The 62nd annual Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair (SFF) that takes place during the so-called 'Stockholm Design Week', has just officially wrapped (February 4 -10, 2013), offering architects, designers, bloggers and journalists from all over the world the chance to discover the freshest Scandinavian design around. Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Finnish companies aside, it's definitely worth mentioning that the bulk of international participants amounted to approximately 35% of the exhibitors.

Thanks to the International Press Center of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden and the Swedish Embassy of my hometown Athens, Greece, I had the opportunity to visit a city I'd never seen before, during the most designicious week of the year! And while the temperature outside dropped below zero - speaking of the weather, did you know that Anders Celsius (1701–1744) was Swedish? - we cozied up to some of the hottest Scandinavian talents that warmed body and soul in the sprawling halls of the Stockholmsmässan, as well as Stockholm’s plethora of downtown shops, galleries and museums which all took their turn at hosting design shows and exhibitions throughout the week. This short trip not only broadened my Northern design horizons, it also served as a reminder of how chaotic the city I live in really is. Despite Athens’ charm, historical relevance and the warmth of its citizens, witnessing the friendly and organized Swedes, made me stop and think: If only we Greeks were half as organized as the Swedes, maybe just maybe, we could have tapped into the cultural and ethical values that are ingrained in our DNA and like the talented Swedes, achieved something asides from our current international notoriety unfortunately characterised and ingrained in the minds of most by the financial crisis.  

There was no end of surprises in store, all the more emphasized by the fact that so many everyday brands that dominate both the design and fashion world actually have Swedish roots. Take  Electrolux, IKEA, H&M, Filippa K and ACNE Jeans for example, just to name a few. As for the online domain, you'll be pleased to know that Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, best known for founding 'Skype', are both Swedish, as are Martin Lorentzon and Daniel Ek, the duo behind 'Spotify', the commercial music streaming service. As far as the music industry is concerned, no man (or woman) alive can deny that they haven’t hit the dance floor, at least once in their lives, to go boogie along with the most popular Swedish pop group of all time! Of course I'm talking about ABBA, the groundbreaking disco act that changed the face of music back in the 70s. Recent acts to definitely watch hailing from this design oriented country also include Li Lykke Timotej Svensson Zachrisson, aka Lykke Li, the talented singer and songwriter who we all know from her track ''I Follow Rivers''.

In terms of Design Week, more specifically, the GREENHOUSE of SFF, the independent designer and design school forum, is just as significant as the Salone Satellite of Salon International del Mobile in Milan. At the GREENHOUSE, indie professionals and talented students exhibit prototypes selected by a jury consisting of experimental/interior designer Anna von Schewen, TAF architecture & design studio architect Gabriella Gustafson, design entrepreneur David Carlsson and interior and furniture designer Matti Klenell. This year's GREENHOUSE interiors and grounds were designed by Stockholm based NOTE Design Studio, drawing inspiration from baroque gardens and their iconic blocks, parterres and spatialities.

As you already know, my favorite part of any design week is the cherry-picking process. This time around, I started from the new GREENHOUSE generation, walked around the Halls of Stockholmsmässan and finally explored the hidden gems tucked away at the various exhibitions in downtown Stockholm. And although my favourites didn't win any of the prestigious Nobel Prizes of Literature, Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Peace or Economics - did you know the Nobel Prize was established by Swedish philanthropist and inventor Alfred Nobel in 1985? - they caught my attention for their excellent design, innovation and functionality. So take a deep breath and start scrolling down to discover Yatzer’s highlights from Stockholm Design Week 2013.

Tack så mycket
(Thank you very much in Swedish)

80 Sheets Of Mountains By Nendo
As the Guest of Honour for the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair 2013, Nendo created an installation for the entrance hall for the main exhibition space. According to Oki Sato the founder of the Japanese studio ''We laser-cut and stretched 80 sheets of 3mm aluminium into a set of partitions shaped like mountains, and arranged them to create a landscape of snow-capped mountain ranges in the space. It expresses the way design expands, starting from a single small idea – a method very much at the basis of our design philosophy.''

