Scandimood

A horse in the attic

Like a bee in the bonnet for some of us; horses, horses, horses! How sweet to have your horse at hand, right outside your room…if you’re 6 years old and hooked on the pony world! In this Stockholm Old Town home the owners have restored the attic into a contemporary living room. And have their childrens rooms guarded by the sweetest of ponies.

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In the attic; ponies and a contemporary interior! Vintage Ant chair by Arne Jacobsen (1952) for Fritz Hansen, table DLM (Don’t Leave Me) by Thomas Bentzen for Hay. Lamp Arco by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos and sofa from Ligne Roset. From a feature by Cia Wedin for ELLE Decoration. Photo copyright Stellan Herner.

Castiglioni, Contemporary Scandi, Fritz Hansen, Hay, Scandimood, Stellan Herner 2017-08-27

Arket and the Swedish heritage

Arket have launched their first home collection and chosen products from a range of qualitative producers, among them several classic Swedish brands. How nice to see brushes from Iris Hantverk, blankets from Klippan and toys from Brio in the selection!

app006prod-1 Iris Hantverk dust set with broom handcrafted by visually impaired craftsmen using traditional techniques for brush-binding. Metal dustpan with rubber edge. Photo copyright Arket.

app006prod Klippan blanket in 100% eco lambswool. Photo copyright Arket.
Skärmavbild 2017-08-26 kl. 15.58.27 BRIO pull-along dachshund in FSC certified wood. Photo copyright Arket.

Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, Fab Swedes, Iris Hantverk 2017-08-26

The Scandi Bathroom

Several readers have asked for posts on the Contemporary Scandi Bathroom. Here’s some fine spaces where a simplistic approach and a clever use of daylight plays with well chosen pieces of furniture and objects. Creating not only a functional bathroom but a room you like to spend time in. Where inspiration is all around! All pics by fab Anna Kern.

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In the north of Sweden, in a small 18th century house this amazing bathroom with floor pool blend tradition with a sustainable cutting-edge lifestyle. Handmade brush and soap by Iris Hantverk. From a feature by Cia Wedin for ELLE Decoration, photo copyright Anna Kern.

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Same bathroom as above but here you get a glimpse of the old tile oven with its emerald green surface, and a vintage factory barrel now used for laundry. Linen towels by Växbo Lin. From a feature for ELLE Decoration by Cia Wedin. Photo copyright Anna Kern.

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In this bathroom the owner has built a sauna from some left over old wood and added a contemporary sliding glass door to make maximal use of the daylight. From a piece by Cia Wedin for ELLE Decoration. Photo copyright Anna Kern.

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In the south of Sweden, close to the sea, this functional, no-nonsense bathroom is jazzed up by a soft linen curtain and a vintage stool by Alvar Aalto for Artek. From a piece by Cia Wedin for ELLE Decoration. Photo copyright Anna Kern.

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Gotland – the beautiful island situated in the Baltic Sea. And a bathroom blending indoors with outdoors. With a shower below the sky and an indoor spa…Wow! From a piece by Cia Wedin for ELLE Decoration. Photo copyright Anna Kern.

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In Stockholm, in a house from the 19th century, this newly installed bathroom picks up a traditional yet contemporary feel. Vintage bathtub, brushes, soap, knitted towels and wooden mat by Iris Hantverk. Hamam towels by Harrys Hardware. From a feature by Cia Wedin for Lantliv. Photo copyright Anna Kern.

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Stockholm again. Who’d not love to take a warm bath in a wooden bath tube! Handmade ceramic basins by Calle Forsberg. Towels by Växbo Lin and brushes by Iris Hantverk. From a feature by Cia Wedin for ELLE Decoration. Photo copyright Anna Kern.

Alvar Aalto, Anna Kern, Calle Forsberg, Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, Fab Swedes, Iris Hantverk 2017-08-26

Orange who?

The Marigold is queen of late summer. And for stockholmers a walk to Rosendals trädgård for a ”fika” or lunch also include bringing home some flowers. With a pair of scissors in your hand you’re welcome to enter the well kept garden and pick your favorites and create your own eco bouquet.

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Marigold (sv. Ringblomma) is not only crispy and colourful. It smells terrific and is non-toxic; you may actually eat it…!

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The Marigold comes in many variations and has inspired artists and designers during the centuries. How pretty as a botanical print!

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And how beautiful as a textile pattern by William Morris (1875)! Here in a linen/cotton blend in the colour Indigo. Photo copyright William Morris.

Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, In the Season, Scandimood 2017-08-18

Lingering in a summer feel

Lazy days are over and the Season has started; press invitations are filling up the in-box but before diving into the sea of news there’s still time for some slow reading. Not in the foldable outdoor chair of Summer. And not in the cosy lounge chair of the Fall. Now is the time for those in-between pieces of furniture like the Safari chair by Erik Wörtz for Eilersen. Simplistic but of high quality a chair like Safari is perfect when it is still warm enough to cuddle barefoot with a book or mag. In an easy manner. No need of blankets or tea. But a cat in the lap is, of course, welcome.

