leaf out of this book with its new guesthouse in France.)

As Kindred CEO and co-founder Justine Palefsky puts it: ‘There’s something deeply personal about stepping into an artist’s home. It’s not just about the objects, it’s about seeing the world the way they do… Swapping homes with [Westman] isn’t just a design moment, it’s an invitation to live inside someone else’s creative mind.’

To stay in Gustaf Westman’s Stockholm apartment, sign up using the code GUS.TAF

Stockholm is known for its urban beauty – built on 14 islands, connected by bridges, the city is surrounded by its stunning archipelago. It’s also on the map for design, culture and, not least, dishing up an abundance of pickled fish and meatballs. But a surfing destination? The Swedish capital is definitely not on any surfer’s wave-riding bucket list. In fact, the largest wave you could probably find would be the wake from passing boats.

For water sports lover Alex Lind, this lack of swell is what inspired him to launch Lind Canvas, a new electric surfboard. The board, not to be mistaken for an e-foil, is the first of its kind, ushering in a new era of surfing. Wallpaper* was invited to the Swedish archipelago to take to the water and try it out.

We try out Lind Canvas, the new all-electric surfboard

For the most part, surfing is a laidback, welcoming sport, allowing people to enjoy being in and on the water. However, it is also layered with unwritten codes and practices which, if not followed, can lead to newcomers being greeted with hostility. Adapting a traditional surfboard and adding a 27 horsepower jet on the back is one of those things that might not be well received on any local scene. Lind was certainly aware of this, and assured us that the board is not designed for regular wave riding. ‘We didn’t design this board to compete with traditional surfing,’ he said. ‘Lind Canvas is designed to bring the feeling of surfing to people who don’t have access to waves.’

Founded in 2021, Lind has an office in the Swedish capital that overlooks the water, a natural playground to try out its prototypes. The aim was to ‘insert the power of a wave into a board’. Of course, this was easier said than done. The initial design started with a battery and jet, with the board then fitted around them. ‘It became more like a boat than a board,’ laughed Lind. ‘It had to feel like a sporting device, and not another high-tech toy.’

Along with his co-founders – CEO Anders Dellson and CTO/COO Mattias Soderhielm – Lind began to piece together a ‘dream’ team that balanced high-tech engineering with functional and beautiful design. They brought on two engineers, Benjamin Vedder and Jeff Friessen, who previously worked on Nasa’s Mars robots, to take on the engineering challenge of creating a board that is lightweight and manageable, yet packed with power.

Together with the wider team, and thanks to a $9 million investment, they got the battery weight down to 17kg and split the board into three parts; a battery, a jet, and a board. The 27-horsepower surfboard can reach a speed of 37mph, with a typical speed of 20mph. It has an energy density twice that of a Tesla Model S

After trying it out in the Maldives and writing up a business plan, within a year they had a first prototype.

The beauty of the product is rooted in its design, which was led by Marcus Ivarsson, head of product and branding. ‘The foundations of the design are based on a traditional shortboard, as we wanted to compress everything as much as possible,’ said Ivarsson. ‘The board itself is constructed exactly like a regular surfboard, with the same structure, made from epoxy, with an oak stringer and tailblock.

‘Working with such intelligent people in their sectors, it was hard to be the guy that wanted to keep things simple, and rein in the tech enthusiasm. But the simplicity is where the beauty lies. We wanted to create a surfboard that looks and feels like one,’ said Ivarsson, while gesturing to the office TV, which plays the cult surf film Endless Summer on a continuous loop. ‘I like to call the board design “hide-tech” not “high-tech”, as we want users to feel as connected to their surroundings as possible.’

The board alone takes 40 man-hours to make, with manufacturers in Thailand and Vietnam, followed by eight hours of polishing for the finish. The battery is made in Poland (by the same robots that Tesla uses) to avoid any human error.

Transporting the board to the water was seamless. With the battery slotted into a nude-colour backpack, and the board tucked under your arm, the transportation is heavy, but manageable. Battery, jet and board each slot into each other easily. The battery sits on the underside of the five-inch surfboard, and is cooled down via the cold water passing over it to prevent cells from ageing and degrading. Inside the battery, there are heat and moisture sensors that alert users, and take steps to protect the battery in response

You wax the surfboard like you would a conventional one. Then, to use it, you control velocity with a wireless, hand-held remote, with levels from 1 to 15. Speed is your friend, allowing for more stability to stand up and glide across the water seamlessly. Turns are completed in the same way as conventional surfing, and getting to grips with the product is fairly easy for beginners, even those without a background in water sports. Each use lasts 45 minutes before the board needs to be charged again.

It is easy to imagine Lind Canvas becoming a sport of its own, whether it be speed racing in large bodies of water or big-wave surfing (where it would negate the need to be towed into the swell by a jet-ski). The board itself is undoubtedly impressive and stays rooted in the minimalist design codes seen in traditional board design, effortlessly extending surf beyond the wave. It will be exciting to see what sporting developments – whether a new X-Games or Red Bull competitions – lie ahead for Lind in the future.

The Lind Canvas board retails at $24,950, with bespoke options available.

From the Japanese Genmaicha dotted with popped brown rice to the time-consuming but deliciously foamy West African Ataya, the world of tea is truly full of wonders. And it’s certainly not stuck in time: today, a new generation is discovering the beauty of bright-green matcha and fragrant masala chai. For her latest book, 150 Tea Houses You Need to Visit Before You Die, writer and editor Léa Teuscher – a long-time Wallpaper* staffer – explores what’s brewing, whether it’s in a cool café in Istanbul, a historic tea plantation in Darjeeling, an elegant hotel in London or a beautiful Kyoto ochaya. Here she picks ten tea houses serving great drinks and homemade blends in elegant, often architect-designed spaces, around the world.

Ten contemporary tea houses to visit now

Basao Tea, Xiamen

Designed by Norm Architects, this beautiful minimalist space is the flagship tea room of Basao Tea, a brand established in 2011 in Xiamen, Fujian. It is named after a Japanese zen monk who once wrote: ‘Having learned the ways of silence, within the noise of urban life, I take life as it comes to me, and everywhere I am is true.’ Its pared-back space aims to help visitors enjoy quiet contemplation and the calming sounds of tea being prepared, poured and enjoyed. Sit at the large stone tea counter to take part in a Chinese gongfu tea ceremony, or learn about more contemporary ways of tea making, like Basao’s nitrogen-infused cold brews. The tea sommeliers can also guide you through the company’s collection, which ranges from hand-rolled Nepali tips to Hangzhou’s ‘dragon well’ tea. Basao also has branches in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Basao Tea is located at 8 Jianye RdSi Ming Qu, Xia Men Shi, Fu Jian Sheng, China; @basaotea

Bellocq Tea Atelier, New York

Bellocq is known for its single-estate full-leaf teas and signature botanical blends, as well as its famous yellow tea caddies now found in the tea rooms of some of the world’s leading brands, from Tiffany & Co to Cartier. Designed by co-founder Heidi Johannsen Stewart, and her husband, architect Scott Stewart, its studio and tea room is located in a brick warehouse in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint, and celebrates the luxury of taking time to enjoy a fine cup of tea. Distilling inspiration from botanical traditions while embracing innovation, the brand focuses on sustainable production practices, sourcing teas from exceptional gardens that reflect the unique terroirs of China, Japan, Taiwan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India and South Africa. Bellocq’s Earl Grey, for example, is made with an exceptional base leaf and, uniquely, the essence of Sicilian bergamot extracted from the entire fruit.

Bellocq Tea Atelier is located at 104 West St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States; bellocqtea.com

Cafe Svenskt Tenn, Stockholm

Leading Swedish interiors brand Svenskt Tenn was founded in 1924 by Estrid Ericson, an entrepreneur and a great tea lover who is said to have drunk five cups of tea every day. Fittingly, the brand’s beautiful shop in central Stockholm is also home to a café serving a wide range of teas, with everything from delicate, grassy Japanese green teas and Indian Darjeeling, to its own flavoured blend of Chinese keemun/Yunnan. The teas were selected by chef Petter Nilsson’s team at Petri, a fine dining restaurant that is known for its focus on tea pairings, so expect some pretty special drinks here, such as rare jungle teas from the Monsoon Tea Wat Ket in Thailand and Dongfang meiren (‘Oriental beauty’) from Nantou County in Taiwan. These can be accompanied by dishes such as smoked salmon on French toast, or rhubarb cheesecake, canelés and chestnut tartlets.

Café Svenskt Tenn is located at Strandvägen 5, 114 51 Stockholm, Sweden; svenskttenn.com

Casa de Chá, Brasilia

Designed between 1965 and 1966 by legendary architect Oscar Niemeyer, the Casa de Chá was conceived as a meeting point on the monumental Three Powers Plaza, the site of the three branches of the Brazilian government. It is a unique spot with floor-to-ceiling windows hiding under a long flat white roof, in the great modernist architecture tradition. Inside, you will find classic pieces such as Jean Gillon armchairs and a menu by local chef Gil Guimarães. Drinks include Itamaraty Chai (black tea with star anise, cloves and pepper), a house maté, and the Congresso infusion, with hibiscus, apple, clove and cinnamon. We’d recommend sampling these with a slice of corn cake or, if really hungry, a Niemeyer tartine with Parma ham and umbu jelly. Refurbished in 2019 by Bloco Arquitetos, the café is actually part of the local university and a training ground for its hospitality students.

Casa de Chá is located at Praça dos Três Poderes Três Praça dos Três Poderes - Brasilia, DF, 70802-140, Brazil; @casadecha.df.senac.br

Ksana matcha, Bangkok

Located in cosmopolitan Pathum Wan, this cave-like specialist matcha tea room offers a unique haven of tranquillity away from chaotic central Bangkok. Sourced from Japanese heritage farms in Uji and leading tea estates in Shizuoka, the powdered green tea is served here on simple wooden tables in a cocooning white cave designed by local practice JUTI architects. Ksana matcha uses the finest-quality tea leaves to create four teas, including Coastal Breeze, with umami flavours that evoke the fresh serenity of a coastal morning, and Smoky Peaks, a hōjicha with a hint of hickory. Also on the menu are traditional Japanese wagashi sweets, such as yuzu and yokan jelly. Ksana has just opened an equally slick new outpost in the nearby Central World mall.

Ksana Matcha is located at 2nd Floor, One City Centre, Unit R2-02, 548 Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; ksanamatcha.com

Osulloc Tea Museum, Jeju

Set on an organic tea farm on the island of Jeju in South Korea, this stylish tea room and museum designed by Seoul-based practice Mass Studies was set up by the South Korean brand Osulloc, which started growing tea here only in 1979, after painstakingly transforming the rocky land into tea fields. It has since won a string of prestigious prizes for its teas, including Illohyang, a first-flush green tea handpicked in early April, and Sejac, the brand’s signature green tea. You can try them at the museum’s teahouse, which also serves blended teas, such as Samdayeon Jeju Tangerine, and lots of pretty tea-flavoured treats, such as matcha tiramisu and Jeju green tea cheesecake. Osulloc also has teahouses in Seoul, including a flagship location in the Bukchon district.

Osulloc Tea Museum is located at 15 Sinhwayeoksa-ro, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea; us.osulloc.com

Oxi Tea Room, Melbourne

Known for its exquisitely detailed themed afternoon teas, this serene tea room in downtown Melbourne celebrates the tea terroirs of Kenya and Taiwan, the home countries of owners Mehboob and Andy. From Kenya come teas such as Nandi Gold, a fruity black tea with hints of roasted hazelnuts, while from Taiwan are sourced crisp Alishan and delicate dong ding oolongs. The 30 premium whole-leaf teas are paired with meticulously crafted menus, and an interactive app guides diners through a culinary journey, revealing the stories behind each dish. Designed by local practice Alta Architecture, Oxi Tea Room is well known for its themed afternoon teas, with past inspirations ranging from local honeys to artists such as Yayoi Kusama. All feature pastry chef Johnny Ping’s eye-catching creations, including surprising bites such as cheesecake with plum, blueberry and tofu.

Oxi Tea Room is located at T4/158 Victoria St, Carlton VIC 3053, Australia; oxitea.com.au

Steep LA

Located in Los Angeles’ Chinatown, this teahouse, bar and eatery was co-founded by Samuel Wang and Lydia Lin, for whom tea is a family tradition. While Samuel grew up drinking oolong with his dad, Lydia’s favourite is pu-erh tea, which her family enjoys while eating dim sum. Their menu focuses on premium teas handpicked from China and Taiwan, which cover five out of six major Chinese tea categories: black, green, white, oolong and pu-erh – the latter including a refreshing Green Tangerine tea with notes of citrus and freshly cut grass. Come 5pm, Steep LA introduces its After Dark program, offering tea-infused cocktails such as Winter’s Whisper, with Jiaziyuan oolong tea. There is also a food menu with noodle bowls and snacks and a boutique selling pieces by local designers and craft makers.

Steep LA is located at 970 N Broadway #112, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States; steepla.com

Théhuone, Helsinki

As you’d expect for a boutique and tea room located in the Design District, the décor at Théhuone is pure Scandinavian minimalism. Tea is served in sleek white porcelain cups and transparent teapots, which are perfect to watch flowering teas unfurl. There’s only a handful of tables and a seating area with floor cushions by the window from which to enjoy a selection of over 400 teas, carefully selected by sisters Nina and Nea, who founded the tea room in 2005. Flavoured teas such as classic Earl Grey and cherry-flavoured Sencha Sakura are particularly popular here, as are rare pu-erh varieties from Yunnan and the finest oolong teas from Taiwan. In keeping with the pared-back décor by local studio Pure Design, which lets the teas do the talking, there is no food menu – but drinks do come with little biscuits, mochis or a piece of green tea chocolate on the side.

Théhuone is located at Eerikinkatu 10, 00100 Helsinki, Finland; thehuone.com

To Tsai, Athens

Owned by specialist Ceylon tea importer Mlesna, To Tsai opened its doors in 1993. Inspired by Japanese architecture, the sleek space by Georges Batzios Architects is divided into a boutique and a tea room, where tea is served in a variety of teapots (porcelain, cast iron or clay) depending on its origin. It’s a real treasure trove of hard-to-find teas, such as an organic orange pekoe, grown near Etseri in the mountains of Georgia, and mastic tea, a tea flavoured with natural mastic oil (a key Greek ingredient), from Dimbula, Sri Lanka. Another local favourite is mountain tea, or Sideritis scardica, grown on an organic farm on Mount Olympus – a delicious infusion with notes of mint, chamomile and citrus.

