I’ve heard Stockholm Furniture Fair criticized for being ‘insular’ but that’s what I love about it. It is uncompromisingly Scandinavian, and you see work here you won’t see at any other design fair in the world.
The first thing to catch my eye was the copper and brass on the By Rydens stand (above and top), clearly still a big trend, not only at the show, but also all over Stockholm. There is something about the warmth of these materials that works very well in such a cold climate.
Pops of bright color are another way to cheer up a dull day, and a trend also still very much in evidence in this part of the world. I loved this hot pink mirror by family-owned Taiwanese metal manufacturer, Nak Nak, exhibiting at a trade show for the first time.
More colorful homewares from Norwegian design brand Funky Dorris. “Our design ethos is simple,” said designers Tove Trydal and Grethe Bjork. “We simply want to surround ourselves with charming everyday products with lasting qualities. Our style is uncomplicated, warm, and humorous.”
You can always count on the Stockholm Furniture Fair for a crazy chair or two, and I loved Blom by the Swedish-born, half-Japanese, half-Finnish designer Yuki Abe for Vivero.
Ilse Crawford was this year’s Guest of Honor, and rather than designing a big installation, she instead created a comfortable lounge that was furnished with some of her designs, but more importantly that asked questions of those visiting the fair.
Visitors were asked to respond to themes such as “Perfection or Imperfection?” and “Do we need more chairs?” It was a really interesting use of the space and opportunity that perfectly reflects Crawford’s open and humble approach to design.
Finally, Designboom’s Mart is always a treat and a chance to spot more up-and-coming talent. I loved the delicate tableware presented by architect Sandra Faggiano.
These teeny tiny vases by young Finnish designer Minjia Wang caught my eye in a lovely range of pastel colors.
Tommaso Caldera was showing his Tull lamp for Incipit Lab, a design lab supporting young designers to make their ideas come to life.
And finally folded paper sculptures that sit over water bottles to create vases by Future Days, a design studio based in Malmö, Sweden.