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Safari chair by Erik Wörtz for Eilersen (2017). Soap treated oak naturel and canvas. Size 61×61 cm. Seat height 39 cm in a slight slooping fashion. The canvas comes in four colours: 20 Light, 17 Nature, 01 Brown and 10 Black. Photo copyright Eilersen.

Skärmavbild 2017-08-01 kl. 11.49.31 Danish furniture designer Erik Wörtz (1916–1997) created the now iconic Safari chair in 1960. Wörtz worked as an architect for Eilersen who wanted a trendsetting piece of furniture with a slender appearance in a simple design. The Safari chair consists of a solid frame in eight parts, screwed together with eight Unbrako screws (precision high grade alloy and stainless steel fasteners) while the back, seat and armrests are mounted. Photo copyright Eilersen.

Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, In the Season 2017-08-18

Summer time with TID

We’re way into the holidays and the trendy stockholmers in their summergear leave every thought of time behind but wear their wristwatch as a stylish accessory. Something eye catching to jazz up your shorts and tunic! Swedish designstudio Form Us With Love bring their new watch for Tid straight into the contemporary by exploring a classic Scandinavian design value, eg transparency. And, as the trend goes, leaving leather behind. Their TID N0 3 is both a qualitative tool for urban life and a trend marker.

tid-no3-campaign-all-web_7421 ”Tid” is the Swedish word for ”time”. And a Swedish brand for watches. TID No 3 watch by Form Us With Love for Tid (2017) is made of light weight, durable plastic and comes in a range of colours. Photo copyright Tid.

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TID No 3 watch by Form Us With Love for Tid (2017). Silicone wristband comes in colours black, grey, green, blur, pink and orange. One size: 38 mm. Photo copyright Tid.

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TID Nylon Wristband by Form Us With Love for Tid (2017) comes in several colours and is available with black, gold or silver buckle. Photo copyright Tid.

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Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, Fab Swedes, Form Us With Love 2017-08-05

Earth Overshoot Day 2017

…lands on August 2. Today the population of the world have used more from nature than our planet can renew in a whole year. We actually use more ecological resources and services than nature can regenerate through overfishing, overharvesting forests and emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the forests can sequester. There’re several steps you can take to reduce your own global footprint. The most important is to learn more about sustainability and move your consumption and lifestyle in that direction. If you dare, calculate your own personal Overshoot Day at Earth Overshoot Day!

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Environmental friendly 2017-08-02

The poetic value of wood by Hartikainen

Finnish brand Nikari celebrates 50 years and for the anniversary put a spotlight on their young, fab, in-house designers. Since some time now I’v followed the work of cabinet maker master Antrei Hartikainen with great interest. Apart from work on design, prototypes and manufacturing processes Hartikainen explore how to highlight the possibilities of wood. In his smaller objects and sculptures Antrei Hartikainen shows a unique gift for emphasizing beauty with the smallest of gestures. This coming September his wall /floor sculptures Kukkii (”Blooming”) is chosen as one of three candidates for the Helsinki Design Week ”Product of the Year”- award 2017.

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Verso salad tools by Antrei Hartikainen for Serlachius Museums (2017). Maple wood au naturel. Photo copyright Antrei Hartikainen.

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Verso by Hartikainen

In the making: band sewing is used to make out the shape of the Verso salad server. Each spoon is then hand finished by Antrei Hartikainen into beautiful salad tools, all unique. Photo copyright Antrei Hartikainen.

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Kukkii wood sculptures by Antrei Hartikainen. Photo copyright Kari Nyssönen.

Kukkii – shapes of mushrooms and flowers. By Antrei Hartikainen. Different materials with wooden cover (detail). Photo copyright Antrei Hartikainen.

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Collector A, B, C stationary desk trays by Linda Bergroth, made by Antrei Hartikainen in birch naturel. Originally made for the ”We love wood(s)” exhibition at Fiskars Village and shown in Artek Helsinki & Institute Finlandiers in Paris. Later commissioned by Artek. Photo copyright Antrei Hartikainen and Rauno Träskelin.

Contemporary Scandi 2017-07-21

Ditch the single use plastic bag!

The implementation of the recent EU directive on how shops shall handle plastic bags in regard to their customers is now running full speed and in Stockholm you see the result; customers ditch the single use plastic and ask for sustainability. The aim of the regulation is to reduce the consumption of plastic bags, reduce littering and secure a more efficient resource utilization. Swedish fashion brands H&M, KappAhl and Lindex has therefore launched One Bag Habit. They report that during the first month of this initiative less than 30 % of their customers asked for/or bought a single use plastic bag when informed about the problems of plastic. How easy it was to skip the plastic and go for sustainability. Wow!

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”One Bag Habit – Reusable thinking”. Thinking is good but action better! Why not ditch all single use plastic in wrapping, tape, tags on the products… Photo copyright: One Bag Habit.

As for Scandimood – we’re in for foldable reusable classics:

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In a pocket close to you: Baggu. The american wonder bag…This sturdy, ripstop nylon tote has become a classic among foldable, stylish, light weight bags since it was launched in 2007. Machine washable.

