Technically after IMM Cologne we should pack our kit bags and head of to Sweden for Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair + Stockholm Design Week.

Technically.

Sometimes however other things get in the way.

Life, for example……

And so we’ll sadly not make it to Stockholm this year.

Sadly because Stockholm in February is just the most magical place. And sadly because of the wonders that we expect we’d find there.

As Scandanavia’s largest furniture and lighting trade fair, Stockholm is the location of choice for Scandinavian manufactures looking to release new products. And 2013 looks like being a good vintage.

Copenhagen based HAY, for example, are promising to follow up the “New Order” shelving system unveiled at Orgatec 2012 with a new co-operation with Stefan Diez. If we understand correctly it is a chair optimised for the online furniture industry. We’re expecting a modular, flat pack design. We’ll let you know. Staying with Danish producers, Kvadrat will be showing off “Ready Made Curtain” by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, and are also promising new textiles from Aggebo & Henriksen and Satu Montanari. In addition their Stockholm showroom will feature an installation by London based design studio Doshi Levien entitled “The Wool Parade”

Åhus in South-West Sweden is not just the home of Absolut Vodka, but also the ever delightful manufacturer Blå Station who will, again if our information is correct, be launching the very promising sounding result of their latest co-operation with Berlin based Osko+Deichmann.  While Stockholm based Offecct will continue their mission to take over the European contemporary furniture market with a range of new products by an international roster of designers including Jean-Marie Massaud, Nendo, Richard Hutten and Luca Nichetto.

The one big disappointment is that Swedish manufacturer Viking Beds don’t seem to be planning to unveil any beds based on piles of flea-infested rotting straw or damp longboat beams. Maybe next year.

Away from the big business taking place at the trade fair, the first week of February also sees Stockholm Design Week.

In comparison to other design weeks, Stockholm Design Week is small. Disappointingly small if we’re to be honest. Inexplicably, disappointingly small and dominated by an obscene number of cocktail parties. To be brutally honest.

That said it does always throw up one or the other delight and this year we can well imagine that we would have had our fun at the Instituto Cervantes’ “Barcelona Design Flash!” showcase of projects originating in the Catalan Capital and also “Negative Space”, an exhibition featuring works by 12 Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design students which involves objects designed for a world where space is unlimited and sets no restrictions.

Which of course reminds us of what Dr. Georg Vrachliotis said about Fritz Haller  “… [going] to space to be able to think better about earth”

Stockholm doesn’t have it easy. Aside from predispositions that it will be cold, dark and expensive – it is, is and is, but then that’s half the fun – it comes directly after IMM Cologne and Maison et Objet Paris. Two shows that on account of their location can attract a wider public and better media, meaning they offer more incentive for product launches and special events.

That said through a clever and consistently applied event concept and a range of exhibitors that one rarely gets the chance to see at international fairs, Stockholm has managed to carve out a very nice niche for itself in the international furniture design calendar, is always worth visiting and as we say, we’ll really miss not being there.

Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair 2013 runs from Tuesday February 5th until Saturday February 9th, Stockholm Design Week opens on February 4th and ends on the 10th.

Full details can be found at www.stockholmfurniturefair.com

Stockholm. February. Cold. Dark. Fantastic.

On his 2009 album “Waxing Gibbous” Falkirk balladeer Malcolm Middleton included the song “Red Travellin’ Socks” a jaunty – if for us touch too obvious – ode to his love/hate relationship with, well his Red Travellin’ Socks.

Wearing his socks he’s reminded of the freedom of the open road that is currently helping him fulfilling his primitive desires – until such time as the romantic myth of the endless highways explodes and he begins to long for home. The red socks symbolising his frustration and hopelessness.

“Take me home Red Travellin’ Socks”, he demands. “I’m out of money and I’m sick of these songs….”

And then, inevitably, after a period at home his Red Travellin’ Socks sit there in the domestic wardrobe, taunting him and reminding him of what he is missing….

Malcolm’s Red Travellin’ Socks are our Vitra Panton Chair Miniature.

For no obvious reason it began accompanying us a couple of years ago and even featured in our controversial tour of Verner Panton’s Copenhagen. And will inevitably feature in our forthcoming Arne Jacobsen portrait.

