The Finnish Design Shop team visited Stockholm Furniture Fair to explore the design trends of spring 2018 and discovered earthy colors, lavish materials and practical storage solutions. See our 20 favorite products from Stockholm Design Week!
1. &Tradition – Lato table
Designed by Italian Luca Nichetto, the Lato table is as beautiful as a sculpture. A thin steel top rests on a voluminous base made of marble. The idea for the distinctive shape came from a lollipop turned upside down.
2. Muuto – Mimic mirror
Muuto’s stand was once again one of the most beautiful ones. Among the new products from the Danish brand was Norma Studio’s Mimic mirror that doubles as an eye-catching decor item. The mirror is available in three colors: nude, grey and dark blue.
3. Made by Choice – Airisto collection
Joanna Laajisto’s Airisto furniture was launched in Stockholm during the fair. Crafted of ash, the bench and small table were designed for Villa Airisto, bed and breakfast located in the Turku archipelago, Finland, which will open its doors this summer. The collection is multifunctional: the small table may also be used as a stool.
4. Pholc – Apollo pendants
Swedish Pholc presented the new Apollo lighting collection by Broberg & Ridderstråle . The main features of the lights are the cone-like shapes in brass or aluminum. Apollo comes in three sizes, and the smallest one is available in as many as seven colors.
5. Adea – Harper sofa
Adea’s Harper sofa charms with its skilled use of natural materials. The leather braid zigzagging the wooden frame brings to mind 1950s design. Alexander Lervik appreciates the craftsmanship of the Finnish company: he designed the sofa already in 2008, but only now was he able to find the right manufacturer for it.
6. Nedre Foss – Bokk bottle opener
Norwegian Nedre Foss aims to produce objects that will last at least a century. Their new release is Sigve Knutson’s bronze Bokk bottle opener that we predict will be a popular gift for upcoming summer parties.
“We predict the Bokk bottle opener will be a popular gift for upcoming summer parties.”
7. Nuura – Blossi table lamp
The mastermind behind the new lighting brand Nuura is Sofie Refer who is an internationally awarded Danish designer. She founded Nuura with Peter Østerberg and Nadia Lassen who have previously led By Lassen. We especially liked the elegant and versatile table lamp from Nuura’s Blossi collection.
8. &Tradition – Pavilion chair
The design duo Anderssen & Voll revealed several new designs in Stockholm and our favorite was &Tradition's beautiful Pavilion chair. The stackable chair was initially designed for the Langelinie Pavillonen in Copenhagen.
9. Ferm Living – Pujo clothes rack
The name of Ferm Living’s Pujo clothes rack (Finnish for mugwort) reveals the origin of its designers. Anni Pitkäjärvi and Hanna-Kaarina Heikkilä of Helsinki-based Studio Finna introduced Pujo last year at Salone del Mobile in Milan, where it was discovered by Ferm Living. The collection also features a small wall-mounted table.
10. Voice – Levier shelf system
There was an array of storage furniture at the fair but the design that caught our eye was Voice’s perfectly finished Levier bookshelf, designed by Cate Högdahl and Nelson Ruiz-Acal of Cate & Nelson.
11. Swedese – Thema chair
Swedese presented three Yngve Ekström’s classic chairs that are now back in production. One of the designs is Thema from 1953 that gave a kick-start for Ekström’s career: it was one of Sweden’s first self-assembly furniture. Back then, the chair was sold in sets of four with the slogan “Four chairs in one box”.
Yngve Ekström's classic chair from 1953 is back in production.
12. Northern – Oasis self-watering planter
The trend of decorating with green plants wasn’t as visible at the fair as we expected. However, one of the products that will delight design lovers with a green thumb is the Oasis terracotta planter from Northern. Designed by Ann Kristin Einarsen, the unglazed pot absorbs water from the lower container. Oasis is available in two sizes and three color combinations.
13. Hay – New Order
Stefan Diez’s New Order will solve all your storage problems. The modular shelving system has been developed further and its new parts can be used to furnish an entire office, for example. New Order is manufactured by the popular Danish brand Hay.
14. Massproductions – Rose chair
The elegant Rose chair was developed with 3D printing technology. To perfect the lines, several life-size models were made during the design process. Chris Martin’s beautiful chair is part of Swedish Massproductions’ collection.
15. DK3 – Royal System shelf
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Poul Cadovius’ iconic Royal System shelving system, Danish DK3 launched a new smaller shelf design. The height of its panels is 70 cm, and it comes in four colors.
16. Northern – Nest shelf
Out of the many compact storage furniture designs introduced at the fair, the most fun was perhaps Northern’s Nest shelf, designed by Bergen-based Stiine Aas. The cup on the top can be used to store keys and a wallet whereas the sturdy hook accommodates a coat or a shopping bag. In addition to black, Nest is available in three colors.
“Northern’s Nest shelf was one of the most fun storage furniture designs.”
17. Design House Stockholm – Air sideboard
Design House Stockholm’s Air sideboard caught our eye with its beautiful use of rattan. The piece makes a great space divider and the woven walls give it a lightweight look. A tip from designer Mathieu Gustafsson: place a lamp inside the sideboard, and it will create almost magical light.
18. String Furniture – New additions to String System
String’s stand was among the finest when it comes to styling products. In addition to the new String Pocket shelves, the Swedish brand presented a mirror cabinet perfect for bathrooms and new additions to the String + accessories collection.
19. Nikari – Arkipelago bar table
Nikari from the Finnish village Fiskars introduced a new bar table to the Arkipelago series by Kari Virtanen and Rudi Merz. The table may be used both indoors and outdoors since its joints withstand severe weather conditions. Crafted of oak, the table measures 100 cm in height.
20. Muuto – The Dots hangers
The new colors of Muuto’s popular The Dots hangers are burgundy, pale blue, clay brown and beige green. Also, the wooden hangers, designed by Lars Tornøe, come now in the same size as the extra small metallic versions.
See also:
• What's new in Finnish Design Shop >
Part of the featured products will be added to the Finnish Design Shop selection during spring.
Edit: Mikko Vaija Pictures: Manufacturers