The W132 Lamp System By Nendo For Wästberg
Jean-Marie Massaud, Ilse Crawford, James Irvine and Claesson Koivisto Rune, to name but a few, have already designed lamps for Wästberg, a company based in Helsingborg, Skåne, Sweden which since its 2008 launch has been honoured with many awards for design excellence. This year Japanese designer Oki Sato's NENDO studio, joined the prestigious Wästberg's designers' list with his W132 lamp system which consists of a pallet of parts that can be arranged in different configurations. The presentation took place at the Skeppsholmen Hotel’s  beautiful Skridskopaviljongen.

The Vinge Table Lamp By NOTE Design Studio For Örsjö Belysning
Stockholm-based NOTE Design Studio which designed the GREENHOUSE grounds mentioned above, was founded in 2008 by Alexis Holmqvist, Susanna Wåhlin, Johannes Carlström, Kristoffer Fagerström and Cristiano Pigazzini. During this year’s Stockholm Design Week, and in collaboration with Fabege, one of Sweden’s leading property companies, they took over the former Luma bulb factory to host a pop-up show for their new and older design products for Swedish and international companies, such as Zero, Nola, Örsjö Belysning, Ex-t, Boxit design, Seletti and Zilenzio. One of our favourites was the Vinge table lamp for Örsjö Belysning, which when rotated 180 degrees, either increases or decreases in brightness.

‘Dezibel’ Sound Absorbing Panels By NOTE Design Studio For Zilenzio
Sound absorbers definitely caused quite a stir in Stockholm this year. The most interesting of them all was 'Dezibel' by the Swedish Note design studio for Zilenzio. The floor-based sound absorber’s additional density serves to absorb all the frequencies of human speech, and as a result, create a more balanced sound level in crowded public spaces and/or offices.

The 'Forms Of A Chair' Project By The First-year MA students Of Aalto University School Of Arts
15 chairs were designed and made by first-year MA furniture design students from the Aalto University School of Arts for GREENHOUSE at the Stockholm Furniture Fair. Tutors on this course, Professor Jouko Järvisalo and Lecturer Martin Relander asked their students to design and make a simple chair out of solid birch in order to obtain a basic understanding of furniture form, composition and construction.  Participating students included: Nina Kosonen, Natalia BaczyÅ„ska Kimberley, Soh Koizum, Noora Liesimaa, Gee Park, Heun Park, Katja Rouvinen, Heidi Siitonen, Marina Smirnova, Kairit Solg, Minttu Somervuori, Maiju Uski, Caius Verhe, Wesley Walters and Yizhou Zhao.

The NOTO Dhurrie By Oyyo
Oyyo, an independent design studio founded in the autumn of 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden, by Lina Zedig and Marcus Åhrén, works somewhat nomadically through exploring the convergence of cultures, design and fine craftsmanship. Noto is one of the six original dhurries from the 'No1' collection and has been hand woven by a community of craftspeople near India's BLUE City, Jodhpur. Made out of 100% organic cotton, the unique dying techniques using vividly coloured vegetable dye have created the most beautiful and natural colour. N.B. The dhurrie can easily be washed if handled carefully.

Jens Fager & Gallery Pascale At The Hallwyl Museum
Jens Fager initially studied industrial design at TUAD University in Japan going on to graduate with a Masters in Interior Architecture and Furniture Design from Stockholm’s Konstfack University in 2008. His talents were spotted soon enough by Muuto which went on to produce his graduation collection named 'Raw'. French born Pascale Cottard Olsson moved to Sweden in the nineties and set up the Gallery Pascale later on in 1998. ‘Assises’ which means ‘to sit’ in French, constitutes the second collaboration between Fager and Enrich. The series which consists of three different chair typologies, all produced in a limited edition exclusively for Gallery Pascale, has been mostly inspired by Italian industrial designer Vico Magistretti and Danish furniture designer Børge Mogensen. But it was the setting for these chairs that provided the core source of inspiration. Each chair has been created for a certain spot in a specific room at The Hallwyl Museum which was built between 1893 and 1898 and designed by Swedish architect Isak Gustaf Clason as a residence for Count Walther von Hallwyl and his wife, Wilhelmina. The exhibition which will be on view until the 3rd of March 2013 is a collaboration between the Hallwyl Museum, Gallery Pascale and the Swedish interior magazine Residence. The picture above depicts one of the chairs in the glorious house’s dining room.