To Tsai is located at Al. Soutsou 19, Athens 106 71, Greece; tea.gr

This year’s Stockholm Design Week was a microcosm for the predicaments of the design industry more broadly. Until not long ago, the fairground was at the heart of the event each year in early February. Its halls were filled with Scandinavia’s mighty furniture manufacturers, showing the rest of the world how to marry time-honoured values with new ideas to maintain relevance and fortify progress. The design week was an industry affair; a business event with enough festival fringing to keep the emerging tribe of lifestyle journalists engaged.

In 2025, as with the majority of Europe, the Swedish economy is struggling. Civil unrest has surfaced and Russia’s war looms large. Design does not exist in a vacuum from the forces that shape society, politics, and life beyond; so it is entirely understandable that this year’s design week was relatively muted (in volume if not talks programs, of which there were several, excellent ones). The fairground was quiet. Venues across the city hosted exhibitions and studios opened their doors, but the overall feeling was meek, by comparison with years gone by. One designer reframed the narrative at the start of his talk: ‘Stockholm Design Week has always been 90% about the people that come and the conversations you have, and only 10% about the stuff that you see.’

One of the biggest topics of conversation was ‘3 Days of Design’ in Copenhagen. The ingénue festival during June has quickly become the most glamorous, enjoyable design event on the global calendar. Shrunken marketing budgets abound across the design sector - and even Sweden’s design brands are holding out for Copenhagen rather than spreading their spend across both events. ‘Who wouldn’t prefer to visit Copenhagen in summer than Stockholm in winter?’ It’s a question several Swedes ask throughout the week with a hint of gallows humour.

We for one (title) will always come back to Stockholm in February because the city, its design community and heritage have a deeply held place in our hearts and pages, and have done since day one of Wallpaper*. We love nothing more than the transition from bitingly wet-cold, snowy streets to warm, candlelit, brass-twinkled, Gotland sheepskin-laden interiors. We love Svenskt Tenn and 7-Eleven pic-n-mix, breakfast at Ett Hem, Råraka at PA&Co, sandwiches overladen with shrimps and mayonnaise in clattery Saluhall and gossipy night caps at Konstnärsbaren. Stockholm furniture fair was founded in 1951 and though it might be in waning mode right now, waxier times will surely return.

That’s the big picture. What was most interesting to witness last week was how quickly and effectively the design week has shape-shifted into a B2C showcase. This is the case more broadly in the industry too, as brands and manufacturers close their purse strings, emerging designers are working with greater self-sufficiency in the collectible design realm. Galleries and shops (and even F&B establishments) are stepping up to host, reissue, commission and curate in place of manufacturers. One of the biggest presences across the week was Nordic Nest - an e-commerce platform shipping furniture and ‘Scandinavian lifestyle’ to more than 70 countries around the world. And herein lies some sort of truth: for as long as Scandinavian lifestyle has a market, Stockholm Design Week will have a future.

Wallpaper’s highlights from Stockholm Design Week

Special Effects by David Taylor at Bukowski Auction House

The Mellosa-based Scottish silversmith showed 25 aluminium objects that were riotously simple, genius and characterful expressions of process and material. A standout standing clock was arguably the definitive piece and image of the entire week. From furniture to lighting in all configurations and scales, together with a beautiful array of candlesticks and candelabra, here was a show that we would have travelled to Stockholm for with or without a design week in the background.

www.superdave.se

The Kings Hat by Nick Ross x Contem

Another Swedish-Scot of extraordinary talent, Nick Ross’s solid wooden furniture and objects marked the debut of a new brand Contem. His collection ‘The King’s Hat’ was made from wind-fallen branches collected from the island of Kungshatt. Hefty in substance and deftly refined, Ross has a Judd-like ability with material and form, with a dose of his own Scottish charm in the mix.

https://www.nickross.studio/

NO-GA (Nordiska Galleriet)

Under the recent creative direction of Hanna Nova Beatrice, Scandinavia’s doyenne of design, the gallery has become a vivid and exciting cultural entity. More than a fun place to hang out, HNB is reimagining how retail becomes relevant in our fluxial times (also editor and publisher of The New Era magazine - she has literally written the handbook) and NO-GA was the epicentre of design week. Among several showcases, launches and events that took place there, we are delighted to see Axel Wannberg’s Lamp 53 make it into production in steel, in blue, mustard and grey.

https://www.nordiskagalleriet.se/

AI - Brilliantly Bad! By Front Design

Also at NO-GA, Wallpaper* favourites Front Design showed a work in progress project ‘Brilliantly Bad!’ (the title, not the project) using AI as a tool to demonstrate the all-pervading entity’s friendlier side as a design collaborator. In three ceramic sculptures there was a huge amount to unpack about what AI knows and what it doesn’t and what that says about humanity, past and future. Oof.

http://www.frontdesign.se/

Geometry glassware by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Orrefors

NO-GA also hosted Stockholm stalwarts Claesson Koivisto Rune’s new collection of glassware for Orrefors. The mouthblown range of glassware uses essential geometric forms to construct various idealised drinking vessels. We did not drink from them so cannot vouch in this instance whether function follows form, but they are definitely exquisite forms. And we applaud Orrefors (founded in 1898) for continuing to push boundaries even in difficult times.

https://www.orrefors.com/

Note Design Studio

A visit to Note Design Studio’s Stockholm HQ in a refurbished old bank revealed a thoroughly exciting multi-faceted, mid-level practice expanding its tendrils of design expertise into life, beyond the confines of stuff. We were introduced to a new paint colour range for Danish colour brand Bleo (Note has recently opened an outpost in Copenhagen). Note is working with Neko Health - the body scanning tech start-up from Spotify founder Daniel Ek - to bring design and humanity to a frontier experience. The studio has also completed its first architectural project - a clever and cosy house for a young couple in the north of Sweden. Fascinating projects of note by Note - and from which we take note that they are a careful, exciting and ambitious design studio of and for the future.

https://notedesignstudio.se/

NJRD by Bernadotte & Kylberg

A debut range of furniture charmingly titled Vior, which means ‘Swedish moments’ was launched by local design duo Bernadotte & Kylberg. The range, which is sold through Nordic Nest, captures the warmth and essence of vernacular Swedish family furniture, gently softened and refined for production. We swooned over the oak Kitchen Sofa, which the duo described as the kind of piece that dogs and children climb over, laundry, newspapers and people hang-out on. ‘We all gather in kitchens,’ Bernadotte said at the launch, ‘We have a particular empathy for kitchen culture in Sweden.’

https://www.njrd.com/

KORD

A new brand launched over breakfast at Ett Hem with the bold and admirable (if somewhat familiar) mission to ‘bring elegance and smartness to functional objects that often get overlooked’. First-up in Kord’s target is the gruesomely bland and cumbersome power adapter. Designed by Gustav Rosen, following 35 prototype concepts, the Cuboid is a nifty, natty solution of sorts. For the ground it makes in efficiency and beauty, it loses slightly in materiality: made in plastic with 50% recycled content. Good, but could it be better? Answers on a post-kord… Kord will launch Cuboid on Nordic Nest in March, retailing from 65 Euros.

https://www.nordicnest.com/

Simon Skinner lighting

Simon Skinner is a young Stockholm designer and Konstfack graduate who we have firmly in our sights. His magnificent Buke lamps are made from vintage glass objects variously sourced by Skinner and assembled into lamps of singular character and collective wonder. The lamps were for sale and on show at NO-GA and in the fairground - and it’s little surprise they’d all but sold out by the time we happened upon them. Extra credit to Skinner for beautiful photography by Gustav Almestal.

https://www.simonskinner.co/

Toogood as Guest of Honour

Faye’s studio is a popular guest of honour this year! Despite any deja vu, we are ardent fans - and, barely weeks after her honourship at Maison in Paris, it’s impressive to see the designer and her studio turn out an entirely different, fully realised installation concept in Stockholm. ‘Manufracture’ reveals the inner workings of the studio via prototypes, maquettes, sketches and injuries along the way. It was a charming, evocative and quietly powerful statement to make in the fairground, reminding visitors that the ‘finished’ article is wrestled into existence (and is never really finished, either).

https://t-o-o-g-o-o-d.com/

Frank in the Loom at Svenskt Tenn

A series of rag rugs inspired by Margit Thorén’s Schackruta rug, produced in a limited, numbered edition using leftover fabrics and offcuts from the production of Josef Frank’s textiles. They are beautiful in their own right. But the story of their production in Ukraine by a community who found themselves behind Russian lines when Putin invaded, and subsequently relocated to a village in the Carpathian mountains brings added poignancy here. Frank himself escaped Nazi Austria in the 1930s, where he was welcomed into Stockholm and Svenskt Tenn by Estrid Ericsson. The narrative circularity across time, culture and textile made for a moving exhibition.

https://www.svenskttenn.com

Form Us With Love

It makes us feel old to note that FUWL celebrates its 20th anniversary (we remember their launch party vividly). Today they are part of the establishment in a very good way. The much-loved studio holds a light to the future of design as an engine for progress, not just furniture for a fair stand. For design week they threw open the doors to their studio, transforming it into ‘The Testing Ground’ - a bistro where they wined and dined guests in celebration, showing a genius new range of lights ‘Catena’ for lighting brand Blond, and a new Nest Club chair for +Halle. Across the city they unveiled a new range of panels for acoustic brand Baux, made from a new material called X-Felt. The design is inspired by Japanese zen gardens and origami, but it’s the material that’s most clever. Firesafe without additives (the fibres mesh is so fine they eliminate oxygen and heat) and because there are no additives they are recyclable. Mega-sized panels (2800 x 1000) make for simple installation and de-installation, too.

https://www.formuswithlove.se/

With Stockholm Design Week 2025 (3-9 February) in full swing – and the city a worthy destination for design fans year round – Wallpaper* speaks to local designer Gustaf Westman (labelled ‘one to watch’ in our highlights of Stockholm Design Week 2024) to share an insider’s perspective on the city. In line with his light-hearted approach to design, which enhances and brightens everyday objects, Westman's guide to Stockholm features unfussy tips that capture the essence of the Swedish capital.

What to see and do in Stockholm, Sweden

Where to eat and drink

Le Passepartout

‘I would say this tiny French restaurant is the definition of a hidden gem. It’s intimate, and the food is exquisite. It feels like going to Paris.’

Le Passepartout is located at Wargentinsgatan 5A, 112 29 Stockholm, Sweden

Restaurang Prinsen

‘A classic, old-fashioned restaurant in Stockholm. This is where I go whenever I’m craving meatballs.’

Restaurang Prinsen is located at Mäster Samuelsgatan 4, 111 44 Stockholm, Sweden

Svedjan Bageri

‘Probably a basic tip but this is the best bakery in town! The bread is so good and the pastries are unreal.’

Svedjan Bageri is located at Brännkyrkagatan 93, 117 26 Stockholm, Sweden

Thongwiset

‘The best Thai food in town! My friend Robin told me to order Kana Moo Grob (a traditional dish with crispy pork belly and mixed vegetables), and now I never want to eat anything other than that!’

Thongwiset is located at Hornsgatan 85, 117 26 Stockholm, Sweden

Zinkens Krog

‘My favourite bar for a beer! Or two.’

Zinkens Krog is located at Ringvägen 14, 117 26 Stockholm, Sweden

What to do

Bio Rio

‘Bio Rio is my favourite cinema in Stockholm. It’s a very sweet art-house cinema that screens all of the best films from around the world. It also has a great restaurant and a fun concept called “Breakfast Cinema”, where they serve breakfast during Sunday morning screenings.’

Bio Rio is located at Hornstulls strand 3, 117 39 Stockholm, Sweden

Medelhavsmuseet

‘There are a lot of great museums in Stockholm, but this [the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities] is a fun and unexpected one that I love. They also have a great café!’

Medelhavsmuseet is located at Fredsgatan 2, 111 52 Stockholm, Sweden

Skogskyrkogården

‘A Unesco World Heritage Site, Skogskyrkogården is a cemetery created between 1917 and 1920 by Swedish architects Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz. It’s just so beautiful – the chapels that are scattered around and the nature! Go here before they start renovation later in 2025.’

skogskyrkogarden.stockholm/en/

Södermalm

‘I run around Södermalm island several times a week, and I highly recommend it if you’re into running. It’s a perfect mix of nature and city. Just follow the water around the island!’

Where to shop

Svenskt Tenn

‘In short, this is the only store I would recommend for Swedish design in Stockholm.’

Svenskt Tenn is located at Strandvägen 5, 114 51 Stockholm, Sweden

In fashion today, there’s a hunger for designs that elicit excitement, challenge the status quo or embody a sense of play. Even perversion. A pair of lace underwear tacked onto a pencil skirt, for example, a bouquet of roses encased inside a tulle gown, or outsized outerwear that turns the wearer into a real-life paper doll. This ethos is embodied in the work of Ann-Sofie Back, one of Sweden’s most influential fashion designers, who’s known for exploring status, class, shame and beauty standards through subversive design. She was ahead of her time, and as such her collections are as relevant today as they were ten to 20 years ago. Luckily, the public can now dive into her rich archive through a new book and exhibition called ‘Go As You Please – Ann-Sofie Back 1998-2018’, on view at Liljevalchs in Stockholm.

Back was always fascinated with fashion as a tool of self-expression; particularly, its ability to project certain characteristics about oneself to the world. In the sleepy Stockholm suburb of Stenhamra, her parents paid this no mind, which only piqued her interest further. ‘I discovered at a very early age that the main reason my parents were not accepted socially was because of their dress, their complete disregard for how others perceived them and the way this really made life harder for them,’ Back wrote in reference to her A/W 2005 collection ‘Dress for Success!’. ‘It mortified me and made me ashamed of them. I think this experience is what made me become a designer. Fashion and shame have always been linked for me.’

‘Go As You Please - Ann-Sofie Back 1998-2018’ at Liljevalchs, Stockholm

Back studied fashion design at Beckmans College of Design, then pursued a master’s degree at London’s Central Saint Martins. After graduating in 1998, she worked as a stylist for a few years, customising and deconstructing clothes that she sold in London, Paris and Tokyo. ‘This might seem like nothing today with everyone upcycling left, right and centre,’ she says of her methods, ‘but that was quite revolutionary then. I thought about sustainability, but no one else was bothered by it.’

Her first ready-to-wear collection – S/S 2002’s ‘Accidental Embarrassment’, shown in Paris – set the scene. Back explored her uneasiness with conventional glamour and perfection, creating sequin tops and T-shirt dresses with built-in bra details, styling them with silver belts and heels, but appearances can be deceiving. While the designer’s chosen fabrics looked good from a distance, up close you could see that the embellishments were glued on, skirts were stuck to knickers and the accessories were, in fact, covered with tin foil. Anne-Sofie Back the label and its defining ‘failed glamour’ aesthetic, whose ripples can be felt today from independent designers like Vaquera to Demna’s Balenciaga, was born.

