Scandimood

…through days and nights as the Stockholm Design Week has been up and running. Good thing is the Scandi design world definitely aim on sustainability. Not as a trend, but as a real concern about climate change. Several brands did slow down and did not exhibit, others did but added ideas and discussions on sustainability to the concept. Some chose to work with developments in existing collections instead of presenting news.

The work to create sustainability in the design world has barely started and it’s gonna take some time before we touch firm ground. Where we’ll end up is hard to tell but one thing is clear: the industry must reconsider its position as ”designer of the future”, and speed up the way to produce, sell, use and recycle design in a sustainable way. Talking is good but action is needed.

Here’s some highlights from the Stockholm Design Week and Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair 2019:

w102 chipperfield (the extended family) by David Chipperfield for Wästberg (2019). Solid brass, dimmable, energy class A+. Photo copyright Wästberg.

w102 chipperfield (the extended family) for Wästberg (2019), sketch by designer/architect David Chipperfield. Photo copyright David Chipperfield.

Bespoke and locally produced by gifted craftsmen: here a modern kitchen (2019) in a historical building. Cabinets in dark stained oak, top in Kinnekulle limestone and an asymmetric shelf. Photo copyright Nordiska kök.

Suspence pendant by GamFratesi for Fritz Hansen. The new colour Pale Pearl lends a soft egg-shell quality to the minimalistic classic. Photo copyright Fritz Hansen.

Iittala. Jasper Morrison. Raami. A fine exhibition about finding joy in the simplistic but qualitative every day. Photo copyright Iittala.

Baux Pulp Acoustic Panel by Form Us With Love for Baux (2019). The patterns are inspired by origami and the 100% bio based product comes in colouring created by using different amounts of natural wheat in the material. The panel is the first in the world to uncompromisingly combine high-performance properties of sound absorption, safety, and durability with modern aesthetics and sustainability. Cradle-to-cradle at its best! Photo copyright Baux.

Asplund curated a small, intimate exhibition in their shop at Sibyllegatan in Stockholm and told the story of their cabinet Snow, designed by Jonas Bohlin and Thomas Sandell in 1994. The cabinet celebrates 25 years and the producer has made several important developments to turn it into a Scandi sustainability icon. For the anniversary Snow comes in the colour pale pink. Photo copyright Asplund.

Avavick stool by Katja Pettersson for the recently restored Nationalmuseum in  Stockholm. Produced by Swedese. Avavick has its name from a dialect from Storuman in the north of Sweden, and it means ”top heavy”. The expression with a weighty seat and delicate legs is fab! Photo copyright Nationalmuseum.