The Spike Chair By Alexander Lervik For Gallery Pascale
''One day it poured with rain. Raining stair rods, as they say, and that's exactly how it was. The shafts of rain resembled slanted lines and that’s when I suddenly saw the outlines of Spike in front of me,'' says the designer. Sixty rods in a total of thirty different sizes form Alexander Lervik’s limited edition Spike chair - inspired by the shape of the rain in the Philippines. Only ten of them have been produced and sold via Gallerie Pascale in Stockholm. The base of the chair is made of tubular steel, welded together with a three-millimetre steel base plate. The upper section is made of turned ash components.

The Jeahna TENT Lamp By Johan Carpner & Alexander Lervik For Zero
Inspired by night pictures of tents illuminated in the wilderness, Alexander Lervik, together with designer Johan Carpner, designed the Jeahna tent lamp for Zero, which was exhibited at Stockholm Design week 2012. Made in collaboration with Swedish tentmaker, Hilleberg, this year the lamp was launched once again, this time in three sizes, ranging between 1.5 and 4 metres in diameter taking only ten minutes to assemble, from delivery in canvas bag to working lamp. Alexander Lervik explains how: ''We saw a picture of a tent lit up at night and realised that a tent structure must be the optimum textile solution for an outdoor lamp. And that's how Jeahna was born.''

The MARKET Of ‘Form Us With Love’ In Bibliotekstan
Petrus Palmer, Jonas Pettersson, and John löfgren founded 'Form Us With Love', their Stockholm studio in 2005 and since then have gained the attention of design enthusiasts from all over the world, plus many design awards. They have created products for Scandinavian and international brands such as Abstracta, Ateljé Lyktan, Bolon, Cappellini, DePadova, Mitab, Muuto, Design House Stockholm and the One Nordic Furniture Company. During this year's Stockholm Design Week they showcased their designs inside a 900 sqm space in the famous Bibliotekstan fashion district in central Stockholm under the name 'MARKET' which will be open until the end of February 2013. In the picture above, there is a glimpse of the interior of the space while we've highlighted their HOOD light source and sound absorber designed for Ateljé Lyktan.

The Bento Chair By ‘Form Us With Love’ For One Nordic Furniture Company
A prime example of easy assembly and DIY playfulness, The Bento chair by FUWL for the One Nordic Furniture Company is generous in size and offers ultimate comfort through its built-in flex in the backrest. The broad legs wink at the tradition of bending wood, whilst being characteristically bold. The Bento chair can be shipped in a semi-flat box in order to ease global transportation and save on storage space. Once on your doorstep, you can easily assemble the chair in just four simple steps.

Yoshiyuki Hibino’s Pendant Lights
The young Japanese designer Yoshiyuki Hibino who is also director of BEETS presented his pendant lights. Paying tribute to simplicity and functional ecological beauty, the shades reflect elasticity through rolled up paper looped through uncoated metal, a material which changes over time.

In MUUTO We Trust
Hang a 'Studio Pendant lamp' by Thomas Bernstrand on the ceiling, put some flowers in the 'FOUR VASE' by Matti Klenell on the ‘Split Table’ by Staffan Holm and add four ‘NERD chairs’ by David Geckeler and voila! You have the ideal dining table setting or work space. Everything has been produced by the Scandinavian brand MUUTO, a name derived from the Finnish word ‘muutos’ which means ‘new perspective’.

Luca Nichetto’s Magic Windows For Foscarini
Founded by Carlo Urbinati and Alessandro Vecchiato in 1981, international lighting design innovator Foscarini has constantly surprised us with its installations during the most important design weeks around the world. In Stockholm this year, Foscarini’s lamps came to life behind a series of windows that offered us an imaginary glimpse of homes and the people that live inside them. Luca Nichetto’s ''Magic Windows'' took place at a space on 38C Rosenlundsgatan, Stockholm in collaboration with Swedish interior magazine Residence, inspired by the Northern European habit of leaving curtains open at home, providing glimpses of light and fragments of daily life. Some of the lamps that twinkled behind the windows included Birdie by L+R Palomba, Maki by Nendo, Anisha by Studio Lievore Altherr Molina, Plass by Luca Nichetto, Caboche by Patricia Urquiola and Eliana Gerotto, Behive by Werner Aisslinger, Binic by Ionna Vautrin and Solar by Jean Marie Massaud.

