Bright young stars: the 2015 Stockholm Furniture Fair adds new luminaries to its abundant roster

Chairs
At this year's Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, Danish design stalwarts Carl Hansen & Søn experimented with colour by re-introducing their 'CH88' chair in a new bold palette
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A change in set up brought a fresh energy to this year's Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, housing exhibitors better than ever before.

This year's guest of honour, Ilse Crawford, recreated her South London studio within the fair's central meeting place, as a space for visitors to explore how design affects us in the everyday. As a happy coincidence, Crawford also launched her first collaboration with IKEA in the delightful surrounds of Ett Hem - a 100-year-old Stockholm house turned boutique hotel that her studio redesigned in 2012. The new collection comprises an accessible range of furniture, lighting and smaller items including cork tables, hanging lights, accessories and a day bed.

The bright young stars of previous years showed that they are fast-becoming established brands. Case in point: Baux, who exhibited for the first time in the main hall, where they debuted a new wall system in collaboration with Stockholm studio Form Us With Love.

Taiwanese brand NAKNAK was a standout newcomer to the fair. With a background in producing metal items for other brands, the Taichung-based manufacturer showcased its first ever in-house collection of designs working with international names such as Stockholm's Kyuhyung Cho. A set of powder-coated metal wire house numbers designed by Cho and Erik Olovsson made a particularly strong impression.

This year, the fair's annual Greenhouse exhibition - a space dedicated to championing emerging talent - was created by Note Design Studio, whose mirrored pavilion expertly showcased the work of some promising new names. Danish designers Pettersen & Hein's structurally dynamic light objects stood out, as did the coloured concrete tiles and moveable chair by Glen Baghurst.

Meanwhile, established Swedish architects (and Wallpaper* Design Award winners) Claesson Koivisto Rune switched hats from designers to producers with the launch of their new homeware company 'Smaller Objects'. Honing in on everyday design, the trio presented a new collection of household items, from cooling stone coasters to clever herb pots. Elsewhere the architects launched a bright light collection with Wästberg, and a structural modular sofa and side table with Offecct.

Danish design stalwarts and fellow Wallpaper* Design Award winners Carl Hansen & Søn launched a double-sided tray table that can be folded away - sure to be an instant hit with customers. Working on an altogether larger, architectural scale, Spanish powerhouse Cosentino 'Stanze in affitto' took their ultra-compact slab material Dekton to Munich-based designer Steffen Kehrle, who crafted it into a small structure made entirely out of the surface product. The informal hangout, called 'House of Dekton', served as a welcome sanctuary from the busy aisles of the fairground.

A set of powder-coated metal wire house number

Taiwanese brand NAKNAK was a standout newcomer to the fair. A set of powder-coated metal wire house numbers designed by Kyuhyung Cho and Erik Olovsson made a particularly strong impression

(Image credit: press)

Furniture, lighting and smaller items including cork tables, hanging lights, accessories and a day bed.

The fair's guest of honour, Ilse Crawford, launched her first collaboration with IKEA, an accessible range of furniture, lighting and smaller items including cork tables, hanging lights, accessories and a day bed.

(Image credit: press)

Geometric lights

Geometric lights by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Wästberg made a larger-than-life impression.

(Image credit: press)

Lounge chair

Office furniture had a strong presence at the fair this year. Edsbyn added this lounge chair by Jens Fager to their 'Feather' collection, available in a choice of bases and colours

(Image credit: press)

Ghost Chair

Sweden’s Minus tio (Swedish for 'minus ten'), introduced its 'Ghost Chair' by Ingrid and Olle Wingård, a shapely piece using three different materials: leather, steel and wood

(Image credit: press)

Structurally dynamic light object

At the Greenhouse exhibition, a showcase for emerging talent, Danish designers Pettersen & Hein's structurally dynamic light objects stood out

(Image credit: press)

Red Shelf

Another rising talent at the Greenhouse exhibition was Shuang Liang. ‘Tuann’ is the Chinese designer’s first independent collection and includes this polished wooden ‘Red Shelf’

(Image credit: press)

