Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2019
We travelled to the Scandinavian-design epicentre, Stockholm, for the cities annual Furniture and Light Fair…
Filled with the latest innovations in interior products and lighting, we the city left feeling re-energised, inspired by the latest materials and design trends. In this weeks journal entry we share our top-five moments from an unforgettable studio excursion…
1.
Accessories with personality
Accessories by Danish design company, 101 Copenhagen, were a key element for dressing the individual brand spaces throughout the Stockholm furniture and light fair and various other interiors showrooms throughout the city.
As a brand, 101 Copenhagen create beautiful and timeless, hand-crafted pieces with personality and a real edge. The brands distinctive aesthetic and homage to artisanal techniques were values we instantly felt a connection to, a true passion for high-quality materials and discreet textures was evident throughout each individual piece that we discovered - minimalistic in style as way of enhancing the natural features of the materials.
2.
the New Neutral
A new wave of beige could be seen repeatedly throughout Stockholm’s 2019 furniture and light fair, encompassing a range of hues within the shade - all of which felt fresh and contemporary.
We understand that you must be wondering how can a color as boring as beige could possibly be exciting but the particular hues shown as well as their monochromatic application created a richer feel than the traditional shades you may remember from the late 90’s.
In the vast world of color defining specific shades can be a complicated task and whilst variations between the bolder hues can be hard to define, neutrals are among the most difficult. The shades shown during Stockholm 2019 fair were formed of bolder undertones and appeared organically inspired from sources such as ash, maple, pine, oats or sand.
Ferm Living in particular embraced the beige aesthetic, cohering various pieces with a simple, minimalistic palette which provided clutter-free notions.
3.
Discovering Lintex
Rarely do we discover effective, functional office products which are also aesthetically beautiful, a requirement of any professional interior design or architecture studio however, Lintex were for us, an exception - their product offering, dare we say it, was quite simply exceptionally beautiful.
Quietly confident with simplistic, crisp designs the family owned Swedish design brand showcased a wide range of truly functional design aids, all of which worked cohesively as a customisable collection. Their aim to “make functional products more fun to use, in effect increasing their functionality” felt relatable to our own work within the practice, the slick writable surfaces (which left no trace of a fingerprint) and considered pin boards in subtle hues we could honestly envision simplifying communication for any modern design office or studio environment.
4.
True Texture
The foundation of our schemes at Rachel Usher Interior Design is formed through building designs with various considered tactile elements. Texture as a sensual element is an area we explore and push the boundaries within consistently and because of this our eyes are naturally drawn to interesting and unique textures wherever we are.
Repeatedly throughout our Stockholm inspiration trip were aesthetically subtly yet exceptionally tactile fabric choices - from flooring to wallcoverings and luxurious lounge chairs.
The &Tradition, Little Petra chair designed by architect, Viggo Boesen, was a particular highlight, it’s distinguished and abundantly soft upholstery complimented by an organic and minimalistic aesthetic felt both intriguing and inviting - it would have been impossible to walk by without running a hand across the sculpted backrest.
The Barba armchair by Swedish design brand, Fogia, provided another strong aesthetic expression through texture, perhaps more subtly with a gentle boucle, a fabric which appeared the most consistently through the fair.
5.
the Scentense Experience
Away from the main show located within the outer perimeter of the main city centre, Muro Scents Co., Monica Förster Design Studio, frankly//Aakerlund, and Zanat, presented a collaborative project, “Scentense”, a sensual experience in scent and design, as part of Stockholm’s main Design Week.
Muro Scents Co. is a Swedish olfactory brand that creates specially designed scents for various aspects of life and this particular collaboration was created with the aim to explore the possibilities of enhancing one’s surroundings through the power of scent - taking inspiration from a multitude of sources around the world whilst looking closely into various cultural rituals, significant social or artistic movements and eras. These inspirations were then developed further to offer scents relevant and inspiring to current times.
Wooden objects designed by Monica Förster were intricately carved by Zanat, hosting the left-over wood shavings which held the various scents, stacked organically to create an immersive art installation.
We were invited to the shows opening night where we were personally talked through the stories behind the individual scents and stories which recalled distinct atmospheres and memories when smelt with the eyes closed.
