Visuality as an aspect of sustainability

”Don’t make waste” is the most important trend 2020. And the Scandi brands are good at taking care of and developing what they’ve already got. One example is Dinesen – a family-owned company in Denmark, founded in 1898. With their ”passion for wood and respect for nature” Dinesen do not only manufacture beautiful flooring, but also work with visuality as an important part of sustainability. A few weeks ago Hans Peter Dinesen (5th generation Dinesen) and Mikkel Vestergaard (design and material developer) launched Dinesen Collection. A series of furniture and interior objects designed to activate your senses through aesthetic sustainability. The heartbeat of the collection is to ”draw nature’s calm presence in and spark curiosity about wood as a material”. Take a look!

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DS001 Table and DS101 Bench by Dinesen Collection (2020). Solid oak or Douglas (fir). The table and bench comes in three lengths. Available in natural wood treated with linseed oil. Or linseed oil mixed with red or green natural pigment. Photo Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects.

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DS301 Daybed by Dinesen Collection (2020). Solid oak or Douglas (fir). Available in natural wood treated with linseed oil or linseed oil with red or green natural pigment. The daybed can be ordered with cushions, here with textile from the Vidar 3 collection by Kvadrat. Photo Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects.

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DS401 Stand by Dinesen Collection (2020). Solid oak or Douglas (fir). Combined with DS410 Table Planks you may set up a desk unit, a dining table or an extension to your everyday dining table. Photo Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects.

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DS201 Stool by Dinesen Collection (2020). Solid oak or Douglas (fir). Here treated with linseed oil and natural green pigment. Cushion available. Photo Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects.

Architectual moves, Compassionates, Contemporary Scandi, Dinesen, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, Kvadrat 2020-09-19

From Daffodil to Marigold!

Summer in Stockholm Old Town has been unfolding gracefully during the past three months. One fine project for me was to co-edit a special issue of  Selvedge Magazine on ”Nordic Design and Sustainability”. Scandi brands like Bolon, John Sterner, Kvadrat, Pia Wallén, Studio Brieditis & Evans and many more, share with you how they work with sustainability. Don’t miss out!

Cover Selvedge Nordic Issue 2020

Cover ”Selvedge Magazine no 96”. Photo by Malin Lauterbach for Swedish fashion and lifestyle brand John Sterner.

 

Bolon, Compassionates, Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, Fab Swedes, Kvadrat, Pia Wallén 2020-09-16

Summer in Old Town!

Summer has arrived to Old Town Stockholm! There’s a scent of lilacs floating in the air and we sit outdoors with our ”fika”, enjoying the sun. It is very quiet in the city. The pandemic has put restrictions on us stockholmers; we’ve worked from home since mid March. And are not supposed to use the metro or stay near other people. In daily life people bring out their bike, stick to the rules and smile or wave from a distance. The Scandi brands keeps up their dedicated work to achive sustainable design. Later this year we’ll see a series of recycled every day glass items by Iittala, and other brands follow suit, letting slow and local inte their mind set.

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Badhusstolen 230 by John Larsson for Larsson korgmakare (1940). Crux Blanket by Pia Wallén. From an editorial piece by Cia Wedin. Photo copyright Johan Sellén.

Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, Fab Swedes, Larsson korgmakare, Pia Wallén, Scandimood 2020-06-07

Now is the time to go cruelty free

Is Covid-19 the wake-up call we need go cruelty free? We know that killing and eating animals, especially in unsanitary ways, exacerbate the spread of disease. Factory farms and slaughterhouses, live markets and wet markets, livestock transport…These spaces help epidemics thrive. We also do know that lots of ”natural material” used for design objects origin from factory farming and practises harming not only animals but people and nature as well.

End the wild animal trade. End factory farming. Go CFD– Cruelty Free Design. Everywhere. In all countries. Now.

Pics by Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Media.

Bats and produce. Laos, 2008.

Bats and produce at the Luang Prabang market in Laos.

Roasted animals for sale. Vietnam, 2008.

Roasted animals for sale at food market in Vietnam.

3Duck in a Hanoi food market.

4.Egg factory farming, Spain. A dead bird lies on the egg conveyor belt.

6aHens in battery cages on a factory farm, Sweden.

6.A hen trapped in the bars of a battery cage in an industrial egg-laying barn, Sweden.

7.Egg-laying hens confined in battery cages on a factory farm, Spain.

8.A destressed pig gnaws on a metal bar inside a factory farm, Finland.

9.A sow and her litter, nursing inside a gestation crate in an Italian factory farm.

10.Line of pigs, confined and isolated by metal bars, Italy.

12.Young pigs stand on body of dead piglet, Sweden.

