When it comes to design, Swedish modern is still a go-to aesthetic: the clean, sensual lines; the bold prints; the geometric precision of space management. In short, there’s a lot more to it than IKEA. On February 20th, the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC hosted Sweden’s most prestigious design award show and product showcase, Design S. We take a peek at some of the winning designs that are sure to be hot tickets for interior decorating this year.
Among the featured pieces now available to the public are Bruno Mathsson’s BOO chair, which exemplifies a well-implemented, ergonomic seat with a textile-laminated surface. Mathsson’s idea stems from his longtime search for the perfect seating curve. The BOO is designed to take weight off the pelvic bones. The seat slopes forward but maintains a considerable depth, so less pressure is placed on the knees and your lower back gets cradled. The chairs are stackable, 100% recyclable, and thanks to the latest in microfiber manufacturing, they feel like plush suede but remain durable and impervious to spills and kids’ fingerprints.
Retro is not necessarily a detriment when it comes to the O2 Cocoon phone. Syntes Studio’s inspiration was to create “a life within” the one accessory that has practically become an appendage for all of us in our day-to-day lives. Inside the white shell, myriad features are “cocooned.” Messages scroll down through the shell; you can read song titles from the outside (it’s a crystal-clear MP3 player, to boot). Artful and intuitive, this product emphasizes elegance as well as functionality.
Anna Bonnevier’s sculptural fashion line, NUMB, is a collection of twelve unique garments designed on a geometric theme and focused on negative space. When worn, the pieces flow and mold to the body according to movement. Bonnevier came up with NUMB while still a student during Stockholm Fashion Week in February 2008. Tops, dresses, trousers, and an oversized cardigan amount to an entire wardrobe in a single clothing line. Each graphic design is voluminous and sweeping, but sharply tailored. That means you can drape or hug the garments against your body as you see fit.
The hand-tufted Tekla rya rug by Gunilla Lagerhem Ullberg is a unique combination of variegated felted wool, fine wool, and glossy flax yarn. The range of mottled colors is inspired by confetti. It’s like thousands of tiny hand-woven mittens strewn across your floor.
Slenderness is the theme with the Thinner series of airy tables in which advanced construction techniques and classic handiwork meet. In the home or in the office, Thinner’s graceful construction, not unlike an aircraft wing, communicates an aesthetic added value that feels both modern and timeless. It’s a desk. It’s a table. It keeps company with a laptop. But the white, seemingly weightless piece is also a graphic symbol, a wispy line drawn in thin air. Thinner is available in twelve sizes and four heights.
Can a material be democratic? This 18-drawer cupboard from the Unik Standard series blends wit, sustainability, and innovation. Made entirely of Masonite hardboard, this usually disregarded cork-like grain is fashioned out of discarded wood chips and particles. Its streamlined finesse fits all interior themes and the puzzle-like compartments (these are hardly just drawers) tuck and bend into a latticework of simple, efficient beauty.
Check out the winning looks at Design S.
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