Much as we enjoy photographing it, there comes a point in every tour where it sits in the camera rucksack like a lead-lined metaphor for the domestic regularity we’re missing. However, no sooner is it back on the bookshelf….

Our erstwhile travelling companion in front of Arne Jacobsen's former house in Copenhagen.

And so while we admittedly did consider throwing it from the train on the way back from Neue Räume Zürich 2011 – we’re currently polishing it up for Spring 2012.

On January 13th we’re in Cologne for the opening of the exhibition “From Aalto to Zumthor – Architect Furniture” in the MAKK. And of course for IMM Cologne 2012 and the parallel fringe events.

Among the, potential, highlights are a new outdoor collection from Richard Lampert, the exhibition “Made in Sishane” and seeing how the colleges do now that they have left the confines of IMM and will be showing their work at a satellite event in the city.

Early February then sees the opening of the Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec Exhibition “Album” in the Vitra Design Museum Gallery in Weil am Rhein. We missed it in Bordeaux and so are really looking forward to seeing it; and of course finding out how their yacht is coming on!

And then from February 6th were in Stockholm for the annual Design Festival and Furniture Fair. The obvious highlight being Stockholm in February.

But given that the (smow)boss will also expect us to produce some form of “work” from our trip, we’ll be checking out the exhibition The Evolution of Object by Katrin Greiling, pursuing the new tile designs by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Marrakech Design and generally investigating the current state of the designer furniture industry in Scandinavia.

Reports, photos, interviews and reviews will be published here and on Facebook.

Stockholm. February. 2011

After bringing you things you have to be in Paris to see. We bring you something you’ll have to be in Stockholm to see.

Helpful as we are.

We first saw Spiral Shelf by Stockholm based Argue Design at DMY Berlin 2010.

And fell in love with it pretty much straight away.

We then met up with Matilda Nordgård from Argue Design at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2011, where we conducted a very interesting and entertaining interview with her.

An interview we really must get round to writing up sometime soon. Ideally before Stockholm Furniture Fair 2012.

And where our obsession with Spiral Shelf continued.

So you can probably imagine our joy when an email landed in our inbox yesterday afternoon announcing that Spiral Shelf was now on display and available to purchase at and through Villa Contemporary Art in Stockholm.

For us the beauty of Spiral Shelf lies in the fact you can shove things inside and through it.

Now we’re not saying we’re disorganised. But we all know how it is.

And we’re not just talking about clothes. Spiral Shelf is pretty much the perfect storing place for toys, books, newspapers, hats, scarves and all those other everyday objects that we all to often need to quickly and briefly store.

However Spiral Shelf can also be used as a classic hanging device either with the inbuilt hooks, with your own coat hangers or simply so – for example with an umbrella.

Constructed from powder coated iron, for us Spiral Shelf by Argue Design is one of these great bits of simple, efficient, contemporary design that always tickles us.

And as our sub-editor in his festive joy would no doubt write – Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat, if we were celebrating in Stockholm I’d buy you that!

Argue Design @ DMY Berlin 2010

Spiral Shelf by Argue Design...

...holds everything firmly. Even escaping sheep!

Arik Levy

Back in snowy Stockholm we met up with Arik Levy and amongst other topics discussed his residency as Stockholm Furniture Fair Guest of Honour.

In sunny Milan we briefly caught up with Arik Levy again; principally to follow up on how Stockholm had been for him but also to gather his opinions on the importance of Milan.

(smow)blog: Is Milan Design Week still important, is it still relevant?

Arik Levy: Milan Design Week isn’t the expression I would choose. The fair is very important, what happens outside is less relevant. But the fair has its place and its impact and that shows. And that’s good so.

(smow)blog: And so one can still find good, new products at Milan Furniture Fair?

Arik Levy: Yes, of course. But what’s more important is continuity and dynamic. It’s not about closing holes: it’s not about making another chair there or another table here. It’s about creating a philosophy and helping those companies that you work with grow and growing with them.

(smow)blog: It’s a stupidly obvious question, but in that sense are you happy with the new products you’re showing here in Milan?

Arik Levy: (laughs) Of course!

(smow)blog: We last met in Stockholm as you were presenting your installation at the furniture fair. Did that work as you’d hoped?