Over the years, Back cultivated a design language of stereotypically unsexy silhouettes, strangely placed cutouts, mismatched layers – placing a mesh top over a knit, for example, and presenting underwear as outerwear. Her infamous A/W 2008 collection, titled ‘Celebrity Obsession’, took on the misogynistic UK tabloid press that hounded, shamed and ridiculed women in the 2000s by attempting to expose their knickers. Back created a slip dress out of bralettes and garter belts; she made spaghetti straps from thongs. The label operated from 2001-2018, alongside diffusion line BACK from 2005, exploring major contemporary issues from plastic surgery to ‘the pornification of society’, before the business shut down.

The publisher Art & Theory approached the designer four years ago and they began work on a book that chronicles her seminal two decades in fashion. In its final stages, Back decided to turn it into an exhibition in partnership with stylist and frequent collaborator Nicole Walker. ‘We knew from the start that we didn't want to make a traditional retrospective – mixing up all the different seasons, and producing new looks was important,’ Back explains to Wallpaper* of the show’s concept, which sees garments reimagined into new, contemporary iterations. ‘I have a constant need to surprise myself when I work, so this was essential. It was also thought of as my farewell to fashion,’ so it was envisioned with a funeral/burial theme.

The pair started by unpacking the massive archive, which took a total two weeks, even with three assistants. It was a very emotional experience: ‘I felt completely blocked and overwhelmed,’ Back shares. ‘So Nicole started and made a perfect look. It had that kind of surrealist, sad glamour that I like, so that set the tone.’

‘I call her “car ring body lady”,’ Walker adds. ‘She is stuffed with foam and wears a tight little skirt that’s now styled as a dress, a belt wrapped around her breasts, a sequin cardigan top and a wig.’

The styling played a major role in the exhibition, as it did in Back’s original shows; the themes were as relevant now – if not more so – than they were then. ‘We played a lot with female stereotypes and I really don’t know how much freedom women will have in the future the way the world is evolving at the moment,’ Walker says. ‘With that said, it felt highly liberating being able to explore and play with different ideas of what it means to be a woman.’

The mannequins are standing throughout the space, but also on top of tables and emerging from coffins. One look incorporates a painting of Jesus that Back’s mother made in her teens, while another wears an outfit consisting of a puffer jacket, a feather skirt, stockings that belonged to Back’s grandmother, and a pair of transparent stripper heels. Glued onto the mannequin's face are the designer’s baby teeth, shaped into a smile.

While she was working on the project, Back was diagnosed with breast cancer and lost many of her family members. ‘Death was very real to me,’ she says. ‘I also felt like I died when I had to put my business into liquidation. It was a total loss of my identity.’ The invitations for the opening featured a cross on the front and were inspired by traditional Swedish death announcements. ‘Go As You Please’ is the name of a funeral home, but it’s also the dress code. ‘The theme comes from a very personal place, but it can also be read as the current state of the fashion industry,’ Back says.

‘Go As You Please - Ann-Sofie Back 1998-2018’ runs until 23 February 2025 at Liljevalchs, Stockholm.

liljevalchs.se

A cascading, private Stockholm house by the waterside is the latest residential offering by UK-based practice Ström Architects. Let by Swedish-born architect Magnus Ström, the studio is a deft hand when it comes to private commissions with immaculately minimalist and modernist architecture-influenced past examples spanning the Isle of Wight's Island Rest and a Gloucestershire house inspired by the 20th century's Case Study programme in California. The newest scheme is no exception, displaying a contemporary, pared-down aesthetic, blended here with lush Swedish nature.

Step inside this Stockholm house by Ström Architects

The home of a large local family after a quiet haven and retreat for privacy and calm, the house was largely also inspired by its green surroundings. Tall trees, ragged coastal rocks and water views come together in a design that emerges from its setting – albeit unmistakably human-made.

As you step in from the street side, a double-height hallway leads to a dramatic flowing living space of serene, long sea vistas. Forming an 'L' shape, this interior creates a 'hug' where an outdoor terrace is located for the owners to enjoy the warm summer days and nights al fresco.

'The board-marked concrete walls spanning two storeys, along with the cantilevered staircase, contribute to the dramatic visual impact and textural richness of the hallway,' says Ström.

The private rooms and sleeping quarters are located upstairs, making the most of the open views too through large, triple-glazed openings. Timber sliding screens provide privacy and solar shading to avoid overheating. This goal is also supported by the home's meticulous insulation, while a ground-source heat pump caters for heating when needed.

'This project allowed us to push the boundaries of innovative design and showcase our dedication to creating homes that harmonise with their environment,' concludes Ström.

stromarchitects.com

When we visited Stockholm Design Week 2024 (on until 11 February), designers from around the world were exploring what happens when the old is combined with the new. 

South Korean design brand Wekino asked seven talented Korean designers to create objects that explored the juxtaposition between the country’s hyper-modern present and rich historical traditions. Formafantasma, the fair’s Guests of Honour, encouraged visitors to stop and think about how past environmental decisions will shape the future of design. Heritage Finnish brand IIttala debuted its revamped creative identity at a riotous opening event. Meanwhile, Svenskt Tenn celebrated its 100th anniversary with a reimagining of a classic pattern. 

Amongst these designers and the hundreds of others on display in the city, there was a sense that the most innovative design of today is always, in some way, a response to what came before it; and that designers should celebrate that lineage rather than hide it. As Svenskt Tenn, designer Josef Frank said nearly 100 years ago, ‘there’s nothing wrong with mixing old and new, with combining different furniture styles, colours and patterns. Things that you like will automatically fuse to form a relaxing entity.’ 

Stockholm Design Week 2024 highlights

Stockholm Furniture Fair Guest of Honour: Formafantasma

Formafantasma won the Guest of Honour title at this year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair. To celebrate, the Italian design duo created a bubblegum pink Reading Room in the fair’s main entrance hall. ‘We are a strange practice because we have a commercial practice but we are also a research studio and we play a lot in this ambiguity,’ said Andrea Trimarchi during a discussion inside his curtained construction. 

For the Reading Room, the studio played with that ambiguity by inviting fair-goers to take a break from the commerce of the stalls by thinking about the intellectual issues that underlie all good design. Books on ecology and design theory ran along Artek tables, while a video from the studio’s past Serpentine exhibition played on a screen. 

stockholmfurniturefair.se
formafantasma.com

Wekino

One of the most exciting debuts at this year’s fair was Wekino, a South Korean design and lifestyle brand that aims to establish Korea as a global design powerhouse. Its first showcase outside of its home country, curated by Swedish design studio Note, suggests it’s not far off from achieving that goal. 

The collection features objects from seven Korean designers, spanning lounge chairs and tables, to bookcases, rugs, mirrors, and coat hangers. Each of the designers was asked to create an object that responded to the idea of ‘juxtaposition,’ specifically the juxtaposition between Korea’s fast-paced, vibrant urbanism and refined traditional craft heritage.

All of the results are notable, especially the ‘Billow Lounge Chair’ by Wekino and Note, which blends curvaceous upholstery, evocative of a floating woodprint cloud with a modern, angular oak base. There is also the colourful, amorphous ‘Chroma’ mirrors by Studio-Chacha which transform the everyday-looking glass into a kaleidoscopic portal that will no doubt spawn thousands of mirror selfies.

‘A lot of super talented designers [in Korea] just needed this opportunity,’ said Note product designer Joong Han Lee during a brand presentation. ‘Our role was to bring that opportunity to these brands, and to establish them within Korea and outside it.’

wekino.co.kr

Svenskt Tenn

Perhaps no other brand epitomises Swedish design better than Svenskt Tenn; and so the fact that the Stockholm-based house is marking its 100th anniversary this year just further proves the nation’s enduring design legacy. 

To celebrate, Svenskt Tenn debuted a revamp of a classic Josef Frank fabric entitled ‘Stockholm.’ The new fabric, named ‘Svenskt Tenn Est. 1924’ adds new depth to the original's red, green and blue map motif with the help of 3D visualisation technology. It’s a subtly modernised version of a classic pattern that was, and still is, bold, colourful and undeniably Svenskt Tenn. 

At the flagship in town, the brand also displayed a selection of classics from the archive, including the Liljevalchs armchair (pictured above), one of Josef Frank’s first designs for the brand, and a limited edition Stockholm cabinet decorated with a vintage map of the city. 

svenskttenn.com

Iittala

The cocktail evening for IIttala the night before the fair opened was a bold and brilliant event that introduced the design world to the brand’s new creative director, Janni Vepsäläinen, and hinted that she might just be one of its most exciting new talents.

Prior to joining IIttala, Vepsäläinen had a successful career in fashion as a designer for JW Anderson and The Row. Her appointment to IIttala – a Finnish glass house dating back to 1883 – came as a surprise, and to some a potential risk, but her debut on Monday night (5 February) left the crowd buzzing with excitement.

The performance took place in a former nuclear weapon lab, with guests descending hundreds of feet below ground to sip champagne among graffitied walls and suspended sandbags leaking into giant sinkholes. Experimental multi-instrumentalist Damsel Elysium ‘played’ the brand’s bulbous glassware as a ghoulish soundtrack ricocheted through the cavernous space. Alongside the glass pieces, the brand also debuted a range of tableware, tea towels and other accessories titled ‘Play’. 

To find out more about Vepsäläinen’s groundbreaking new vision, you can read our exclusive interview with her here.

iittala.com

Wästberg

Swedish lighting brand Wästberg is known for collaborating with some of the world’s most renowned architects and designers to create lighting that can enhance any environment. At Stockholm Design Week 2024, the brand displayed the ‘w241Faro’ (pictured), designed in collaboration with David Chipperfield and inspired by the shape of lighthouses. The cordless lamp, which has batteries that last up to 20 hours, can be adjusted for focused illumination or more moody, diffused light. 

Also on display was its classic ‘Dalston’ hanging lamp by Industrial Facility, with its sleek and subtle design inspired by the lamps in industrial workshops but reimagined for a contemporary office space.

wastberg.com

Gustaf Westman

Gustaf Westman is a young designer to watch. The Stockholm-based upstart is best known for his playful designs like ‘Chunky Cup and Saucer’, made to decrease spillage for cocktail parties in the evening and coffee in bed the morning after; as well as his instagram-famous ‘Curvy Mirror’. 

These designs epitomise the general ethos of Westman’s aesthetic, which is fun-loving and made for social occasions. His booth at the fair was a riotous collection of colourful stools, vases, plates, tables and more, while he also welcomed a few guests for cocktails at his office-turned-temporary showroom in Stockholm’s hip Södermalm neighbourhood. 

gustafwestman.com

Massproductions

Crowd favourite Massproductions unveiled its new ‘Patch Sofa System’ at this year’s fair. ‘An homage to duffel bags, moc toe boots and a string of sausages,’ ‘Patch’ is a modular system adaptable for any space and proves to be as enjoyable to sit in as it is to look at. 

‘A massive sofa system isn’t the type of product that a young company would launch,’ says creative director Magnus Eleback, ‘we are almost out of our teenage years now, and in the context of our collection Patch just seems to fill a space and fit.’ 

massproductions.se

Primitive Arrangements by Nick Ross

The minimalist work of Sweden’ Nick Ross has always had a philosophical bent. Ross’ contribution to this year’s fair is no different, with stools, chairs, shelves and candlesticks that draw inspiration from some of the first objects designed by humans, specifically Scandinavian Bronze Age boats, Viking jewellery and standing stones. Ross investigates the essence of good design. How much, he asks, does it take to make an object that is both functional and beautiful? 

These days, we tend to be drawn to bold and colourful objects that translate well into photographs. Ross’s ‘Primitive Arrangements’ series suggests that objects pared back to their simplest elements can be just as, if not more, impressive. ‘These objects are simple,’ he says, ‘showcasing my design philosophy in its purest form: material and volume in context.’ 

nickross.studio

Vaarnii

Finnish design brand Vaarnii presented Ronan Bourollec’s ‘Maasto’ chair (pictured) and another by Faye Toogood. Defined by Vaarnii's distinctive use of pine, the chairs encapsulate the designers' unique approach to furniture with the brand's material-focused language. 'Working with Vaarnii is like working in a bakery,' said Bouroullec.  'The baker uses flour to produce something simple and good; here we use pine to produce something good, durable, the grace of simplicity.'

vaarnii.com

Stockholm Design Week 2024 runs until 11 February, stockholmdesignweek.com

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

Svenskt Tenn have unveiled a summer takeover of their Stockholm Gallery, handing over the space to Margherita Maccapani Missoni who created a colourful summer pop up. 'A postcard from Italy' (on view until 27 August 2023) is an imaginary garden within the gallery, where a series of picnic settings mix Missoni's 'italianness' and Josef Frank's classics. 

'I've been an avid Svenskt Tenn customer for a long time and enjoy decorating my home with Josef Frank's furniture and patterns,' says Maccapani Missoni. 'My aim is to create a lesser seen version of the Svenskt Tenn universe, by incorporating the characteristic Italian philosophy of being outside in conviviality.

'A postcard from Italy' at Svenskt Tenn

The shoppable exhibition features a series of informal table settings referencing the picnic theme with combinations of iconic Josef Frank patterns including Italian Dinner, Catleya, Stripes, Posions, and Vegetable Tree across table linen, upholstered furniture, and parasols (which have been custom-made for the occasion).

Maccapani Missoni has also collaborated with the Swedish brand on a series of special edition products featuring Josef Frank motifs such as heart-shaped pillows, postcard-like trays and wallpaper as well as porcelain pieces made in Italy for Svenskt Tenn. A further curated selection of objects and tableware from small Italian artisans was put together by Maccapani Missoni as part of the installation, and will be available from the gallery. 

'I've found many affinities with Svenskt Tenn founder Estrid Ericson,' says Maccapani Missoni, whose exhibition is a tribute to the woman behind the brand and her creativity. 'To me, she was an avantgarde woman and inspiring entrepreneur who early on thought outside the box and did things in her own way, with high integrity.'

Postcard from Italy is on view until 27 August 2023

Svenskt Tenn
Strandvägen 5
Stockholm

svenskttenn.com

A former movie theatre in the heart of Stockholm’s design district has been reborn as the first physical space of Nordic Knots, the Swedish rug label that’s redefining what Scandinavian design is expected to be. Since it was launched in 2016, Nordic Knots’ marriage of traditional craftsmanship and a sensuality rarely associated with Swedish design today had set it apart from the crowd. Rooted in functionality while still embracing a minimalist ethos, its rugs each exhibit a texture, warmth and individuality that makes a memorable impression.