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And what about the fibre bag, this one’s from Abacá. This kind of traditional, simple but decorative bag is easy to find, world wide. Photo copyright Abacá.

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And the eco cotton bag from Muir. French and stylish since 1860! Machine washable. Photo copyright Muir.

Learn more about the problems of plastics under the ”No Plastic” tag to the right of this page!

Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly 2017-07-19

Note and the hidden tints

Note Design Studio is an example of how successful the contemporary scandinavian style becomes when a bit of international flair is added to the basic Scandi concept. With Note we get colours, material meetings and patterns on surfaces traditionally kept plain. Note knows how to flirt with styles and ideas from other cultures. It is also interesting to see young studios taking on commissions beyond their usual field of design…like building a house!

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With a colour palette based on original colours at kakelugnar (tiled ovens) from the 19th century Note Design Studio transformed an office space in Stockholm into a family home. Pink, green and a ”yellowish white”… The added colours function as a bridge between the original hues and the contemporary result. Here, children’s room, privat apartment Stockholm, by Note Design Studio (2017). Photo copyright Note Design Studio.

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A simple homeoffice in one corner of the master bedroom. Privat apartment in Stockholm by Note Design Studio (2017). Photo copyright Note Design Studio.

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The pattern of the original floor has been used in decorative and functional ways as a new wall and as a sound absorbing element. Master bedroom in private apartment Stockholm by Note Design Studio (2017). Photo copyright Note Design Studio.

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Dining hall in private apartment Stockholm by Note Design Studio (2017). Photo copyright Note Design Studio.

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Villa Esker by Note Design Studio for Sjöberg & Thermé (2017). Seems fun to build models and do some set design and take pics of your (coming) work and ideas….(Nice touch with the ”clouds”!). Photo copyright Note Design Studio.

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Villa Esker by Note Design Studio for Sjöberg & Thermé (2017) is an energy sufficient house under construction in Stockholm. Photo copyright Note Design Studio.

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Two & Four cabinets by Note Design Studio for Reform (2017). The idea was to combine a traditional material with an old style technique – merging terrazzo with woodworking, thus creating a contemporary look. Photo copyright Reform.

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Cabinets and sideboards Two & Four by Note Design Studio for Reform (2017). Photo copyright Reform.

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Tops and sides comes in 20 mm-thick terrazzo panels in colours red or white. Here, Two & Four cabinet rust terrazzo (NCS S4030-Y5OR and STT-4-731), by Note Design Studio for Reform (2017). Photo copyright Reform.

Architectual moves, Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, Fab Swedes, Note Design Studio 2017-07-05

The Scandi bird bath

Several readers have asked for more info on Scandi style bird baths; there’s some iconic pieces available. Let’s have a look:

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Snäcka bird bath by Signe Persson-Melin for Byarums bruk. Handcasted, recycled aluminum, 49 x 49 x 7 cm, weight 6 kg. Photo copryight Byarums bruk.

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From a pice for Swedish mag Lantliv; Snäcka bird bath and Pallisad plant pot, both by Signe Persson-Melin for Byarums bruk. Handcasted, recycled aluminum. Gardensofa and chair Kaffe by Thomas Bernstrand for Blå Station and Crux blanket by Pia Wallén. Styling Cia Wedin, photo copyright Anna Kern.

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Kvadrat bird bath by Signe Persson-Melin for Byarums bruk. Handcasted, recycled aluminum, 40 x 40 x 8 cm, weight 7 kg. Photo copyright Byarums bruk.

Ivåg by Signe Persson-Melin for Format & Färg, concrete, 30 x 21,7 x 6 cm. Photo copyright Format & Färg.

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Snäckabad bird bath by Stina Lindholm for Skulpturfabriken. Concrete, 50 x 50 x 10 cm, weight 25 kg including loose shell sculpture which comes with the set. Photo copyright Skulpturfabriken.

Architectual moves, Contemporary Scandi, Eco Aesthetics, Environmental friendly, Fab Swedes, Friends, In the Season, Scandimood, Signe Persson Melin 2017-06-24

Poetry and pink peonies

June in Old Town Stockholm is perhaps the most poetic time of the year: the pink peonies bloom in the garden, side by side with astrantia major – sv. Stjärnflocka. The bluetit bring the young ones for a visit and while mum and dad take a bath the chicks squeak and dance to get attention, and ultimately food, food, food…Now is the time to be lazy, to sit in the garden reading poetry (today I’m hooked on Fermata by young Swedish poet Iman Mohammed, published by Chateaux) and sipping green tea, nibbling cookies!

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Pink peonies in the urban garden do the trick: could it be more poetic? Alongside the peonies we’ve planted Astrantia Major.

The simple sweetness of Stjärnflocka (Astrantia Major) help to enlighten the beauty of the peonies. And vice versa.

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A ”pool” for the birds of Old Town; Shell birdbath by Sam Stigsson for Konsthantverkarna. Handmade in concrete. Photo copyright Sam Stigsson.

Contemporary Scandi, Environmental friendly, Fab Swedes, Friends, In the Season, Scandimood 2017-06-22

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