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London Design Festival 2012: 100% Norway

100% Norway

100% Norway turned nine this year, making it only a year younger than the London Design Festival itself. To celebrate, it moved to a shiny new venue, Dray Walk Gallery, just around the corner from Tent. The light-filled space was a perfect backdrop for the cool understated Scandinavian design. It was designed by Amy Hunting and Oscar Narud; described by curator Henrietta Thompson as “two of the most innovative and capable young Norwegian designers in London.”

Turn Light

These Turn lights by Caroline Olsson are made from made of birch and hand blown glass. They were inspired by workbenches in Norwegian wood workshops – the tightening mechanism controls the brightness of the light.

The James Trolley Table

Known for their minimalist aesthetic, Frost Produkt was founded in 2001 by brothers Jann and Sondre Frost. Jann Frost said: “The James table is simple and intuitive, easing the transition between indoor and outdoor environments.”

Returned

Re-turned, by Lars Beller Fjetland, is a series of wooden birds made from leftover wood by newly established Italian producer Discipline.

Light Jars

I spotted Kristine Five Melvaer’s Light Jars at the Stockholm Furniture Fair, but they’re so lovely I think they’re worth another mention. The idea is that you can put whatever you like in them and use them to: “illuminate beloved trinkets and objects.”

Garden Chair

Peter Opsvik’s garden chair was originally designed in 1985 and installed in airports and waiting rooms across Norway. It was decommissioned in the 90s and is now back to have another go at making sitting down a lot more complicated but a lot more fun.

Benkt sofa

And finally, my favorite pieces: the Benkt sofa and blanket by Victoria Günzler and Sara Wright Polmar, who were exhibiting first time at 100% Norway. The Benkt bench is inspired by traditional Scandinavian kitchen benches and the Benkt blanket pattern is inspired by the geometric lines of the bench’s the cushions. I love the color combination.

Benkt Blanket

Katie Treggiden is a purpose-driven journalist, author and, podcaster championing a circular approach to design – because Planet Earth needs better stories. She is also the founder and director of Making Design Circular, a program and membership community for designer-makers who want to join the circular economy. With 20 years' experience in the creative industries, she regularly contributes to publications such as The Guardian, Crafts Magazine and Monocle24 – as well as being Editor at Large for Design Milk. She is currently exploring the question ‘can craft save the world?’ through an emerging body of work that includes her fifth book, Wasted: When Trash Becomes Treasure (Ludion, 2020), and a podcast, Circular with Katie Treggiden.