For those of you who have been in a darkened room for the last couple of years and been unaware of the Uber cool trend for all things Scandinavian, the Killing, the Bridge, Arne Jacobsen, George Jenson, to name but a few …. And not one to turn down an opportunity of foreign travel, I was delighted to attend the Stockholm Furniture Fair with Design Brokers.
Arriving in the Venice of the North to Stunning 18th century architecture surrounded by water, cool cafes and bars not to mention the tall blonde beautiful Vikings was indeed a treat. Staying in the Sub-zero new hotel called Story warmly greeted by the owner where doors are headboards and Chinese porcelain, washbasins, this is real unpretentious shabby chic at its best. Evening meal was enjoyed at a stunning restaurant where main courses are per table, more in a communal family way than separate meals per person which provides a much more convivial atmosphere.
Thursday morning and off for the raison d’etre of our trip. Half an hour out of Stockholm to an enormous industrial building arriving with the great and the good of the design world, registration was painful and our badges about as useful as a skating hedgehog, bag and coat storage even worse like counting the amount of spines on said Hedgehog!
Once done we were into the fair and if your thing is a finely turned oak leg you were in for some serious furniture porn! The fair was laid out well and easy to navigate. Some key trends were apparent from the off: pastel colours were making a comeback! Oh no… pale pink and its twin sister pistachio were upholstered all over various pieces. By contrast, hot magenta and a strong tangerine were also in play. Highlights: storage solutions were innovative and different, from interesting shapes to fantastical designs that seemed to defy gravity. Lighting was superb with a nod to natural finishes, copper and fine veneers being a re-occurring theme. There was also some welcome humour, namely the canvas chairs that needed a set of instructions to use. Red furry stools looking like little pets and oversized lampshades with, of course, designer tassels! The workplace sectiom showed a strong bent towards acoustic solutions, screens, and cellular pods.
Much needed sustenance involved a lot of queuing (so they do queue in other countries!) and a poor food offering, but this was overshadowed by great company and lots of inspiration. Overall a memorable experience. Would I go back next year? absobloodylutely… thank you to Steen, Hans-Peter, and Trille from Design Brokers.
Pernille Stafford
Managing Director – Resonate Interiors.