The Hai Lounge Chair By Luca Nichetto For One Nordic Furniture Company
The Hai lounge chair by Luca Nichetto for One Nordic Furniture Company is the result of combining complementary stylistic values with functional requirements. Luca Nichetto described the chair as follows: ''The request to create a great quality object with a strong personality has met the functional requirements related to packaging derived from the world of online sales. These needs have inspired and supported a search for comfort that have not compromised on the modularity of the product, leading to an aesthetic result with both classic and contemporary references''.

Luca Nichetto Connects Lines For Offecct
Acclaimed Italian designer Luca Nichetto created the LINEA sofa for Swedish furniture company Offecct using an Italian animated TV-show he used to watch as a child for inspiration. When combined in greater volumes, the sofas form a line thereby creating a sense of continuity. The LINEA sofa can be used in large as well as small spaces but we advise that you invest in one of these for ornamental reasons as they’re not overwhelmingly comfortable!

The Mega Sofa By Chris Martin Of Massproductions
When Chris Martin saw a rack of freshly baked loaves in a bakery close to Massproductions’ office in Stockholm, the bread against the metal instantly appealed to him. According to the designer and one of the two founders of Massproductions, bread represents comfort, life and stability – perfect sentiments to include in a sofa! With thin steel tube side panels, which both enclose and lift its plump cushions, the sofa offers superb comfort and sculptural expression and is available in a variety of fabrics, in two-seater, three-seater and day bed versions. During Stockholm Furniture Fair 2013, the Mega family grew even bigger as two more components were added; another Daybed and an Ottoman.

The Demi Lamp By Mattias Stenberg For Design House Stockholm
Mattias Stenberg designed the Demi lamp for Design House Stockholm, a glass sculpture illuminated from the inside which highlights the brilliance of the mouth-blown glass and creates a warm ambient light. The two glass parts which are hand made using traditional methods are connected by an aluminium ring equipped with an array of LEDs that are directed towards the centre of the lamp. This makes the glass look like it is glowing from the inside. The glass dome acts as a reflector and serves to further enhance the effect.

Sitting On The Floor In Style!
The Kursi Java sitting shell now undoubtedly makes sitting on the floor a comfortable experience. It was designed by the young German product designer, Benno Zindel and developed in cooperation with a small, family-run craftsman’s enterprise during an exchange semester at Institut Teknologi Bandung, HBK Braunschweig’s partner university in Bandung, Java, Indonesia. Both its structure and its woven sitting surface are made of rattan.

Armadillo By Heleen Sintobin For The “SPOT ON” Exhibition Of The Oslo National Academy Of Arts
17 furniture pieces were spotted during the ''SPOT ON'' exhibition featuring works by students from the Oslo National Academy of Arts which explored the relationship between objects and their two-dimensional representations. One of the highlights of the show was Heleen Sintobin’s Armadillo which was made of 2000 connected leather round discs. The young designer had this to say about her work: ''Most designers decide in advance how a user should sit on their furniture, even though every human body is unique. This is the starting point of my Armadillo inspiration, where the user feels the structure adapting to his body's shape so when he gets up, he leaves a personal mark in the landscaping furniture.''

The Copper Breeze Table By Monica Förster For Swedese
Monica Förster presented a copper version of her Breeze table for SWEDESE, a company founded in 1945 by the architect and furniture designer Yngve Ekström who collaborated with some of the world’s most exciting designers such as Nendo, Claesson Koivisto Rune, Broberg & Ridderstråle, Staffan Holm, and Thomas Bernstrand to name a few.

The Bølling Table’s 50 Years Anniversary
In 1886 brothers Theodor and Ferdinand Krüger, opened a wood turning shop in Copenhagen which five generations later is still family run and owned and reflects the Danish and Scandinavian aesthetic of simplicity and functionality. In 1963, the round, wooden Tray Table or the 'Bølling’ Table was born and designed by Danish architect Hans Bølling. Today, in honor of Brdr. Krüger’s 125th anniversary, the 50 year old Tray Table will be produced in a limited numbered edition of 500 pieces, in a classic beech wood frame with glass trays.