Animal Rights, Compassionates, Scandimood 2020-03-19

Sustainability as process

An interesting take on sustainability for the every day is Forgo, a new venture from Swedish Design Studio Form Us With Love. The aim of the project is to reconfigure basic personal care products, starting with handwash. As liquid personal care products mostly consists of water, excluding water make a difference when it comes to production and transport. But it also challenges our habits.
”Why ship it around in plastic bags and bottles when it’s possible to do better?” says John Lofgren, Creative Director at Form Us With Love. The pump function is driven by air and air + water is what make the liquid foam. Into a soft formula, easy to apply and with a natural or very discrete scent. Washed off with water it left nothing but comfort. And I was pleased that what goes into the drain makes no harm to nature.

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The outer packaging of Forgo is made from recycled paper and cardboard. When ordering a refill it comes with three sachets, in the scents of your choice. One fragrance is distilled from timber yard scraps (wood actually!) and another from leftover peels and pulp from an organic juicing plant.

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One sachet contains twelve grams of powder which makes a full bottle of foaming hand wash when adding 250 ml water.

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Some handwork before handwash: Add water to the high tech natural soap powder and shake the bottle!

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Forgo handwash by Form Us With Love (2020). Comes as powder in three scents. A reusable glass container with pump function is included with first order. Photo copyright Jonas Lindström Studio/Form Us With Love.

Compassionates, Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, Fab Swedes, Form Us With Love 2020-02-10

Colour me happy!

Stockholm Design Week is up-and-running and during its first day I was delighted to meet with four longtime favourites dressed up in lots and lots and lots of colour! Bolon, ever so fun and stylish! Montana, the very essence of sophisticated Scandi colour schemes. TAF, as orange and conceptual as ever. And Svenskt Tenn, where maximalism rules and you’re welcome to loose yourself in the eclectic world of Estrid Ericson and Josef Frank. It makes me happy to find contemporary interpretations of colour applied with such love and great skill!

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Bolon do not present news this year. Instead they’ve digged into their existing collection and played with it, trying out new ”outfits” and stepping up on an imaginary stage. ”The Art of Performance” (2020) is a magical trip into the curious minds of sisters/third generation owners Annica and Marie Eklund. Inspiration is drawn from fashion, art as well as photography. And the result is an inspiring new take on sustainable flooring. Take a look:

”The Art of Performance” by Bolon (2020). Bolon flooring in new combinations, CO2 neutral production, certified by several environmental standards. Photo and video copyright Bolon.

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At the launch at Montana, CEO Joakim Lassen presented Mini, created in collaboration with his father, the late Peter Lassen. With Mini the fab danes make room not only for personality but for accessability to qualitative design. Montana Mini comes with smaller proportions as the regular modular system, and not as many alternative units and colours. ”Today there’s already so many choices to face in our daily life”, says Joakim Lassen. And explains how Montana deals with new customer habits, like online shopping. ”When you’re buying furniture online it is not suitable with, let’s say, several shades of white to choose between”, says Joakim Lassen. ”To make it easier for our clients we’ve created a system of moduls with fewer parts, fewer colours, fewer choices”. Even so, less is as much Montana as ever and Mini cover most needs for storage in a home.

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Montana Mini, by Peter and Joakim Lassen (2020). Available in 3 versions (open, closed, shelved), in 10 matching colours. The modules snap together with strong magnets securing that the storage i aligned, and maintaining the sleek, clean lines that is the trademark style of Montana. Photo copyright Montana.

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TAF design studio, with founders Gabriella Gustafson and Mattias Ståhlbom, has made a strong interpretation of Svenskt Tenn and the premium segment of handmade furniture from Sweden. The sofa Famna (”Embrace”) is huge and heavy, stands steady on the floor and is a given ”piece of conversation”: Inspired by a generous comfy bed or classic bath-tub, and the feel when you slowly let yourself into the warm and comforting… to relax.

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Famna, sofa by TAF for Svenskt Tenn (2020). Handmade construction and upholstering by O.H Sjögrens Furniture Factory in Tranås, Sweden. Comes in several textiles, from classic Brazil by Josef Frank to a luxurious orange velvet. Photo copyright Svenskt Tenn.

Architectual moves, Bolon, Compassionates, Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, Fab Swedes, Josef Frank, Montana, TAF 2020-02-04

Implementing 0.7

My yearlong project to reduce my carbon footprint has come to its end and I’v reached my goal; a total below 1 tons CO2/year. Today 0.7 is my new starting point.* The challenge 2020 will be to keep the footprint at this level. The ”Reducing CO2” has been a follow up on my earlier sustainability projects like ”No Plastic” and ”No Food Waste”. And a possibility for me to go into detail and challenge my own habits.