Nordic Knots Stockholm showroom: design, heritage and quality

Nordic Knots’ new showroom space was perfect for specific reasons. Dating back to early 1900, the Eriksbergsteatern cinema screened its first film in 1918 and its last in 1986. From 1973 to its last day of operation, the cinema was romantically named Woodstock.

‘We wanted to find a space that was special and not just another classic Stockholm store front,’ recall Fabian Berglund and Liza Laserow, the husband-and-wife duo who co-founded the company with Fabian’s brother Felix Berglund. ‘Not that there's anything wrong with that, but we wanted something that had a story and a character beyond just being a beautiful space. We were actually just looking for a new office at first but then this space popped up and from a tiny thumbnail in an online listing, we could see that this was something special. It was more space than we needed, with a storefront that we were not really looking for, and it needed quite a bit of work; it had the bones that we just had to have.’

‘When we first stepped into the space, we felt that [its] history and energy were great. It's been an important meeting place for a lot of people, throughout the years it existed, which spoke to us and we liked the challenge as well as the opportunity to be able to restore and again make it a destination for people to come and see. We knew it could be our home.’

To make the space inhabitable, the Berglunds called upon the New York-based architect and interior designer Giancarlo Valle, whom they met on a recent trip to the Big Apple, where the couple had lived and conceived of Nordic Knots years before. A shared appreciation for each other’s work as well as timeless, refined and unexpected design led them to collaborate on overhauling the showroom space in Stockholm, as well a collection of rugs inspired by Valle’s Latin American heritage and Sweden’s rich folklore. 

From preserving the interior’s mottled green marble, sprawling terrazzo floor and dramatic Grand Carrara marble staircase to creating a dynamic, rotating installation display of the company’s wares – under lighting created by the Mexican designer Carlos H Matos – and a coffee bar (an essential in Sweden), the new flagship space puts Nordic Knots’ collections, heritage and quality front and centre.

‘Giancarlo really understood how to use the great original details that were already there and then complement these with a contemporary playful design,’ say the couple. ‘It gives a modern feel and yet [the space is] timeless and classic at the same time. Studio Giancarlo Valle nailed balancing the different materials and how to scale the furniture perfectly in the space. They also understood the needs and practical aspects of the store and translated that into something beautiful and lovely to look at. There is also a real shared love for quality, both in construction and materials, that we think makes a huge difference.’

Valle adds, ‘When Fab and Liza asked us to explore this project, it was an easy sell. Sweden, to me, represents one of the richest and most sophisticated design cultures in the world; it has a deep history of decorative arts and always manages to move itself forward in new and original ways without losing its roots. I saw this partnership as an opportunity to continue this great legacy, but through an outsider’s lens. Swedish attention to craft, detail, material, and proportion is something we wanted to respect, but at the same time, we wove it together in our own way.’

Birger Jarlsgatan, 58 Stockholm

nordicknots.com

For the first time since its founding in 1951, the Stockholm Furniture Fair has launched a platform dedicated to collectible design. Called Älvsjö Gård – after the 16th-century manor house where it debuted earlier in February 2023 –  the exhibition saw the onetime farmstead play host to experimental designers, independent galleries and innovative collectives from across Scandinavia. Älvsjö Gård 2023 included Tableau gallery from Copenhagen, Bergen’s interdisciplinary space Kiosken, Oslo-based Pyton, Stockholmmodern gallery, and design collective Navet.

The Älvsjö Gård villa’s prim setting – complete with toile de jouy curtains, floral frescos, wooden marquetry floors and Dutch master-style paintings on the walls – may have provided an imposing contrast to the often otherworldly objects on display, but the draw of the exhibition was certainly not its patrician setting. 

Instead, the curation and breadth of talent spoke for themselves. Indeed, the show may have skewed towards the experimental, but the practices of many of the designers were centred firmly in craft, spanning a broad range of materials and mediums. Take, for instance, Fredrik Nielson’s ‘Mixed Emotions’ collection, which resembles fallen meteorites in varying shades of chromed, clear and coloured glass. Or Kajsa Melchior’s stalactite-like furniture made of sand and alabaster, its forms largely determined by natural forces such as wind and water.

This being Scandinavia, there was no shortage of excellent works in wood, like designer and cabinet maker Axel Wannberg’s burl wood ‘Mappa’ table lamp, desk and seating, which featured pared-back forms that highlighted the wood’s natural grain. While Veermakers, the recently launched brand from Louise Liljencrantz and KFK Cabinet Makers, showed a beautifully crafted collection of angular tables, hand-carved stools and minimal seating in polished mahogany, walnut, oak and cherry wood.

However, timber wasn’t the only material local Swedish designers excelled in. Stockholm and Milan-based Navet showed its melted candy-like ‘Jelly’ collection of mirrors, which were made in collaboration with a local Stockholm glassworks. Meanwhile glassmaker Simon Klenell showed the latest iteration of his hand-blown lamps, which look as if a deflated balloon had been cast in silver.

This year’s edition marks the first time the fair has been held since 2020 and it seems the time spent away has allowed organisers to reflect and reset. 'Being able to offer a platform with experimental work and highly crafted furniture right next to our traditional furniture fair is an important part of our strategy moving forward,' explains Hanna Nova Beatrice, project manager for Stockholm Furniture Fair and Stockholm Design Week. 'We want to mirror what’s happening in the design industry.'

stockholmfurniturefair.se

Studio Nichetto, the eponymous design studio founded by renowned Italian designer Luca Nichetto, has recently opened the doors of its new headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Dubbed the ‘Pink Villa’, this charming bubble-gum pink house from the 1930s is nestled in the heart of nature, just a seven-minute stroll from the waterfront and a stone's throw from the nearest green space. The house was acquired in 2021 and underwent a complete renovation, which saw the old floorplan discarded in favour of a new spatial concept.

Luca Nichetto's new HQ: between a showroom and a home

The decision to create a headquarters that seamlessly blends the ideas of a showroom and a home was not solely influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic but rather by a growing trend among designers and firms to prioritise comfort and a sense of home in the workplace. 

Nichetto explains, 'Even if the decision of having a studio that combines the ideas of a showroom and the one of a home was not taken because of the lockdown, for sure there is a thought of combining home comfort with a workplace. It’s what more and more companies are doing, and I didn’t want to be left behind, of course!'

Nichetto's vision for the Pink Villa was to create an environment that welcomes and comforts everyone who enters, from his team to guests and even his family. He hopes the Pink Villa will be a safe zone where ideas, opinions, and doubts can be expressed freely. 'I wanted to create an environment where my team, my guests and my family (on the weekend) could feel welcomed and relaxed. I want everyone to feel in a safe zone where it’s possible to express ideas, opinions, doubts with freedom, without feeling any sort of pressure.'

The Pink Villa is a reflection of Nichetto's design philosophy, which emphasises the importance of creating spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and welcoming, these are relevant points for him. It stands as a testament to his passion for design and his commitment to creating interiors that inspire and uplift. The Pink Villa is more than just a headquarters; it's a home away from home for everyone at Studio Nichetto, where the pink walls echo its inspiration and creativity, and at the same time are able to pass a sense of calm and a positive mood.

nichettostudio.com

An exhibition at Stockholm’s NK department store sets out to explore the identity of contemporary Scandinavian and Nordic design. Curated by Norwegian design studio Kråkvik&D'Orazio, the exhibition (on view until 18 September 2022) combines emerging designers and established brands, collaborations between Scandinavian makers with creatives of different disciplines and explorations of materials and techniques. 

‘For many of the designers included, the material is the starting point,’ comment curators Jannicke Kråkvik and Alessandro D'Orazio. ‘It could be a celebration of a certain material, a way to make use of leftover materials or a search for new applications for an overlooked material.’

Several of the examples on display include a celebration of raw materials and local manufacturing, including the examples of wood manufacturing by the likes of Vaarnii, whose brutalist furniture is made of Finnish pine, or the Made in Local collaboration between Japanese Ishinomaki Laboratory and Menu on wooden AA-stools. 

But the exhibition is also an opportunity to explore different facets of what is a traditional Nordic aesthetic. Axel Wannberg’s pieces, made of mappa burl in his Stockholm studio represent a more expressive approach to cabinetry, in contrast to a more traditional definition of Scandinavian design. Similarly, Thomas Sandell’s intarsia cupboard for KFK Snickeri explores the possibilities of the technique, and was made especially for the exhibition. 

Contemporary makers are shown alongside pieces that highlight different facets of tradition, such as The Sverre Fehn collection by Norway’s Fjordfiesta, for the first time available to a wider audience.

‘This exhibition is part of our commitment to play an active role as hosts to the design week,’ says Hanna Nova Beatrice, project manager of Stockholm Design Week and Stockholm Furniture Fair. ‘We want to mirror what's happening in the Scandinavian design industry.’ 

INFORMATION

Moving Forward is on view until 18 September 2022
stockholmdesignweek.com

ADDRESS

Hamngatan 18-20
111 47 Stockholm
Sweden

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For 17 years, Form Us With Love has been experimenting with design as a method to improve life. The studio’s projects include furniture and lighting for the likes of +Halle and Muuto, soundproof panels created through Baux, the company the team co-founded in 2013 to elevate office working conditions, and more in-depth research and consulting projects that have defined the studio’s most recent endeavours. ‘We believe our approach to design advances industries. Design is our way of forging real change,’ say the team about their work.

During Stockholm Design Week 2022, they opened the doors to a new studio space, located on the waterfront in the city centre and serving as a functional space for creation as well as a gathering place to both show their work and host designers and brands for collaboration. 

Designed in collaboration with architecture practice Förstberg Ling and branding firm Figur, the studio takes over the spaces of a former travel agency, and it has been stripped back to a blank canvas for the team’s operations. The new space, they explain, ‘was geared towards design in progress’, aiming at a hybrid space that would allow them not only to display their work to guests, but also to practically operate in the environment.

The studio is defined by a series of hangar doors, serving as sliding walls that separate a street-facing gallery from rooms dedicated to office, workshop and communal areas. The colour grey was chosen to aid concentration and form a backdrop to their creative ideas. 

Throughout the space, a modular system (designed by Form Us With Love to respond to the demands of a dynamic workspace) features perforated steel modules that have been configured into desks, storage, a library, and display plinths – possibly the beginning of a new venture for the team as they further explore possibilities of the design. 

‘The most important tool for us is our studio,’ says co-founder John Löfgren. ‘With small interventions, [the space] is now an amazing tool for the team, experts, and brands to co-create. The new space is designed to be transformative, adapting to the team’s design methods instead of the other way around.’ 

During Stockholm Design Week, the team took the opportunity to showcase the work-in-progress behind some of their latest projects, from experiments with materials and recycling, to paper packaging for personal and home care disruptor Forgo.

‘Early last year we gathered our team to clarify what had been cooking in the background for years. What kind of design studio do we want to be?’ adds co-founder and CEO, Jonas Pettersson. ‘We found that we all shared this ambition that design should be about improving life. We took the decision to work on projects that we feel have the potential to improve life for people, business, and the planet. The space brings vitality to our design process. Where we can show that design can have an impact.’

INFORMATION

formuswithlove.se

In 2015, a couple approached Swedish architect Måns Tham with an unusual idea. They wanted to build a house out of old shipping containers, drawing on their fascination with customised American cars and a DIY, industrial aesthetic. Tham obliged, and following some intensive research on fabrication, engineering and insulation methods to adapt this somewhat ubiquitous but certainly unconventional, especially for homes, building unit, Container House was born. 

The structure sits in the outskirts of Stockholm, perched on a sloped, rocky, suburban site by a lake. Its front door connects to the street via a slim bridge, which makes entering this unusual structure even more dramatic. The final design (which was not too far off from the residence’s initial concept) emerged out of intense consultation with both experts and the clients, who were particularly hands-on with the development of their future home. ‘We ended up having a great iterative process where we designed solutions as we went,’ Tham recalls. ‘The original proposal and plan however never changed.’ 

As, perhaps, was expected with an architectural design that goes against the norm, the project faced several challenges that Tham had to address. ‘[I needed] to find all the technical solutions that made the house up to code (Sweden has very strict energy rules for new homes) and make those solutions look good and work well,’ he explains. ‘[Additionally], the containers are really not that great a starting point for a home because of their limited width, 2.4m. But as soon as you take out the corrugated walls between two containers to make a wider room, they lose their structural strength. Therefore, we had to put a lot of effort into deciding which walls to cut and which to save, so that we could use the containers with as little additional structure as possible.’

Another key element to consider was fixtures and fittings, flooring and ceilings and all the elements that come together to dress the structural frame and make a house a home. According to Tham, everything – from handrails, to chimneys and taps – needed to be carefully considered and often customised in order to fit within the container house aesthetic and practical requirements. Found objects, such as a wooden staircase that was salvaged from a demolished restaurant site, were also incorporated at places. Floors are poured concrete. 

The result is a striking and inventive structure of some 150 sq m, a labour of love, painted grey to match the surrounding rock. The container units’ geometry dominates the composition and gives a unique rhythm to the façades. Large openings bring plenty of light in – the living and dining space in particular gets flooded with sunlight, while the roof terrace makes a great suntrap, especially in the afternoon and at dusk. Meanwhile, the interior’s rawness is softened by picture-frame windows and long views of the surrounding greenery and suburban context, as nature appears at every corner of Container House.

INFORMATION
manstham.com

As Covid-19 continues to hinder in-real-life art interaction, Stockholm-based photographer (and longtime Wallpaper* contributor) Gustav Almestål and art director Hedvig Myhrman have devised a deft solution. 

S.Y.L.A. (which stands for Support Your Local Artist) is a curated Instagram auction initiative aiming to bring ‘artists and audience closer together’ to give the Stockholm arts community a welcome boost in the process. 

Live through February 2021, the curated auction brings together works in a spectrum of approaches and materials. Sculpture – in all its glorious forms – is a recurring theme, but available works also comprise ceramics, painting, textile art, pastel works, glass pieces, created by both emerging and established contemporary artists.

The formula is simple: prospective buyers can browse the available works on the S.Y.L.A website. When a piece piques their interest, they submit an offer (in Euros) via direct message on Instagram. One hour before the auction slot for a specific work ends, interested bidders are then connected in a thread, and the highest bidder becomes the proud new owner. 