Arik Levy: You know, I gave the Stockholm Fair an impulse that they have never had.  With all previous installations, without criticising the work themselves, in all the pictures you see there is no one there. They were empty. It was like a design museum. Which I think is boring. It doesn’t give anything and the world is about people, it’s not about tables and chairs. So I wanted to do something where people can be there, are happy to be there, can work there, sleep there, whatever. And it was full all day. At the end of the fair the fair manager came to me and said “Arik, you revolutionised our way of thinking and we want to take your concept and use it for all our fairs.” Because the installation created a community. And that is the most important. What else is important?  So I put a grain in the ground, it became a tree and now its going to become a forest. So I’m happy because it is now something for the future.

(smow)blog: Which is pretty much how you said it should be before the fair started.

Arik Levy: Exactly!

(smow)blog: Thanks for your time, and enjoy Milan!

Arik Levy's "Guest of Honour Installation" at Stockholm Furniture Fair

We don’t suppose it will come as any real surprise that we were taken by Axel Bjurström’s Dolly Table.

Part Gangsta Lean, part Collecteur, part Liesmichl, part inspired genius – we really couldn’t not like it.

A graduate of Konstfack, Stockholm’s renowned design university, Axel Bjurström established his own studio Bjurström Design in 2004. Although much of his work until now has been interior design Axel also creates his own pieces.

And that with a wonderfully light yet self-confident touch.

For us the highlight on his stand in the Greenhouse section of Stockholm Furniture Fair was without question Dolly Table.

An obtusely simple idea, Dolly Table is a side table, with an intelligent magazine storage solution. And unobtrusive wheels so that it can be moved.

Even just reading that we’re lovin’ it!!

More information on Axel Bjurström and his work can be found at www.bjurstrom.com

Stockholm Design Week: Axel Bjurström

Dolly Table and Trinity Lounge Chair by Axel Bjurström

In the foreground Hammock Chair - the vanity mirror Piga in the background is also worth closer inspection

It’s fair to say that for us the real shock of IMM Cologne 2011 was the number of senseless sofa combinations and truly, truly, hideous leather cantilever dining chairs on show.

And that despite that fact we were expecting such.

It of course wasn’t all cheap pointless tat, there were also some wonderful young designers on show and one or two brave producers with genuinely interesting, innovative and aesthetically coherent product ranges.

They were sadly in the minority – and we fear that in the coming years they will become even rarer and that IMM will increasingly look even more like a cheap out-of-town furniture discounter than it does at the moment.

IMM Cologne 2011: Pile em high and sell em cheap....

IMM has two main problems: Milan and Maison et Objet in Paris.

Paris is sexy, exciting, dangerous, passionate…..

Cologne.

And no amount of Viva Colonia is going to entice young dynamic producers and designers to the Rhein when a couple of days later they can be on the Seine.

For that they need the belief that there is a real reason to exhibit in Cologne; be it at IMM, Designers Fair, or independently in the city.

At the moment they simply don’t have that.

And regardless of how large, expensive and wholly irrelevant Milan becomes, the furniture industry will continue to cling to its beloved Milano like some gin-addled old woman who can’t face the hollow reality of her existence sober – and that means that IMM need a concept that offers exhibitors alternatives that they do not have in Milan.

That was always the case – but the changing nature of the global furniture industry makes it more important now than in the 70s or 80s.

Kartell brought Milan with then to IMM Cologne 2011. We can only guess why.....

At the end of the day everyone knows that launching new products in Milan makes no sense – the fair is too big and the international media only listen to those with whom they have a personal relationship or those with the biggest PR budget.

Launching products in Cologne makes sense – but only if IMM provides a suitable environment.

But the press room at IMM is full of advertising sales reps and PR agencies on the look out for new clients.

We’re not saying its any different in Milan – we’re saying it should be different than in Milan.

Read many good interviews from IMM?

People still talk about Verner Panton’s Visiona 2 exhibition from 1970. It’s highly unlikely anyone would even notice in 2011.

IMM need to decide if they want to position themselves as a fair for the lower rungs of the quality and taste ladder – or if they want to offer furniture for the majority of purchasers. And furniture that is ecologically and ethically justifiable.

The Boulevard of Innovations at IMM Cologne - a couple of hundred feet quality before the cheap leather sofas ruin your day.

For if they just want the cheap leather sofas – then please do us all a favour and lose the innovative producers and young designers.

It would be a real shame. It would however be real honest.