In my business I’v recognized the beauty of 100% sustainable production, lending transparency and circular thinking into each and every project. Thank you dear clients who believed in me!

* The average CO2 emissions per capita for Sweden is app. 4.47 metric tons (2019).

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Frösakull, the summer dwelling of Swedish furniture designer Bruno Mathsson (1907–1988), has been an inspiration for me during my aim to implement a sustainable lifestyle yet cherishing qualitative design and architecture. Simplicity at its best! Photo copyright Bruno Mathsson International.

Architectual moves, Bruno Mathsson, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly 2020-01-15

The Australian bush fires

Dear readers in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, Northern Territories and Tasmania! Your beautiful country is on fire and the losses of humans, wildlife, livestock and property is immense. I am so sorry.

How to help: Support non-profit organizations working on spot to save fire victims, people as well as animals. And let this disaster be a reminder that sustainability is a process, not a concept. Take action against climate change! Now!

Australian Red Cross is very active with professionals and volunteers giving comfort to all those who are traumatised by the loss of life as they knew it.

Animals Australia and PETA Australia have vets and volunteers in the rescue line, dealing with horrifying sights, like 3000 dead sheap on one farm. Or miles on miles of burned corpses of kangaroos and cattle.

With younger supporters you can talk about the situation and go specific by helping the Koala Hospital, Port Macquarie NSW. Or the Baby Kangaroo Rescue Center in Alice Springs.

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Compassionates 2020-01-05

Aalto from archive to future

December is upon us and with only a few hours of daylight good lighting is important. Many Scandi brands use models from their archive alongside creating new design. How nice it is to find my favourite pendant by Alvar Aalto in production again!

 

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Pendant Light A201 by Alvar Aalto for the library of Säynätsalo Town Hall in central Finland (1952). Standard white with brass details. In production by Artek (2019). Photo copyright Artek.

 

Pendant-Light-A201-Säynätsalo-Town-Hall-Library-2962698A201 by Alvar Aalto in situ at the the library of Säynätsalo Town Hall in Finland. Standard white with brass details. In production by Artek (2019). Photo copyright Artek.

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Relaunching classics is a way to use what you’ve got and bring forth timeless quality. Sustainability in thought and action has always been a trademark of Artek. Pendant Light A201 Red by Alvar Aalto (1952) comes in a limited edition during 2020. Photo copyright Artek.

Alvar Aalto, Architectual moves, Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, In the Season 2019-12-06

By association: livestock trading/climate change

Last week a live export trade ship carrying 14 600 sheep destined for Saudi Arabia, capsized in Romania. Left to sink with the ship, these gentle animals didn’t stand a chance from the moment they were sold into the live export trade. A few hours after the accident Animals Australia, a non-profit organization working to stop live export, set up a protest online. Add your signature here, and ask the government of Romania and the European Union to end this trade of suffering.

Romania’s live export disaster from Animals Australia on Vimeo.

Now you may wonder how this trade is connected to climate change? The answer is very simple: Many countries around the globe is suffering from water shortage which has affected the local raising of cattle, sheep and other animals (breeding cattle is one very water demanding ”business”). Since some years now the demand for meat in (mainly) the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey has made export of live animals into a big business. Huge leather and wool industries are putting profit before an ethical treatment of animals, workers and nature. The result is a suffering almost impossible to comprehend. You can read facts about the trade of live stock in numerous reports. An estimated two million sheep and one million cattle are transported each year from European Union member states to the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. And every year app. 3 million sheep cast off from the wool industry are exported from Australia to the Middle East and North Africa where they’re slaughtered for meat.
By not avoiding the cruel facts of how animals, people and nature are used and abused in the face of climate change you can make a difference. Act on what you learn about the where, how, by whom and of what your design item, clothes and food is ”produced”.

What happens on live export ships? from Animals Australia on Vimeo.

Animal Rights, Compassionates, Scandimood 2019-12-01

Thank you Paris!

The city of Paris say’s no to wild animals on circus from 2022. Thus following 18 EU countries and lots of cities world wide. The use and abuse of wildlife in captivity is highly questioned today as we’ve learned about the dark side of trading animals for entertainment, labour, experiments and ”production” of ”natural materials” like leather and feather. Part from being an ethical question, the use and abuse of animals for the benefit of humans is connected to sustainability issues. Food production is one huge provider to climate change. The leather trade another.  Always ask ”from where, by whom and of what” the design item is made. If a producer/shop cannot give this information to you, you should think twice before buying that handsome chair, blanket, cushion or rug…

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Say no to the abuse of wild animals in entertainment! Photo copyright DR/Shutterstock.

Animal Rights, Environmental friendly 2019-11-23
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