Tray table

Carl Hansen & Søn also re-issued this 1970 Hans J. Wegner tray table. The versatile piece has collapsable legs, a removable tray and two new colours of light oak veneer and smoked oak veneer

(Image credit: press)

Outdoor Events Chair

Australia-born Glen Baghurst showed coloured concrete tiles and a movable ‘Outdoor Events Chair’ at the Greenhouse exhibition

(Image credit: press)

House of Dekton

'House of Dekton' was a structure made of Spanish powerhouse Cosentino's ultra-compact slab material Dekton and designed by Munich-based Steffen Kehrle

(Image credit: press)

Red sofa

Danish brand Gubi brought a vibrant clash of colours to its show

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Classic day bed

Getama presented this classic day bed designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1954

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Navy blue sofa

Designed for Danish brand Erik Jørgensen, Monica Forster's ‘Savannah’ sofa's wooden structure was upholstered in heavy saddleback leather

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Table lights

Louis Poulsen introduced a new copper version of its 'PH 3.5-2.5' table lights this year

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Acoustic panels for fabric upholstery

Oslo-based StokkeAustad designed these acoustic panels for fabric upholstery brand, Gudbrandsdalens Uldvarefabrik

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The panels are a combination of geometric shapes

The panels are a combination of geometric shapes, in fabric, metal and stone

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Colourful locker system

Office solutions brand Svenheim released this colourful locker system that uses fob technology in place of keys

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Chair , table, ceramic salt and pepper grinders

Lina Nordqvist showed new pieces, including ceramic salt and pepper grinders, a table basket and a wrapped leather chair, at the ‘Twelve’ exhibition, which was curated by Johanna Agerman Ross and is a platform for Scandinavian designers

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Armchair

Carl Hansen & Søn expanded on a classic by creating a two-seater version of its famed armchair 

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White table and chair

Family-owned Friends and Founders has rapidly expanded its collection since launching in 2013

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Black table, blue chair and grey chair

For its 2015 offering, the brand introduced upholstery

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Kaari furniture

Artek unveiled 'Kaari', the new furniture collaboration with Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, shown here with last year's chair by Konstantin Grcic

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Desks, rectangular tables

The capsule collection is composed of modular items that include desks as well as round and rectangular tables, proving the versatility of the system

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Tulip printed sofa

At its flagship store in Stockholm, Svenskt Tenn presented 'Three Decades'  - a retrospective exhibition by Maria Djurkovic 

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Red dinning table and chairs

The installation was based on movie sets from 1930s, 1950s and 1980s and included Svenskt Tenn items and fabrics

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Dining chair

Entering a new era of design is Bosnian brand Zanat who collaborated with a trio of designers: Harri Koskinen, Monica Forster and Gert Wingardh. The collection included this 'UNNA' dining chair by Monica Forster, which was shown in black and pale wood versions

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Structural side table

Offecct launched this structural side table by Claesson Koivisto Rune which is made up of balancing metal plates

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Planet lamp

Scandinavian distributers PLEASE WAIT to be SEATED launched this 'Planet lamp' by Mette Schelde. Made up of moveable magnetic discs, the halogen light can be manipulated to the individual's preference

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Portable steel-framed armchair

As part of the 'Experiment 2015' collection, Swedish brand Blå Station commissioned its own design manager, CEO and producer Johan Lindau and Borselius & Berstand to create Morris JR, a portable steel-framed armchair, which is available in different frames

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Curtain collection

Kvadrat launched a new, innovative curtain collection, 'Sparkling, Drizzle and Drill' by Aggebo & Henriksen. For drill, a pattern of holes are created from lasers, mimicking the essence of hole-punched paper

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Sujata Burman

Sujata Burman is a writer and editor based in London, specialising in design and culture. She was Digital Design Editor at Wallpaper* before moving to her current role of Head of Content at London Design Festival and London Design Biennale where she is expanding the content offering of the showcases. Over the past decade, Sujata has written for global design and culture publications, and has been a speaker, moderator and judge for institutions and brands including RIBA, D&AD, Design Museum and Design Miami/. In 2019, she co-authored her first book, An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture, published by Hoxton Mini Press, which was driven by her aim to make the fields of design and architecture accessible to wider audiences. 

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