With d3 Design Talents IMM have a nice concept, one that works, and indeed one that is important for IMM – but it needs to be better supported by the Messe and not just seen as market relevant add-on that looks good in the sales brochures.

d3 Professionals showed what a wonderful range and depth of design talent Germany – and neighbouring countries – have to offer.
Young designers who are prepared to invest time and money in establishing themselves and their ideas in a very competitive global market.

However many of those who took part in d3 Professionals were once in Cologne as part of a college show.

And so if IMM want to ensure the continued success of d3 Professionals they would be well advised to treat the current student generation with a little more respect.

The location of the d3 Schools show this year was an absolute disgrace. Had we been due to exhibit there we would have packed our bags and left – never to return.

Stockholm Design Week is four weeks later, cheaper, more personal – and just as close to Cologne as Berlin, Vienna or London.

We know where we’d rather exhibit.

IMM Cologne will of course continue to survive – it would just be nice if it also remained, relevant, innovative and an event that one looked forward to.

Rather than feared.

At the risk of repeating ourselves – one of the main reasons to visit a design week is the chance it offers to visit locations that one otherwise probably wouldn’t.

And we’ve had some truly wonderful experiences: but only a few that top 20 designers at BIOLOGISKA.

Officially Biologiska is a natural history museum.

Officially.

Based on the form of traditional Norwegian stave churches the quaint if unassuming exterior cannot, simply cannot, prepare the visitor for what is inside.

Climbing the wondrous wooden staircase you slowly enter the animal kingdom…..

….. a 360 degree diarama creating a range of natural environments populated by stuffed animals and all beautifully offset by the wood and brass fittings in the viewing room.

Just awesome.

We’re not big on taxidermy, we’re really not – but Biologiska isn’t about taxidermy.

Its about the installation.

And for Stockholm Design Week the designers Fredrik Färg and Emma Marga Blanche have expanded the installation with the work of 20 young designers.

The works are not only displayed in the spaces within the Biologiska building but have also been playfully included in the diorama.

For some it may make the objects more art than products; however, we’re not so priggish and generally approve of everything that makes the process of getting to know a piece of design as easy, entertaining and enjoyable as possible.

Which is something Fredrik Färg and Emma Marga Blanche have certainly managed with 20 designers at BIOLOGISKA.

Over the next week or two we will focus a little more one or two of the designers featured  – but for now a few photos.

20 designers at BIOLOGISKA sadly only runs until February 12th – but after that date a visit to Biologiska is definitely worth it.

BIOLOGISKA Stockholm

Inside BIOLOGISKA - the best Stockholm Design Week location

MWC by Florian Hauswirth at 20 designers at Biologiska

One for the birds: Lift by Mark Braun, 20 designers at Biologiska

Succession by 20 designers at Biologiska co-curator Fredrik Farg

Front Page by Front for Kartell

As part of Stockholm Design Week 2011 Kartell presented the magazine rack Front Page by Stockholm design studio Front.

Clever word play and all…..

Although formally launched at Milan 2010 Front Page is only now making it’s way into the shops and as such presented a wonderful excuse for a Front “home gig”.

Having already worked with producers such as Moroso, Established & Sons or moooi, Front Page is Front’s first product for and with Kartell.

At the product launch in the Stockholm Kartell Flagship store we caught up with Anna Lindgren from Front to discuss the cooperation with Kartell and Stockholm.

(smow)blog: How did the cooperation with Kartell arise?

Anna Lindgren: Kartell was one of the companies we really wanted to work with – and so we tried for a long time to get a meeting with them in order to show them our portfolio. And then they saw some of our work as part of an exhibition in a gallery in Milan. And so in the end they contacted us.

(smow)blog: And then did they say – “Please make a magazine rack, we like the pun” or how did things develop?

Anna Lindgren: No, no it was much more that we were allowed to come to them and were given the chance to present different ideas that we thought would suit Kartell. And then it came to a discussion from which Front Page evolved. But Kartell also like to develop long term relationships with designers and so they also wanted to see that we could work on a range of different products that could work for Kartell….

(smow)blog: … and so there is a series of Front prototypes lying in the Kartell HQ basement …

Anna Lindgren: (laughs) No not exactly, but we are working on new projects that we hope could be ready for Milan this year. But it is not certain…

(smow)blog: And so from Front’s perspective the cooperation was successful?