Many of the works share common threads, from references to key themes in art history to the artists’ cultural heritage as well as the ongoing pandemic. In Polnarnatt (2020) Sámi artist Carola Grahn combines reindeer hide, sinew thread and woollen fabric – materials traditionally used in duodji, a traditional Sámi craft, in a manner reminiscent of minimalist abstract painting. Siri Carlén’s colourful pastel drawing Still life (2018) sees everyday objects bear traces of the human hand as well as her folklore inspiration. Yngvild Saeter materialises her visions during a failed brain surgery, in the shamanistic biker-influenced Aragorn Light (2020) with antlers growing out of it. 

S.Y.L.A. is both a timely reminder of the critical support needed for artists in a time of shared crisis, and a clever solution to art appreciation in our ongoing virtual reality. 

INFORMATION

S.Y.L.A. auctions will take place online through February 2021. 

sylaauctions.com

@s.y.l.a_auctions

Being confined to one space – a home, street or city – has allowed for location-focused introspection. A nearby house, previously unnoticed has taken on new design meaning, a running route has novel memories, or the view from a window a fresh sense of freedom.

When Totême was conceiving its latest campaign, its founders Elin Kling and Karl Lindman had the geography of its home city of Stockholm firmly in mind. The result encompasses a series of perspective-shifting images which bring together, fashion, lifestyle and architectural elements, lensed by photographer and director Mikael Jansson. These have been collaged across bold plinths by interior designers Halleroed and re-shot as a layered location shots in areas around the Swedish capital.

Long time admirers of Jansson’s work (this year alone he has shot campaign images for Chanel Haute Couture, Brioni and Dior), Totême found that being restricted to Stockholm facilitated collaboration. ‘Tapping Mikael and working with an all-local team really added value to the campaign,’ Lindman adds. For Totême, Jansson documented an imagined day in the city, including a model dining at culinary institution Teatergrillen and picking up fresh produce at a market in Hötorget, as well as capturing architectural images, including the facade of Totême’s design studio.

The label also worked with longtime collaborators Halleroed on the 3D elements of the campaign. The Swedish interior designers have created sleek and materiality-focused retail spaces for brands including Acne Studios, Byredo, Frame and Alex Arigato. It also conceived Totême’s first Art Deco-centric townhouse on Biblioteksgatan, and its graphic and monochromatic space in Stockholm department store Nordiska Kompaniet. ‘The materials Halleroed source are largely Swedish,’ Totême add of their affinity for the firm. ‘Our collaborative process starts with us having a vision of what we want to achieve, and Halleroed using their architectural expertise to create the physical manifestation of the brand.’

For ‘A Stockholm Story', two-metre high cuboid plinths were created using scarlet steel tubing. ‘We found that this vibrant tone specifically lent elegance to the industrial feel of the constructions,’ Kling says. ‘It was also the best colour to contract with Mikael’s signature monochrome photography and to offset the gloomy late summer’s day in Stockholm from when the images were shot.’

‘Today, we’re emphasisng our distinct design cues and our strong ties to the city and streets, where Totême’s proposition begins and ends,’ Totême add. Whether tracing Stockholm's scenic waterfront or sunbathing on its archipelago, its a route you can trace stylishly too. 

INFORMATION
toteme-studio.com

halleroed.com

Anthony Rock was working at Acne Studios as head of denim development when Samuel Thomas joined the team from Loewe. Together, the pair reworked the brand's Blå Konst denim line, before launching their own label, Self Cinema, in July last year. ‘With our joint experience, we decided to set out on our own with a focus on sustainable and responsible innovations throughout every step and process,' says Rock. 
 
Self Cinema aims to eliminate as much waste as possible, creating collections that are 80 per cent carryover and 20 per cent seasonal, whilst integrating a timeless aesthetic. This includes lines for both men and women, with Breton jerseys, nylon anoraks and comfortable knitwear melding style sensibilities of Swedes, New Yorkers and Parisians. ‘There is a real cross-pollination of "chic",' says the duo, who are keen to propose a look that attracts a customer wanting to change their buying habits, without causing too much upset to an existing wardrobe.

Unsurprisingly, considering the founders’ design backgrounds, the label produces a great range of jeans. ‘They have the perfect fit, something we have been working towards for a while,' says Rock. Self Cinema sources its indigo denim in Japan, with its dual-ring spun fabric composition made up of half recycled organic and half organic cotton. ‘It wears really well and the denim ages beautifully,' Rock adds. The jeans are also eco washed in Italy at a factory that uses solar energy, minimal chemicals, and recycled water. All the labels and buttons are recycled, too, as is the stitching. 
 
‘They are the greenest high fashion jeans we think you can buy anywhere,' concludes Rock. ‘But most importantly, they look really cool.'

INFORMATION

self-cinema.com

Stockholm Design Week has long pioneered innovation and experimentation. This year’s edition was no different. Understanding the ongoing global problems with waste, Stockholm Furniture Fair’s guests of honour, design studio Doshi Levien, framed its processes with an installation that will live beyond the five days of the show. Elsewhere biomaterials from caffeine to mushrooms were aplenty in the Greenhouse section for rising talents.

On the local scene, Form Us With Love launches a sustainable personal care brand, while a new all-female creative crew shakes up Swedish design energy, and the Scandinavian creative essence gets injected with Portugese craft culture.

Delve into our edit of the Swedish showcase...

Powder Vase by Jenny Nordberg Hem

‘[This is] where our experiments materialise,’ Petrus Palmér, CEO and founder of the Swedish brand describes of its Stockholm HQ that has been freshly redesigned by local practice Atelier Paul Vaugoyeau and the in-house design team. This new workspace has been busy concocting the third collaboration with Modern Design Review, sheet steel vases by Jenny Nordberg, that adopt an abstract powder coated finish. The decorative pieces are limited edition of 15, ‘I focus my attention on projects that are long lasting – those that reclaim materials and are engaged locally,’ Nordberg explains.

3-9 February; Hem Studio, Eastmansvägen 12A, 113 61 Stockholm

Southern Lights by Origin

When Gabriel Tan first visited Portugal back in 2014 as a tourist, he was fascinated by the craft of the country, and in turn wanted to bring this to the fore with new initiative Origin. This is the second collection for the brand, and this time he explores the connections between Scandinavia and Portugal. Nine projects from nine designers (six of which are Scandinavian) and seven Portuguese craftsmen come to fruition for this, in a range of fragrance sculptures, hair brushes, vases, carafe and more.

4-8 February; Asplund, Sibyllegatan 31, 114 42 Stockholm

Bouroullec Brothers & Iittala at Wetterling Gallery

The roll call of creatives trekking to IIttala’s glass blowing factory in remote Finland reads like a who’s who of the design world. In 2014, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec made the pilgrimage and produced Ruutu – a collection of large handblown vases. This year, they add hollow cast, ceramic editions and 500mm glass editions to the family – all of which are on show at the Wetterling Gallery. The brothers also created hand blown glass flowers to put in them.

4-7 February; Kungsträdgården 3, 111 47 Stockholm. 

Forgo, by Form Us With Love

Already a 2020 Wallpaper* Design Award winner, Form Us With Love’s new personal care brand Forgo focuses on using less water and less packaging with its new formula hand wash. Two years in the making, Forgo provides sachets of powder ingredients to then mix with tap water at home in a reusable bottle. During design week, the sustainable brand will launch its palm cleaning revolution inside military base turned museum, Bergrummet.

4-6 February; Svensksundsvägen 5, 111 49 Stockholm

Gubi at Hotel At Six

The pop-up space on the ground floor of the Hotel At Six has always seen a space in which to showcase the best names in design, and for the second year running, Danish maestro Gubi has taken up residence. Alongside pieces from the existing collection (reupholstered in sheepskin), are a series of new travertine Epic Tables by long-standing Gubi collaborators Gamfratesi and new lighting and furniture by Danish duo Space Copenhagen, whose Wonder sofa is a contemporary take on 1970s lounge furniture.

4-6 February; Brunkebergstorg 6, 111 51 Stockholm

Doshi Levien at Stockholm Furniture Fair

Described by the design duo as ‘an abstract version of our studio’, this year’s guest of honour will delve into the processes behind their design language. An added layer to their installation: the materials used for the 200 sq m space will have an afterlife following its five day stretch and have been sourced responsibly for the showcase.

4-8 February; 125 30 Stockholm

Misschiefs feminist exhibition

The punk cry of all-female collective Misschiefs sets out to ‘shake up the traditional, strict, contained and male-dominated style of what defines Swedishness in design.’ Limited edition works by ten designers range from quilts to ironing boards to mirrors and are on show in Stureplan central square before heading to Milan, Paris and Marseille. In each city, a female curator or gallerist selects an artist to create a work. In Stockholm, Andrehn-Schiptjenko gallery called on Norwegian artist Yngvild Saeter and her new Spirit Realm chandelier is the star act.

4-22 February; STUREPLAN 6, 114 35 Stockholm, Sweden

Fantasy by Magniberg

Bedlinen and textile brand Magniberg’s 2020 Stockholm contribution is twofold. In its studio, an exhibition of Polaroid photographs by Casper Sejersen will be hosted, plus limited edition pillow cases and duvet covers with images by Hanna Moon, and lamps and vases by Nina Nørgaard. Meanwhile at 1945 restaurant Teatergrillen, the team will be creating a collaborative environment with fellow artists and friends from the industry, extending the namesake of its new collection, ‘fantasy’. 

Magniberg, Grev Magnigatan 6, Stockholm; Teatergrillen, Nybrogatan 3; Teatergrillen Nybrogatan 3, 114 34 Stockholm, Sweden

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To access the boardroom of Acne Studios’ new ten level HQ in Stockholm, guests and employees of the 20-year-old Swedish label must use a separate lift to shoot them up to the spacious sixth floor. For this secretly accessed area – with its sunken fireplace, stark straight-lined interior architecture and angular eaves – was once the private residence of the former Czechoslovakian Ambassador. Floragatan 13 – an imposing brutalist masterpiece, completed in 1972 by Jan Bočan and named by Acne Studios after the street it is located on – was first conceived as the Czechoslovakian Embassy. Aptly, co-founder and creative director of the brand Jonny Johansson uses a cryptographic analogy to describe its architectural overhaul. 

‘The building has a strong aesthetic itself,’ Johansson says, of the space, which has a stark façade, constructed using bush hammered concrete and glass infills. ‘Then we sort of cracked the code of how to redesign it, and it went smoothly.’ This code cracking meant working in collaboration with Swedish architect Johannes Norlander, and taking the utopian ideals behind brutalist architecture, to create an interactive, inspiring and holistic environment, based around the concept of an ideas-flourishing fashion school. This includes four sleek design and production floors at the heart of the building, an inviting ground-floor library lined with shelves of reference books and winged Helmut Lang sculptures, and a basement level canteen, housed in the embassy’s former cinema. 

The school concept is not just a nod to the experimental and interactive energy Johansson hopes to bring to the space. The creatives behind the HQ’s accompanying furniture and fixture design read as a visual honour roll of past collaborators who have worked on previous design projects with the house. British designer Max Lamb has created entrance room seating hewn from hunks of rusty Swedish granite, tables in tactile pewter and carved wood and hand tufted rugs in oceanic hues. London-based artist Daniel Silver has pieced together abstract collages, patchworked from surplus Acne Studios fabrics, and French designer and light artist Benoit Lalloz has created astonishing handblown lamps, in bulbous sugary pink tones, that illuminate the space in tessellated grids. 

British designer Max Lamb created a retail concept revolving around polycarbonate elements with gold accents

Natural materials-focused Lamb has worked with Acne Studios on a number of retail projects, including the brand’s Madison Avenue boutique, which opened in Manhattan in 2016. The space featured organically shaped bronze furniture and graphic columns hewn from semi precious stone. For its new HQ, Johansson enlisted Lamb to create a Viking graveyard in its entrance, with monolithic seating and benches, formed from slabs of Ivo granite, red granite and black Bassalt, resembling crooked tombstones. The boardroom’s wooden meeting table, with a tactile chiseled surface, appears like a medieval roundtable. ‘The first time I managed to do some stonework for Acne was in Milan in its Brera store which used the same granite as was clad on the outside of the original façade,’ Lamb says. ‘We’ve given the graphic, brutalist structure of this building some warmth with these more irregular organic shapes.’

Warmth is indeed integral to the building's interior design flourishes, which with their abstract and bulbous shapes, colourful hues and raw finishses, bring a vibrant contrast to the building’s original mathematical design. ‘I just remember standing outside of our old office and just not wanting to go in,’ Johansson says of the original moment he decided to find a new home for Acne Studios’ HQ, over three years ago. Now, we think he'll be hard pressed to leave. 

INFORMATION

acnestudios.com

Stockholm’s Vasastan district sees a new addition courtesy of Nobis Hospitality Group, which has just opened the doors to Blique.

Occupying a 1930s industrial warehouse, originally designed by Sigurd Lewerentz, the 249-room property has been reborn through the imagination of Swedish architect Gert Wingårdh, who previously worked with the group on its Copenhagen iteration.

Using raw materials to underpin its original heritage, metal and steel complement the concrete surfaces, which are then softened with tactile leathers, textiles and timber.

The property’s expansive courtyard underpins its design focus on bringing people together, further exhibited by the space’s two restaurants and numerous bars, one of which can be found on the rooftop terrace, boasting vast views over the Swedish capital.

Surrounded by art galleries, bars and eateries, there's no doubt Blique has become a social hub for visitors and locals alike.

ADDRESS

Gävlegatan 18

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It is often said that a great project needs a truly great client, and the latest design by Swedish architects Sandellsandberg is a case in point. The studio has just revealed the complete transformation of an 18th century building apartment into a bold contemporary interior, filled with art and surprises. 

The space, commissioned to Sandellsandberg by Dan Kuzmic, a Stockholm resident who recently moved there from the US, was led by the firm's interior design team, partner-in-charge Anders Rotstein, Kolbrún Leósdottir and Fredrik Laihonen. The aim was to create something ‘out of the ordinary', explains the team. ‘We wanted to surprise and to amaze people as soon as they get through the door!'

Their approach involved clever use of colour, bespoke details and fittings and carefully placed artwork. A striking painted ceiling at the main hall not only is visually arresting and underlines the ‘wow' effect the architects aimed for; it also works with the geometry of the room to enhance its sense of space, while drawing from traditional patterns and the Scandinavian design heritage.

‘One of our inspirations was the iconic pattern Pythagoras created by the Swedish 18th century architect Sven Markelius', they say. ‘And the other highly significant inspiration was the pattern of the square Sergels Torg located in the centre of Stockholm, which was created by Jörgen Kjaerholm in the 1960s.' The furniture in the room was picked specifically to complement this feature's geometry. 

