Highlights from Stockholm Design Week 2019

I’ve already shared my top picks from the Stockholm Furniture Fair, so today I want to focus on the highlights of wider Stockholm Design Week.

First held in 2002, Design Week takes place to coincide with the fair and has grown larger and larger each year. This time around was the biggest yet, with more than 400 events across the city – everything from pop-up exhibitions and talks to open studios and showroom tours. Here’s a look at a few of my favourites…

Frama & Andreas Martin-Löf – ‘Spatial Sensibilities’

I’m starting with what was possibly the highlight of my entire time in Stockholm – an exhibition from Copenhagen-based Frama in the newly renovated apartment of architect Andreas Martin-Löf.

The space itself was stunning. Located in a modernist building in the Kungsholmen neighbourhood, it had wide windows framing views out over the frozen water (temperatures in Stockholm dropped to -15C during my stay!) and an unusual mirrored ceiling that bounced light into every corner. I particularly loved the minimalist kitchen with its sleek matte-grey units, and the crittall-style double doors connecting it to the living room beyond.

Just as impressive were the Frama pieces on show, which included a few new additions: the ‘Farmhouse’ trestle table, new versions of the ‘Rivet’ side table, and the ‘A.M.L’ stool (designed by Andreas Martin-Löf himself). My eye was immediately drawn to the handcrafted ‘Otto’ stoneware, which combines a simple Scandinavian aesthetic with delicately speckled glazes. I was also very taken with a new chair design by Elding Oscarson that looked a little familiar, and I soon realised why: it was first created for the wonderful Skissernas Museum in Lund, southern Sweden, which I visited back in 2017. It’s a beautifully elegant and understated piece, so it’s great to see it now going into general production.

Ariake, Wästberg & My Residence – ‘The Fenix Palace’

One of the biggest talking points of Stockholm Design Week 2018 was a joint exhibition from Japanese furniture brand Ariake, Swedish lighting company Wästberg and interiors magazine My Residence (you can see my post about it here), so I was very excited to learn that they’d teamed up again this year. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Called ‘The Fenix Palace’ in honour of the venue – a former dance hall and entertainment space which closed its doors in 1940 – it was beautifully curated by My Residence editor-in-chief Hanna Nova Beatrice and stylist Annaleena Leino. The wooden panelling and ornate plasterwork provided a wonderful backdrop for Ariake’s minimalist pieces, which were created by international designers such as Norm Architects and Staffan Holm and which combine Scandinavian and Japanese influences. I particularly loved the table set-ups, which sat beneath Wästberg’s striking oversized ‘W151’ pendant lamps, and the screen-fronted ‘Kumiko’ cabinets, artfully styled with sculptures and ceramics.

The dark interiors made the exhibition quite tricky to photograph so the below images don’t really do it justice, but trust me when I say it was very atmospheric and truly inspiring!

DUX & Norm Architects – ‘Into the Light’

Another fantastic installation came from Swedish brand DUX, which is largely known outside Scandinavia for its beds but which also produces a raft of other furniture. It has just announced a new collaboration with Norm Architects and so the two companies teamed up to curate a joint exhibition called ‘Into the Light’.

Hosted at stylish co-working space and members’ club Alma, the event focused on the transition between contrasts, offsetting strong lines with soft fabrics in soothing shades of beige, grey and taupe. The star of the show was undoubtedly the first piece created for the collaboration: a wood and textile headboard which draws inspiration from Japan and Scandinavia. Both it and the wider exhibition were beautiful, and I can’t wait to see what else this exciting partnership brings!

Liljenkrantz for Kvänum

Also blending Japanese and Scandinavian elements was a new kitchen design from Louise Liljenkrantz for Kvänum, which was launched at its Stockholm showroom during Design Week. I have confess that I didn’t really know much about this Swedish company before, but I was really impressed with its collection of kitchens and other cabinetry, available in a range of contemporary and traditional styles and made using sustainably sourced wood.

The new design was first created for an apartment which Louise was refurbishing, but it proved so popular that she approached Kvänum about putting it into wider production. The result is a striking mix of clean lines and richly hued oak which she describes as ‘Victorian manor goes Japan’. It looks fantastic offset by grey stone, and the detailing – leather draw liners, built-in seating – is beautiful. There are also optional open shelves and glass-fronted cabinets, which are ideal for displaying favourite items and which would add a cosy, less utilitarian touch to open-plan spaces.

Iittala – ‘Creating Atmospheres (When Eating Becomes Form)’

Last but not least is Finnish brand Iittala, which took over the Wetterling Gallery to showcase its new ‘Raami’ tableware range, created by Jasper Morrison. I covered the collection in my last ‘new finds’ post, so it was great to see it in person. What’s more, it was accompanied by a fascinating exhibition exploring the concept of eating and how the behaviour and social customs associated with it shape design. It included a look at what defines the implements we use when we dine, and how eating has changed over the years. There was even a glimpse into how the ‘Raami’ collection is made, with a display of the moulds used and a video showing a glass carafe being hand-blown.

Most photography by Abi Dare; Kvänum images one-five via the brand itself