Highlights from Stockholm Design Week

Stockholm in the snow is a beautiful sight, and last month I got to see it in person when I (briefly) visited for the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair for Interior Design Magazine. Once again I asked Abi Dare of These Four Walls to write a guest post all about her favourite finds from Stockholm Design Week.  Abi is a fellow interior-design addict, and as a writer and a blogger, she focuses on Scandinavian design and relaxed living. The perfect person in my book to share her thoughts with us about all the gorgeous installations from Stockholm Design Week.

First held in 2002, Stockholm Design Week coincides with the Stockholm Furniture Fair and this year marked the biggest instalment yet, with more than 400 separate events across the city. 

One of the talking points of Design Week 2018 was a joint exhibition from Japanese furniture brand Ariake, Swedish lighting company Wästberg and interiors magazine My Residence, so I was very excited to learn they’d teamed up again. Called ‘The Fenix Palace’ in honour of the venue (a former dance hall and entertainment space), this year’s effort was nothing short of spectacular. The dark wooden panelling and ornate plasterwork formed a wonderful backdrop for Ariake’s minimalist pieces, while Wästberg’s stunning oversized pendant lights provided the perfect finishing touches. 

A fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian influences was also on show at Swedish furniture and bed brand DUX’s exhibition, ‘Into the Light’. Curated by Copenhagen studio Norm Architects, it focused on the transition between contrasts and offset strong lines with soft fabrics in soothing colours. The star of the show was a brand-new textile and wood headboard designed for DUX by Norm, who drew much of their inspiration from Japan. 

Also blending Japanese and Scandinavian elements was the latest design from Swedish kitchen company Kvänum, launched at its Stockholm showroom during Design Week. Created by Louise Liljencrantz, it’s a striking mix of geometric lines and rich oak described as ‘Victorian manor goes Japan’. It looked fantastic offset by grey stone, and the detailing – leather draw liners, built-in seating – was very impressive.

Finnish brand Iittala used the week to showcase its new tableware range, ‘Raami’. It was designed by Jasper Morrison, whose aim was to produce a collection where each individual piece can be used on its own but also forms part of a wider entity – much like a group of friends around a table. The launch, at the Wetterling art gallery, encompassed a fascinating exhibition exploring how the behaviour and customs associated with dining have shaped design. 

But for me, the ultimate highlight of this year’s Design Week was Frama’s ‘Spatial Sensibilities’ exhibition, held in the just-renovated apartment of architect Andreas Martin-Löf. The space was stunning, with mirrored ceilings and picture windows gazing out over the frozen water. Just as impressive were the Frama pieces on show, which included a few new additions: the ‘Farmhouse’ trestle table, new versions of the sculptural ‘Rivet’ side table, and the ‘A.M.L’ stool from Martin-Löf himself. 

If you’d like to see more from Stockholm Design Week take a look here and here or pop over to Abi’s post here.

All photography by Abi Dare.