The apartment's other rooms all have an individual approach, which involves rich hues and custom made pieces of furniture, such as a dining table made out of marble and elm. Meanwhile, the entertainment room includes a cabinet made out of blue tainted ash and copper (it plays host to the owner's extensive vinyl and book collection, as well as a bar section).

Block colouring highlights each area's distinct identity in a smart, architectural slight of hand. ‘All the rooms are painted monochrome, walls and ceiling; the surfaces are only differentiated by the use of different shine, so you have glossy ceilings and matt walls', adds the Sandellsanberg team - proving that with a ‘brave' client and a healthy sense of experimentation, an everyday interior can become a true journey of discovery.

INFORMATION

For more information visit the Sandellsandberg Architects website

To be blunt, Stockholm’s Sundyberg neighbourhood is not normally on the tourist trail, but the newly minted Grow Hotel may well provide an excuse and a base from which to explore the city’s north-western edges.

Housed in a distinctive new building – narrow fronted and sheathed with concertina panel windows – designed by local architects 3XN, the 176-room hotel has been furnished by Stockholm-based interior specialists Note in a neutral palette of blue and grey tones, with splashes of warm terracotta hues.

This being Sweden, it’s also no surprise that sustainable natural materials dominate, alongside swathes of Guatemala Verde and pink Rojo Alicante marbles in the lobby and restaurant, Norobata.

The latter makes an additional mark for its robatayaki menu, the Japanese method of cooking on hot charcoal produced from Japanese white oak, dovetailing nicely with the Swedish penchant for barbecuing – though we think the venison tartar and spiced Arctic char make equally compelling dinner picks.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Landsvägen 30
171 54 Sundbyberg
Sweden

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After the success of last year’s ‘The Lookout’ installation at Stockholm Furniture Fair, global flooring giant Tarkett and multidisciplinary Swedish design practice Note Design Studio have joined forces once again. This year they have chosen a venue in the heart of the city, on a 13th-floor rooftop with 360° panoramic views, and transformed the vast indoor-outdoors space into a poetic and immersive snow-covered landscape of different shapes made out of Tarkett’s iQ vinyl flooring ranges in various – and sometimes shimmering – hues of white and grey.

‘Snowtopped’, as the installation is called, is soft and immersive like a snowdrift but dotted with contrasting elements made of other materials – such as wood or metal – that pop out of the ‘snow’. ‘We wanted to show how well the Tarkett ranges work with other materials,’ explains Cristiano Pigazzini, design manager at Note. The designers also wanted to encourage people to stop thinking of these ranges exclusively in terms of flooring or wall-coverings. ‘It’s a material that is strong and long-lasting, in a way it’s like wood,’ says Pigazzini. ‘You can do whatever you want with it.’

For Tarkett doing an installation like this is about showing their products in a new way. ‘We want to prove that materials which are perceived initially as more functional have great aesthetic potential as well,’ says Florian Bougault, art director for Tarkett EMEA. ‘And that they can be combined with more “noble materials” such as stone, marble, textiles and timber floors.’

There is a thread between last year’s installation and this year’s edition he continues. ‘The Lookout’ displayed Tarkett materials that are normally used two-dimensionally in a three-dimensional way. ‘This year’s installation continues with this three-dimensionality but also accentuates the versatility in applying our materials.’ Making the installation’s snowy forms was a challenge even for Tarkett’s extremely experienced technical team he admits, but the complex assembly and finishes are seamless.

The collaboration with Note Design Studio won’t end in Stockholm. It continues in April in Milan with ‘Formations’, another installation that will go on display in the elegant Circolo Filologico Milanese in Brera. According to Pigazzini, ‘that exhibition will take Tarkett’s materials to the limits of what can be done’. On the same occasion the brand will also launch a new range co-designed with Note. Tarkett is on a design journey that shows no signs of abating.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Tarkett website and the Note Design Studio website

I have been thinking about doing something like this for more than 10 years, since the day I moved to Sweden,’ says Emma Marga Blanche, one half of French-Swedish design duo Färg & Blanche, about the upcoming exhibition in her great-great-grandfather Julius Westerdahl’s former home during Stockholm Design Week. With a head for business and a secret recipe for a unique crispbread, Westerdahl became a rich and prominent man in the city, eventually putting up a magnificent building in the Swedish capital’s Södermalm district in 1889 that housed his residence but also a factory.

‘The Baker’s House’ installation by Färg & Blanche opens on 5 February and will take over the entrance and two floors of the elegant building, including the so-called ‘parade’ apartment on the 4th floor (the most lavish series of spaces that would also have been used for events and that has now been transformed into a foundation).

The duo will show 12 new objects and furniture pieces such as lamps, stools, a table and candlesticks and display them among the antiques, drapes, chandeliers and opulent interiors of the 19th-century home along with a selection of other items designed by Färg & Blanche that have a connection to the house, such as the ‘Julius’ armchair and sofa series made for family-owned furniture-maker Gärsnäs.

Lighting by Färg & Blanche inspired by the shape of crispbread

‘All the new pieces are inspired by the house, it could be from a detail of the architecture, the beautiful star-patterned inlay parquet floor, or by our family history and the bread factory,’ explains Blanche. Opening up the house and using it as a theatrical setting for their work is a very emotional experience for the pair, but especially for Blanche.

‘I grew up in France, but every time I came to Sweden for the holiday I lived in this house. You can’t imagine everything my family experienced in the house for over five generations... I really hope that the people who come to the exhibition will understand and feel how special it is.’

Stockholm Design Week will be a busy time for Färg & Blanche, who will also be announcing a collaboration with major lift manufacturer Aritco. It seems fitting that after transforming a beautiful old home, the pair will be turning their focus on to the creation of a limited-edition home lift. Still in the development stages, it will incorporate the original and richly crafted elements the designers are well known for. Watch this space.

INFORMATION

‘The Baker’s House’ is on view 5-9 February for private bookings only during Stockholm Design Week. For more information, visit the website

It was an extra snowy edition of Stockholm Furniture Fair (5-9 February) this year. The anchor event to Stockholm Design Week (4-10 February) saw many displays capturing the essence of Nordic heritage; there was sustainable furniture made from nature, sub-zero landscapes reimagined and a 19th-century Crispbread factory. All of this plus artful collaborations and experiments to explore in the icy city, from interiors cave Svenskttenn and the recently refurbished Nationalmuseum, to private homes tucked away in the Södermalm district to Kungsholmstorg and beyond…

‘Rope Rug’ by Pauline Deltour for Hem

French designer Pauline Deltour experimented with 25 different methods of braiding before she arrived at the final design of the ‘Rope Rug’. The three distinct designs in four modern tones (terracotta, seaweed, salt & pepper and night blue) hone in on traditional crafts. Working together with manufacturers in India, and utlising their meticulous dying techniques, Hem have produced these intricately woven rugs that have a rustic, yet contemporary aesthetic.

‘Snowtopped’ by Note Design Studio for Tarkett

The ‘Snowtopped’ installation is a pleasant surprise for anyone who thinks flooring is simply functional. Tarkett’s homogeneous and sustainable vinyl flooring, that has been in production since 1940, was used to recreate the Nordic landscape. Stockholm-based Note Design Studio realised layers of snowdrifts and dunes using the flooring to show its limitless possibilities – ‘we wanted to create a space where the versatility and flexibility of the material is accentuated in an unexpected way,’ says Charlotte Ackemar from Note Design Studio.

4-8 February; Stockholm Under Stjärnorna, Hotel At Six, Brunkebergstorg 2

‘Spatial Sensibilities’ by Frama and Andreas Martin-Löf Arkitekter

In a peaceful merging of architecture and design, Copenhagen-based design studio Frama presented its latest wares. Located at a newly renovated space that houses the office of architecture practice Andreas Martin-Löf, the exhibition was an idyllic escape from the bustle of design week. Frama’s muted tones and minimalist lines were highlighted by the naturally lit space inside the modernist building that overlooked Riddarfjarden waterway in Kungsholmstorg.

‘The Unfolding Village’ by Neri + Hu

As this year’s guest of honour at Stockholm Furniture Fair, the Chinese duo Neri & Hu address the issue of disappearing village culture with a site-specific installation. Their vision is inspired by the ‘alleyways and street life of clan-based villages,’ and the structure, made from local timber, folds and unfolds to reveal Neri + Hu-designed furniture hidden inside.

7-9 February; Stockholmsmässan, Älvsjö, Stockholm

‘The Baker’s House’ by Färg & Blanche

A Swedish townhouse from the 1800s opened up for this exhibition, the former home of the great-great-grandfather of French-born Emma Marga Blanche (one half of design duo Färg & Blanche). The ‘personal exhibition’ showcased new designs that allude to the Blanche family Knäckebröd (Crispbread) factory they once had, and includes contributions from brands like Petite Friture (pictured) and Gärsnäs.

4-9 February; Bondegatan 21 A, Södermalm, Stockholm

Sight Unseen for Kasthall

The Swedish brand showcased the boundless possibilities of its new version of the Rug Designer tool in this collaboration with New York-based publication Sight Unseen. The vibrant and graphic designs reveal the bespoke quality of the digital service, which guides you through the making of a rug, proving non-designers can use it too. ‘I think the tool is all about experimentation. You really have to get in there and start working with it to understand its capabilities and figure out which direction you want to go in,’ explains Monica Khemsurov, co-founder of Sight Unseen. ‘We were subconsciously inspired by the trompe l’oeil geometric patterns you often see on building facades in Milan.’

David Chipperfield for Wästberg

The product design world of British architect David Chipperfield came together at this exhibition. Designs for Alessi and e15 sat alongside fresh iterations of his sleek ‘w102’ lamp for Swedish brand Wästberg. Originally launched in brass, they are now offering a black steel finish, plus wall and floor configurations.

5-6 February; Gröna gången 1,111 49 Stockholm

‘Sie Wohnen Hier’ by Bukowskis x Magniberg

Contemporary art and design from auction house Bukowskis was juxtaposed with the textiles of Magniberg for this abstract showcase. Oriental porcelain and cubist furniture got paired with layered prints, textured surfaces and more in artful compositions that form a fascinating dialogue. Magniberg’s ambition with the installation was clear: to inspire and encourage design-led curiosity.

5-9 February; Bukowskis, Berzelii Park 1, Stockholm

‘s-1500’ by Snøhetta for NCP

Made out of fish farming plastic waste such as nets, ropes and pipes, Snøhetta remake this classic ‘R-48’ chair by midcentury modernist Bendt Winge. On view at the fair, the chair was produced for Nordic Comfort Products (NCP) and exudes the craft and material heritage of northern Norway. Snøhetta’s stand at the fair dissected the chair to display materials used, telling a story of sustainability that aimed to inspire companies to consciously rethink and repurpose.

7-9 February; Stockholmsmässan, Älvsjö, Stockholm

Portal Bar by Claesson Koivisto Rune

Portal Bar in St. Eriksplan, created by Swedish architecture and design firm Claesson Koivisto Rune, officially opened its doors during Stockholm Design Week. The space, which hosted plenty of events during the fair, was a hotspot with Maurizio Stocchetto, owner and bartender of Milan’s Bar Basso in situ mixing the cocktails. Portal Bar is owned by leading Swedish chef Klas Lindberg and neighbours his Portal Restaurant. Interiors include murals by artist Jesper Waldensten, custom-designed lighting by Wästberg and furniture by Swedese.

5-9 February; St Eriksplan 1, Stockholm

Acoustic Pulp by Baux

These new acoustic tiles by Baux are made up of Swedish fir and pine trees, water, wheat bran, potato starch, plant wax and fruit peels. The new material is the result of years of research, and was originally developed as a bio-based material in the coffin industry. Boasting recyclable, lightweight, durable and sound absorbing, the revolutionary new tiles are a true ode to nature with its biodegradable form and geometric patterns that derive organically from the amount of wheat used in the mixture. True food for thought.

INFORMATION

Stockholm Furniture Fair is on view 7-9 February. For more information, visit the website

The closure of Colette in Paris may still be sending ripples of grief through its legions of fans, but we dare say that Gina Tricot is doing a good job in staunching the psychic wounds.

Long a staple with a young female demographic, the Swedish brand is attempting a makeover of its own by repositioning itself as a progressive fashion retailer.

One of its first salvos is the conversion of a building in Stockholm’s retail Södermalm district – parts of which date back to the late 18th-century, and which was once the home of local Olympic hero Carl-Axel Pettersson – into a handsome, naturally lit two-storey store.

Without detracting from the grand bones of the space, especially the high ceilings and oversized windows, Note Design Studio and Open Studio have inserted tinted screens, silvery reflective panels, and mirrors to create an open-plan retail environment in which spaces and merchandise (youthful dresses, silky silhouettes and quietly subtle accessories, among them) are demarcated by low display cabinets and sheer curtains.

The spacious changing suites, in particular, are dressed with globular peach banquettes that create an instant mood of intimacy. An in-store café that serves smoothies and matcha lattes is a canny ploy to resolve retail dilemmas while extending time spent on the premises.

For now, Södermalm is a test-case for the marque, but if successful, the concept will be rolled out across 180 stores and locations, the new interiors template scaled to fit each space. 

ADDRESS

Götgatan 30
118 46
Stockholm

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Some put it down to global warming, others say it’s thanks to improvements in garden technology, whichever, the building boom in Stockholm has seen a rise in outdoor living. Bars, clubs and cafes with terraces offering al fresco dining are on the rise and a clutch of new residential developments are bringing the outdoors into their schemes.

This autumn, BIG architects and Oscar properties unveils 79 & Park, a dramatic complex of 140 foliage-covered apartments in the Gärdet district; and Mono, a new block with its own restaurant and roof terrace, which has just celebrated its opening in the sought-after district of Sodermalm. All 59 apartments, devised by Koncept Stockholm and Note Design Studio, were sold by autumn 2016, even before work broke ground. Designers, entrepreneurs and architects who colonise this part of the city queued to buy the compact spaces, which favour colour and decor over white Swedish functionalism.

Mono’s sedum roof and outdoor terrace was devised by British landscape designer Daniel Bell. Since moving to Stockholm three years ago, Bell has noticed an ennui among urbanites for the typical Stockholm garden which is ‘rather conservative, all straight lines of bamboo and buxus and stone.’ His informal schemes, which border on the wild and include exotic hardwearing trees such as the Manchurian Walnut, Indian Bean tree and Silver willow are as popular in the salubrious suburbs of Sodermalm and Djursholm as they are in tricky urban spots, such as the under the arches of Tradgarden nightclub where he has created living wall.