Anna Lindgren: Definitely !

(smow)blog: We are currently in the middle of Stockholm Design Week, is that something Front have to be part of or is it something that you do because you want to?

Anna Lindgren: Some years we haven’t done anything! And this year it was the case that we had shown the magazine rack at Milan and then it was great that it was finally coming into the stores and so it’s nice to celebrate that. But we think Stockholm furniture fair is a very interesting fair and the design week is getting better all the time and so it is very interesting to do something here. Especially because it’s more convenient for us!

(smow)blog: And a final question. Is Stockholm a creative city where as a designer you can work, or do you have to leave Stockholm to achieve things?

Anna Lindgren: Stockholm is a very nice city to live in and work in. It’s big but not too big and there are a lot of creative people here in the city. And so for us Stockholm is a very good base for our studio.

Front Page - The Kartell magazine rack that thinks it's a pun

Kartell Stockholm present Front Page by Front

Anyone who understands our biography will appreciate that a German who spent some time studying in Edinburgh and now lives in Helsinki will be of interest to us.

But it wasn’t Florian Ganter’s biography that drew us to him and to his tool-free adjustable shelf system Air.

Or at least not directly.

Displayed on the Aalto University School of Design stand we initially thought – in a very lazy fashion – there’s a nice bit of Finnish design.

And then – considering it a little more seriously – no it’s more a Dieter Rams meets Egon Eiermann direction.

It is of course all these things – and then a little bit more.

Or better put – 100% Florian Ganter.

An adjustable system, the shelf brackets are attached to grooves in the metal poles and then held firm through the addition of the shelves. In addition the system currently includes storage boxes – which can be fitted “forwards” or “backwards” thus allowing Air to be used as either a conventional shelving unit or as a room divider.

And this flexibility combined with its unobtrusive nature and the cheeky way that it calls out to you as if it is already an established design classic has made Air by Florian Ganter one of our finds of the Stockholm Furniture Fair.

We only hope that he can find a producer …….. you know who we mean!

Air by Florian Ganter as seen @ Stockholm Furniture Fair 2011

Air by Florian Ganter - detail

Guest of Honour Arik Levy @ Stockholm Furniture Fair

Guest of Honour at the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2011 is the Israel born / Paris based designer Arik Levy.

In addition to being the public face of the the furniture fair, Arik Levy is also responsible for designing the lounge area and will hold an hour long lecture and question/answer session.

Ahead of his opening speech we spoke to Arik Levy about his decision to come to Stockholm, Swedish design and the all pervasive secrecy in the design world.

(smow)blog: Why have you agreed to be Guest of Honour at the 2011 Stockholm Furniture Fair?

Arik Levy: I haven’t yet, I’m still thinking about it (laughs)

(smow)blog: In that case if you were to accept it, why?

Arik Levy: I’ve never been to this exhibition, despite having been many times in Stockholm.  And when you are invited in this context  you have the opportunity to show things in a different way. And to talk about them. Which allows you to convey a better message.

(smow)blog: And did you have a free hand over your lounge concept?

Arik Levy: Yes absolutely. The fair organisers were really good about that.

(smow)blog: And are you happy with the result?

Arik Levy: Yeah, it remains a fair, it is not a permanent installation so things are built like a fair is built. But the message is there -and there is also free Wi-Fi so you can go and reclaim your life over there rather than always having to type in access codes and credit card numbers.

(smow)blog: And in general what does Swedish design mean to you?

Arik Levy: For me Swedish design is comparable to Japanese design, something very clean, very simple, very devoted – but at the same time very intense and very focused. An the masterpieces of Swedish design are still there and are as popular as ever.

(smow)blog: And are you hoping to find new inspiration here in Stockholm?

Arik Levy: Always. I went swimming at 7 this morning. Outdoors. That was very inspiring.

(smow)blog: And a final question, what can we expect from Arik Levy in the coming months?

Arik Levy: We are launching next month a jewellery collection with Atelier Swarovski, and  many new things are coming to Milan. The interesting thing with design of course is that you cannot talk about what you do, because everything is confidential. But I keep on telling people its not oxygen, its not drinking water – its just another chair. Why’s everyone so obsessed about it…. (laughs)

Part stand up comic, part designer, part George Clooney: Arik Levy at Stockholm Furniture Fair