‘Stockholm is built on rock. You see pines and silver birch trees growing out of crevices everywhere, surviving on minerals,' Bell explains. ‘Yes, winters are harsh, but plants do grow, and Stockholmers are seeing that it’s possible to eat and drink outdoors for a large part of the year.’

INFORMATION

For more information visit the Note Design Studio website and the Daniel Bell website

When it first opened in 1912 for the Olympic Games, Stockholm's Strand hotel entertained a kaleidoscope of Hollywood VIPs including Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn and Swedish actresses Ingrid Bergman and Greta Garbo – her favourite suite looked towards the city's Royal Dramatic Theatre. But, after a century, the grand pile in Stockholm's city centre, just a short stroll from the old town, was in need of an update.

Now part of the Radisson group's upscale portfolio of properties, which also includes Arne Jacobsen's Royal Hotel Copenhagen, the Radisson Collection Strand Stockholm – as it is now known – has just emerged from a stylish two-year top-to-toe overhaul.

Local practice, Wingårdhs has been careful to maintain the understated design of Ludwig Peterson's original no-frills architecture with the use of natural materials like marble, walnut, oak and leather in muted bottle green, maroon, and grey tones inspired by the colours of the buildings in the surrounding neighbourhood. Together, this has created a low-key canvas for standout details like the black and white geometric flooring in the restaurant – influenced by the Moorish style of the nearby shopping gallery Birger Jarlspassagen –modern furnishings from Michael Anastassiades' Captain Flint floor lamp for Flos to Gubi's Stay Lounge Chair by Space Copenhagen; and colourful pieces by local emerging artists like Klara G and Isabella Ståhl.

In the 170 guestrooms, a circular theme, with round mirrors and globe-shaped pendant lights by local outfit Zero Lighting, takes its cues from the original arched windows, which frame views of the harbour and, beyond that, the grand buildings that line Strandvägen, the city's most prestigious street.

It's the restaurant though, that takes centre stage. Once again a place to see and be seen, crowd-pleasers from burgers, to Swedish classics like herring and new potatoes, are served in a soaring indoor atrium, under the soft twinkle of over 300 hanging pendant lights.

ADDRESS

Nybrokajen 9

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When it first opened in 2001, Nordic Light hotel, located right next to Stockholm’s central station, was one of the city’s first design hotels.

Seventeen years later, the former business-orientated property has literally seen new Nordic light thanks to a three-pronged makeover by architect Todd Saunders, Studio Markus Bergström – who commissioned ten local designers to customise the furnishings – and John Tong, who redesigned the 169 rooms.

The formerly sombre interiors have been elevated by lots of light timber and an understated colour palette of baby blues and burnt orange. Saunders’ take on a reception desk and bar – both made from solid Swedish Ekeberg marble – are particular standouts as are the beautiful ash wood ceilings, walls and floors that run from the lobby through to the Nordic-inspired restaurant which serves small plates like white asparagus, scallops and whitefish roe.

ADDRESS

Vasaplan 7

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At the core of new beauty brand (M)anasi7, is its ‘declaration of seven’ – a manifesto that outlines its principles of beautiful, sustainable cosmetics: ‘Slow, Select, Pure, Natural, Simple, Symbiotic, Contemporary’.

More than a marketing ploy, this is a mantra. Focusing on what goes inside the bottle, the Stockholm-based company only uses raw, carefully selected, pure organic ingredients that are ethically and sustainable harvested. The result? A high quality product, carefully developed to nourish and protect all skin types.

Founder Susanne Manasi Persson is a make-up artist and cosmetics developer who has always wanted to work on a more inclusive make-up range. Her Indian heritage meant that she ‘never had the choice of more than three or four shades’, she explains. The solution was simple, and after years in development, (M)anasi7 came up with just four ‘skin enhancers’ that range from very light to dark shades and can be mixed upon application to match your own skin tone exactly, leaving room for slight deviations in tone over the seasons. The range also includes a variety of all-over colours, powders and blushes, each as versatile as the last.

Person’s partner – art director and graphic designer Olof Lindqvist – curated (M)anasi7 more like an art project than a conventional beauty brand. He collaborated with photographer Emil Larsson (who has an impressive portfolio with brands like Chanel, Dior and Cartier) for still life shots of humble raw ingredients. He treated each as if it were the brand’s main protagonist, bringing out all the beauty of a weathered single apricot leaf, or a simple castor seed – just as (M)anasi7 aims to bring out inner beauty from its users, irrespective of skin colour, gender or age.

For the obligatory cosmetics brand model photographs, (M)anasi7 sought the help of artist/photographer Jenny Källman, who created a space of faded and unrefined ambiguity with her models, who are revealed through shadows and blurred outlines.

From the branding to the ingredients, (M)anasi7’s principle of seven sings through, with the addition of attention to detail, all inclusivity, and serious style.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the (M)anasi7 website

As part of its international expansion, Danish furniture manufacturer Carl Hansen & Søn has opened a new 350 sq m flagship store in the Östermalm area of Stockholm, which is becoming a hub for high-end design companies.

The space, a former bank, has been completely transformed by Vasco Trigueiros from design duo Trigueiros Architecture. Concrete columns have a new, spiky terracotta finish. A flat wall has been given a wavy structure. And the typical dark, gloomy bank interior (including thick concrete walls protecting the vaults and lowered ceilings) is now a light and airy space. ‘This has been achieved, among other things, by working with open surfaces and transparency, as well as with architectural elements such as columns and extraordinarily high ceilings,’ Trigueiros explains.

Several impressive skylights highlight the many design classics on show, including the ‘Wishbone’ chair by Hans Wegner and the ‘Colonial’ line by Ole Wanscher. Other impressive updates abound too, including Arne Jacobsen’s ‘Society Table’ – originally designed in 1952 as a gift for the American-Scandinavian Foundation in New York – as well as the ‘PK1’ wicker chair by Poul Kjærholm, from 1955. 

Although grand in size, the space is neutral in personality, and sticks to a paired-down colour scheme. ‘We wanted to bring in a reflection of Stockholm, known for its minimalist and functional design. The furniture should have focal point,’ says Knud Erik Hansen, the company’s CEO and third-generation owner.

In a digital era, he highlights the importance of a physical space where people can touch and feel the products before ordering them online. The store is divided into two areas – one offering inspiration for the home and the other targeted at a professional clientele. ‘This space should not be about hard selling, it is a way for people to discover our unique heritage,’ says Hansen.

Every step is a reminder of fine, Danish craftsmanship. For instance, a solid Dinesen Douglas floor stretches across the showroom; almost floating into it is a shiny concrete tier. It’s a nice nod to the outside neighbourhood, where 100-year-old tree trunks stand tall alongside the gravel-covered esplanade.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Carl Hansen & Søn website

ADDRESS

Karlavägen 76
Stockholm
114 59
Sweden

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Scurrying around the chilly climes of Stockholm for the furniture fair? Hunting for somewhere with finesse to eat? Or a bar with local panache? Look no further, we have the inside track from a host of creatives who call the Swedish city home, here’s their recommendations...

Front Design pick Bar Central

The design duo are fans of local design and architecture studio Ugly Cute and head to Bar Central (pictured) and Bistro Bananas for their fill of sharp colour-coordinated and playful interiors. Bar Central, Birger Jarlsgatan 41, 111 45 Stockholm, Sweden

Form Us With Love pick Bar Hommage

Located in Krukmakaregatan, a hop and skip away from the design showrooms and lifestyle stores, Bar Hommage is where studio Form Us With Love would recommend during SFF. The small speakeasy-style haunt looks like the ideal spot to raise a glass after a day of exploring. Krukmakargatan 22, 118 51 Stockholm, Sweden

Frida Fjellman picks Racamaca

The glass artist would head to Racamaca because ‘it’s so delicious that I am literally drooling on my way there.’ They offer up Spanish small plates with an extra dash of sophistication; but be aware, it promises queues with a no-reservations rule - but that only excites Fjellman more. Wollmar Yxkullsgatan 5B, 118 50 Stockholm, Sweden

Claesson Koivisto Rune pick Tak

The trio recommends Tak for a drink, which is, funnily enough the joint winner of Best Restaurant in the Wallpaper* Design Awards this year. They explain that its ‘the perfect mix of Japan and Sweden in a ultra-cool location in the city centre.’ Not to mention its acclaimed chef, award-winning bartender, and Sweden’s only sake sommelier. Brunkebergstorg 2-4, 111 51 Stockholm, Sweden

Monica Förster picks Yasuragi

‘Yasuragi after a hectic time in Stockholm’ is exactly what Förster advises. Located a taxi ride east out of the city, the recently renovated Japanese bath house, restaurant and hotel offers up alpine views and more of that calming Swedish and Japanese mix. Hamndalsvägen 6, 132 39 Saltsjö-boo, Sweden

‘Denmark and Sweden have made their design industries integral to their national economies. Now it’s time for Norway to do the same,’ says Ove Rogne, founder of Northern. As one of the most exciting new launches at this year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair, Northern may be Norwegian in origin but it’s international in outlook and ambition.

The debut collection consists of 24 pieces made by 16 ‘established designers and up and-coming rookies’ from seven countries. Some, such as the table top ‘Ballet’ sculptures by Bergen-based Vera & Kyte have a niche appeal, while the ‘Hifive’ storage unit by Norwegian designer Rudi Wulff and the ‘Loud’ drinks cabinet by Swedish duo Färg & Blanche, are just the sort of items you didn’t know you needed until you saw them. Maybe it’s the Ikea effect, but producing affordable, aesthetically pleasing pieces that tick all the boxes is something Scandinavian furniture brands are very good at.

The idea for Northern was born in 2011 when Rogne bought a table lamp from Morten Skjærpe Knarrum and Jonas Norheim, two of Norway’s top design talents. He added it to the selection of contemporary lights and reissues of mid-century Norwegian classics that he was selling through his showroom, Northern Lighting. ‘Since 2005 we had been pushing the boundaries of shape, form and materials in our lights so far that furniture and accessories felt like a natural next step,’ he says. With Morten & Jonas on board as creative directors, he developed Northern Lighting into a full-blown lifestyle brand.  

‘There are definitely pieces in the collection that will have mass appeal,’ says Jonas, ‘and others that may become sleeper hits. It’s exciting to see how designers of different nationalities have interpreted the Nordic tradition, which has its strength in natural materials, craftsmanship and functionality.’ The plan is to expand and spread the network still further. Adds Ove: ‘Norway has an exciting heritage of post-war designs that deserve recognition, so maybe one day we will revisit our design history, but now our focus is on the contemporary.’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Northern website

Stockholm Furniture Fair (6-10 February) has long been a fertile launch pad for Nordic brands, but increasingly its sphere of influence is spreading. International brands are unveiling new pieces which they would otherwise hold back for Milan. Portugese brand De La Espada released its entire 2018 collection in an elegant Stockholm apartment accompanied by a theatrical performance, Japanese brand Ariake had its first showing outside of Asia, and even Bar Basso’s famous cocktails made it to Stockholm, courtesy of Asplund who called on Maurizio Stocchetto, the bar’s proprietor, to cater its 25th anniversary party.

Note Design Studio

The Swedish firm joins forces with flooring company Tarkett on a layered stand design. Using structure, colour and shapes, ‘The Lookout’ displays homeware in a two-level interactive installation that engages visitors with flooring from a three-dimensional architectural viewpoint.

Ariake

This is Ariaki’s first showing outside of Asia following its launch last year. For Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair the Japanese brand collaborates with My Residence and lighting brand Wastberg for a unique installation of its pieces, telling the story of how they united international designers (Staffan Holm and Anderssen & Voll to name a few) with two Japanese manufacturers – Legnatec and Hirata Chair. The latest launch is a furniture series by Norm Architects that combines Danish cabinetmaking with bamboo construction and tatami mats (pictured)

Northern

New brand Northern has attracted the likes of designers Vera & Kyte, Färg & Blanche and Rudi Wulff to design its debut collection which consists of 24 pieces. The brand is the brainchild of Norway-based Ove Rogne, with the help of creative directors Morten Skjærpe Knarrum and Jonas Norheim who consider the aesthetic Norwegian at its core, but with international appeal

Nuura

New lighting brand on the block, Danish company Nuura is inspired by Nordic nature for its four-piece collection. Designer Sofie Refer, alongside co-founders Nadia Lassen and Peter Østerberg have realised the delicate, handblown collections that consists of raindrop-shaped pendants, chandeliers (one pictured), and modern table lamps

De La Espada

De La Espada releases new pieces by a coveted list of talents: Luca Nichetto (sofa pictured), Neri & Hu, Matthew Hilton and Jason Miller this year. The Portuguese furniture brand aimed to entertain with a theatrical launch which involved a mixed media performance inside a house once owned by ABBA’s former manager Stig Anderson, where the new furniture appeared inside different apartment set ups

Phloc: Swedish architects Mats Broberg and John Ridderstråle have created not only an elegant stand for Phloc lighting, but also its new 'Apollo' lights. They come in a range of colours and finishes, can be hung individually or grouped and are inspired by a plumb bob, a tool with a pointed weight on its end that architects use to ensure a vertical hang

Asplund: for the Palais series, Swedish designers Anya Sebton and Eva Lilja Löwenhielm were inspired by the 1986 exhibition of columns by French artist Daniel Buren in Paris’ Palais Royal. It consists of a cabinet, dining table and the two lounge tables with lacquered oak columns and oak or marble tops

Hi Thanks Bye: Chinese Canadian duo Topher Tong and Stein Wang are among the 37 young designers to show at Greenhouse, the area of the fair dedicated to emerging designers and design schools. Their six-piece collection is inspired by the natural beauty of Canadian islands such as Fogo, and Chinese classical forms

Muuto: Norwegian duo Anderssen & Voll have something of a reputation as sofa experts. Their 'Outline' collection for Danish company Muuto is upholstered in Kvadrat and Arve fabrics or leather. New for 2018 is a chaise longue version of all models. Last year, Knoll purchased 11-year-old Muuto and big plans are afoot

Snøhetta: the Norwegian architects launch their first lighting range with Swedish firm ateljé Lyktan. Titled 'Flik Flak,' the design harks back to school lighting with its flexible configuration of two wooden pieces of birch veneer held together by a piano hinge

INFORMATION

Stockholm Furniture Fair is on view from 6-10 February. For more information, visit the website

An acclaimed chef, an award-winning bartender, a Norwegian hotelier and the only sake sommeliers in Sweden are just some of the ingredients that have come together to create Stockholm’s current hotspot, Tak.

Housed in a brutalist building that dominates Brunkebergstorg Square – a part of Stockholm that is slowly being coaxed back to life by a regeneration project called Urban Escape – the restaurant has been designed by local firm Windgårdhs and is set over two floors to include the largest outdoor terrace in the city that is also connected by a footbridge to the rooftop of the adjacent Spotify headquarters.

Sip on Eurasian cocktails such as Blank Slate (a sublime concoction of Absolut Vodka vergano bianco, yuzu, lemon, sugar and blueberries) created by Charlotte Halsius, before making a pit stop downstairs to the Raw Bar, where the open kitchen shucks oysters, slices sashimi and mixes tartars.

And then there’s the restaurant. Culinary director Frida Ronge – best known for interweaving Swedish ingredients with Japanese flavours – delivers impressive dishes from tempura fried salsify served with nori and topped with Kalix bleak roe and sour cream to charcoal grilled Tsukune: a minced chicken skewer with a side of egg yolk for dipping and seven-flavoured spice shichi-mi tōgarashi. Wash this down with a pale ale from Japan, homemade yuzu lager, or sparkling sake.

ADDRESS

Brunkebergstorg 4

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One part of a larger regeneration project that is breathing new life into Stockholm’s Brunkebergstorg Square, Hobo is a modern hotel with a low-key, cool vibe.

Set within a brutalist frame from the 1970s, the 201-room property has been designed by Berlin-based Studio Aisslinger to feature a mix and match of vintage and modern furnishings that includes its colourful Hobo seating collection for Cappellini and a flexible pendant lamp system for local manufacturer Wastberg.

There is plenty of greenery, plus a forest of hydroponic shelving where a variety of herbs are grown for the hotel’s two-floor restaurant, bar and café which, serves up small sharing dishes such as pork belly served with carrots and marinated in miso broth, pickled onions and cilantro, and hums from the moment the first early-morning plates of scrambled eggs are served until last orders at night.

Upstairs, the guest rooms are smartly assembled to include windows, with city views, that are framed by a light wooden funnel that make the space appear larger; headboards that double as a room separator and functional, flexible storage solutions such as the feature peg walls that provide hanging space.

A hotel that takes its pulse from the city, local collaborations form the spirit of Hobo; in the lobby, innovative tech brand Teenage Engineering has installed a flip-dot wall message board, elevators are decorated with custom artwork by art duo VÅR and the Space Bar is available to hire for creatives looking to show their work during fortnightly rotations.

ADDRESS

Brunkebergstorg 4

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Once a hub for Stockholm’s 19th century elite, Brunkebergstorg Square is slowly being coaxed back to life as part of Urban Escape, a city regeneration project that, when complete, will comprise a mix of retail outlets, offices, dining spaces and hotels, including At Six, a 343-room property dressed by London-based Universal Design Studio.

More precisely housed within one of the brutalist buildings - an overhaul from the 1960s - that makes up the block, the hotel veers away from the grande dame approach with a clean, almost monochromatic style that is a calm reflection of the city.

In the guest rooms, the smart positioning of mirrors either side of the window draws in most of the available light, that in turn, highlights the stone, wood, leather and bronze accents that were chosen by the design firm to ‘wear in and not wear out’. Meanwhile, on the Verdi Alpi marble credenza, alongside other bespoke pieces, is a fully equipped cocktail corner for movers and shakers.

For those who prefer the services of a pro, the mezzanine bar serves up a mean punch along with tea-infused gin cocktails served from teapots. Adjacent, the Dining Room, which is centred around an open staircase that overlooks the square, is packed with a discerning crowd that have come to sample executive chef Andreas Askling’s seasonal international cuisine that includes dishes such as torched haddock with mussels and pancetta or the At Six lamb kebab, served with chipotle tomatro sauce, pickled onion, pita and cumin yoghurt.

Of course, the artwork is no afterthought; as part of the impressive entrance staircase, Universal Design Studio has built a plinth for a two and a half metre high white marble bust by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa, with further works such as large-scale line drawings by Julian Opie and more earthy pieces from land artist Richard Long, making up the collection carefully selected by art curator, Sune Nordgren.

ADDRESS

Brunkebergstorg 6

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In a bid to unite Sweden’s creative crowd, Fredrik Carlström – the man behind Scandinavian design store Austere in Downtown LA – has now launched Alma, a Stockholm-based members’ club and co-working space that is fittingly housed in the former campus of the city’s celebrated Beckman’s design college.

Called Alma – in reference to ‘alma mater’ and the Latin word for ‘nourishing’ – the five-storey venue will host events, workshops and exhibitions alongside a series of office spaces and conference rooms for hire. 

Interiors by local architecture firm Tham & Videgård are bound to inspire creativity, with bespoke furnishings by Erik Järkil and a light installation by Danish designer Kasper Friis Kjeldgaard in the dining space. Here, chefs Martin Brag and Leo Frodell, serve good, honest food on custom tableware by ceramist Rikard Palmquist. Alma is also home to Austere’s first European outpost, bringing its ‘a magazine you can walk through’ retail philosophy across the Atlantic.

ADDRESS

Nybrogatan 8

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Alongside the usual roster of upcoming talents, new launches and innovative installations, the 2017 edition of Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair saw an intriguing trend of colourful vibrancy. Paving the way was Note Design Studio’s Design Bar, which had the welcoming theme of ’Sulla Bocca di Tutti’ – meaning ’on everybody’s lips’ – and offered up a delectable menu by Isabella Morrone.

Note’s palette spanned apricot to terracotta, a contrast to the wintery surrounds of Stockholm

This year’s guest of honour, Jaime Hayon, created the ’Hayon DNA Gallery’, featuring a host of the whimsical designer’s works housed in an abstract structure

Divided into five categories – ’Sculpting Form’, ’Fantasy Play’, ’Craft Heritage’, ’Flora Fauna’ and ’Folk Culture’ – the installation traversed his eclectic oeuvre

Office furniture brand Kinnarps won the accolade for best stand with its captivating colour coordinated set-ups

The immersive sets drew on palettes both vibrant and subdued, for a playful and photo-friendly take on office furniture

Hay launched its ’Standard Issue’ shelving, inspired by the raw functionality of commercial steel shelving solutions, giving the pieces refined silhouettes

Nichetto Studio has created ergonomic ’Phoenix’ chairs for Offecct, made from recycled aluminium and different leg bases

Over in the Greenhouse section of the fair, dedicated to emerging talent, Canadian studio Knauf and Brown was awarded a Rising Star accolade

Also on view in the Greenhouse section were Helen Johannesson’s conceptual ’Together’ stools

Taiwanese brand NakNak kept true to the brick-hued theme with its new wall-mounted accessories

Monica Förster presented the clean and modular ’Wood’ sofa for Swedese

Finnish designer Antrei Hartikainen’s purist maple wood salad servers caught our eye

Svenskt Tenn presented a ’Shadow Play’ installation at its Strandvägen store. Inspired by the meeting of two countries – Sweden and Finland – the brand invited Harri Koskinen to collaborate on the project. He designed a floor and table lamp in the shape of leaves, casting intriguing shadows across the space

Left, fine wood work was also displayed by Finnish brand Secto, which launched its ’Teelo’ light. Right, lighting brand Wästberg harked back to simpler times with a special project nodding to the Holocene geologic epoch. The range included an oil lamp by Ilse Crawford

Wästberg also presented an oil lamp by David Chipperfield and a candlestick by Jasper Morrison as an alternative to electrical lighting

Sebastian Jansson of Made by Choice staged a studio display of his new ’Halikko’ bar stool in a range of bright and inky tones

Artek collaborated with Daniel Rybakken for the first time on two collections: the ’Kiila’ furniture range (left) and the ’124°’ range of mirrors (right)

Chinese designer Mario Tsai presented minimalist pieces with brass accents

Hem opened a new showroom space, designed by architect Förstberg Ling, in the city centre

A temporary market hall by architectural office Tengbom has been created in Östermalmstorg as part the city’s ongoing development

The ephemeral structure has been realised in pine wood batons and translucent polycarbonate sheeting, creating a natural light-filled space for market stalls

Left, ’Catch’ lounge, by &Tradition. Right, Gärsnäs launched its ’Dandy’ chair, designed by Pierre Sindre, in leather and rattan

Blå Station’s new ’Bob’ chair received the Editor’s Choice prize for best new product

Left, Gubi released GamFratesi’s ’Beetle’ chair in vibrant plastic variations. Right, Stockholm’s annual Örnsbergsauktionen auction took place during the week, with an assortment of craft up for grabs – from quirky candlesticks and vases to new conceptual silhouettes from Pettersen & Hein and Studio Ilio

Last month, Artek celebrated a century of Finnish independence with some glossy Alvar Aalto reissues launched at IMM Cologne, while also revealing a host of exciting new collaborations. Then, at Maison et Objet, the brand worked with longtime collaborators Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec on a new hand-drawn fabric design.

Most recently, at Stockholm Furniture Fair, it has sparked up a fresh partnership with Daniel Rybakken for two new collections, marking the Norwegian designer's first official foray out of lighting and into the wider world of furniture design.

The ‘Kiila’ storage and seating collections are unmistakably Artek; flat-packed, heavy-weight and engineered with finesse. But Rybakken brought a personal touch to the project. ‘I wanted to identify what constitutes an Artek product and reflect on those qualities without delivering something that was pastiche or a copy of Aalto,’ he explains.

Comprising a coat stand, coat rack, podium and bench, ‘Kiila’ is a fine example of Artek and Rybakken's melding of art and technology. All of the fixtures are exposed and double as coat hooks, while maintaining refined angles.

‘Kiila’ coat rack.

For the 124° series of mirrors, Rybakken drew upon the experiments with natural light that he uses for his lighting collections. As the name suggests, the mirrors are bent at a specific angle to give a reflection that is not your own. Rybakken explains to Wallpaper* that he is playing on consciousness; you know you won't see yourself, but your subconscious is still surprised when you look.

Both collections were displayed in an installation at contemporary dance theatre MDT in Skeppsholmen. A space that usually holds performances, Artek appointed Berlin architects Meyer-Grohbrügge, who riffed on the setting with a theatrical layout that saw the mirrors floating on a circular set.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Artek website and Daniel Rybakken website

It’s all about Garbo and Gaga at the new Haymarket by Scandic Hotel in Stockholm. Located on Hötorget, an active market square in the centre of the city, the 405-room hotel occupies the former PUB department store, where Greta Garbo once worked in the millinery department.

Then came Hollywood and the Roaring Twenties, which together with the original design elements of the store are the catalyst for the Art Deco inspired interiors of the hotel by local studio, Koncept. Powdery pastels, rich ornamentation, symmetrical and geometric patterning – think Miami-deco. Koncept then ‘Gaga-ised’ the genre, intermixing the Beetle chair by Danish design house, Gubi in Mauritian palm print upholstery with customised lamps from Rubn and Fransen. 

A chandelier display of 40 quilt-patterned blown pendants by designer Samuel Wilkinson for &tradition holds the drama of the deep red entrance, while artwork in each of the guest rooms comes from an on-going photographic project by fashion photographer Henrik Bulow, and stylist Pernille Teisbaek.

ADDRESS

Hötorget 13-15

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Right on schedule, the Generator brand has landed in Stockholm. In many ways, the arrival of the casually hip hostel in the Swedish capital is long overdue, especially since Generator’s CEO Fredrik Korallus is, himself, a Swede.

The gamble is not a particularly difficult one to make – it’s almost inconceivable that the new generation of digital nomads will not take to will take to the Generator’s location in the Torsgatan technology hub, nor its tried and tested formula of attractive room rates, pleasingly spare interiors, and plenty of lively communal lounge and working spaces in which to work, meet and greet, and exchange travel tips. 

Sandwiched between the Klarastrandsleden railtrack and the edge of a park and graceful period architecture, the 11-storey building hold nearly 800 beds in 233 rooms. 

In terms of furnishings, the Toronto-based DesignAgency hasn’t strayed far from the MO of spare, almost monastic interiors (more so in the shared rooms) of unadorned timber floors, functional furniture, a graphic print wall panel, and plain drapes. Instead, the visual-pops are unleashed in the public spaces, where high windows draw in the streetscape and natural light to set off swathes of bold patterned wallpaper, polished concrete, juiced up work tables, glossy pendant lamps, and dark brown trim.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Torsgatan 10

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Bouncing off the unrelenting prosperity of the luxury women’s activewear market is Paris-Stockholm men’s lifestyle brand Ron Dorff, founded by Frenchman Jérôme Touron and Swede Claus Lindorff. ‘For a long time women have had access to literally everything that men have in terms of fashion,’ says former ad man Lindorff. ‘We wanted to offer men their own brand, 100 percent focused on men’s sportswear.’ 

With a product mix that includes their ‘Skin Discipline’ body line (created in collaboration with Face Stockholm) and an entire wardrobe of grey marl sweats – some sporting their signature Dorffism, ‘Discipline is not a dirty word’ – the duo’s focus is simple yet smart essentials that marry ‘Scandinavian functionality with French classicism’. 

‘The idea was to offer everything a man needs before, during and after sports,’ continues Lindorff who founded BETC Luxe in 2005, ‘and to cater to an active urban man who doesn’t necessarily want to dress like an 17-year-old skateboarder, nor like his father.’

To complement their Paris flagship on the Marais’ rue Charlot, the pair have teamed up with French design consultancy Studio Dessuant Bone on a second standalone within London’s emerging menswear microcosm, Earlham Street, near Seven Dials.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Ron Dorff website

ADDRESS

5 Earlham Street, Seven Dials
London EC1V 7DY

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Hospitality families Söder and Östlundh, who are behind more than 19 hotels spread throughout Sweden, have teamed up to satiate the country’s increasing appetite for wine.

The 184-room hotel and urban winery, housed in a red brick building designed by architectural firm Archus Arkitektur, is situated in the outskirts of Stockholm. A third family, the Ruhnes, owners of the Terreno vineyard in Tuscany, came onboard to ensure that the venture’s viticultural profile is on par, also tying renowned local wine connoisseur Michel Jamais and chef de cuisine Markus Gustafsson to the hotel’s restaurant and deli.

Design agency Southeast is behind the property’s industrial chic look, referencing Tuscany’s old-world wineries and its tactile materials, as well as Brooklyn’s industrial warehouses with its polished concrete floors and rough brick walls. 

The vinification of 8 000 bottles of house wine, overseen by Italian oenologist Luca Rettondini, can be followed by hotel guests at the winery, which is located in the striking lobby.

ADDRESS

Rosenborgsgatan 20

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