Turntable01 By Jymy Parhiala
Turntable01 is a low voltage record player designed for fully autonomous music listening as part of the 'FROM LINEAR TO CYCLIC' course which included 15 students from the Lund University School of Industrial Design coordinated by Olof Kolte and Liv Andersson. The Turntable01 was one of our favourite pieces designed by Jymy Parhiala, who in his own words explains: ''Through an in-built amplifier, speakers and a hand crank generator, it provides an authentic and tangible way of listening to music without having to use any external devices or electricity from the grid.  Before listening to a record, the user must crank the generator for a couple of minutes. After cranking, the power unit is dropped into its' place and the device is ready to play. The charge of the battery depends on the speed and duration of cranking. A couple of minutes of cranking provides roughly about 25 minutes of playtime, which is also the playtime of one side of a LP record.''

‘To Be Perfectly Frank’: Michael Anastassiades’ Debut Exhibition In Svenskt Tenn, Sweden.
Svenskt Tenn was founded in 1924 by designer and drawing teacher Estrid Ericson (1894-1981). In 1934, she began her lifelong collaboration with Josef Frank, the internationally acclaimed architect, urban planner and designer who moved from Austria to Sweden. Together, the two of them laid the foundations for the interior design philosophy that Svenskt Tenn (now owned by the Kjell and Märta Beijer Foundation) has since come to represent, combining Estrid Ericson's artistic talent and entrepreneurial spirit with Josef Frank's inspired and timeless designs to form what was soon to become a highly successful concept. Between February 4 and March 31, 2013, Svenskt Tenn teamed up with designer Michael Anastassiades to present the exhibition ‘To Be Perfectly Frank’ at the Svenskt Tenn store in Stockholm. The exhibition which represents the launch of a new collection designed exclusively for the brand by Michael Anastassiades, shows reinterpretations of famous Josef Fran pieces including lighting, furniture and accessories.

The Gym Hook By Staffan Holm For HAY
A versatile wall-hung clothes hanger which is just as much a sculpture as a clothes hanger designed by Staffan Holm for HAY. The colourful rings can be freely placed on a wall in any combination and are sure to playfully lighten up any room.

EVA by Anderssen & Voll for L.K. Hjelle
Another comfortable design by Anderssen & Voll. EVA is the latest addition to Norwegian furniture company L.K. Hjelle. The innovative use of textile gives users the opportunity to swing and fully recline in a chair that initially appears to be static.

The Lynlind Blankets By Andersen & Voll For Røros Tweed
'Lynlind' is not only the Norwegian name for the textile pattern called flame-stitch, but the name of a series of new blankets for Norwegian brand Røros Tweed designed by the multitalented duo Andersen & Voll.

The Ponti Adjustable Armchair By Andersen & Voll For STOLAB
Torbjørn Andersen and Espen Voll designed this very comfortable armchair for STOLAB with an adjustable back is embracing and soft, whilst at the same time, easy to sit down in and get up from, thanks to its protruding armrests. Generous back cushions and neat, beautifully designed wooden frames add to the piece’s overall allure.

SLOPE Shelves By Skala Design (Lasse Pettersson and Lennart Notman) For Karl Andersson & Söner
Slope by Skala Design for Karl Andersson & Söner is a display shelf on which you can combine various sized informative material and magazines. Its shelves lean backwards, which enables you to display both thin and thick materials of different heights without them folding over or falling forwards.

Nina Jobs’ TRE Shelves For Abstracta
Inspired by Japanese sliding doors, Nina Jobs’ Tre shelves for Abstracta are made with no visible screws or nails. The shelf units are seamlessly assembled using a combination of wood blocks and thin metal shelving where the smart configuration of the shifting materials enhances the shelves’ magical construction.

The Peep M1 Storage Unit By Zweed
Peep M1 is a storage unit with traditional Scandinavian aesthetics which grabbed our attention with its asymmetrically positioned handles that give a glimpse of what lies behind its doors. The Peep M1 will soon be followed by a wider version – the M2, both produced by Zweed, a Swedish furniture company founded by Håkan Johansson in 2010.

The JUNE Chandelier By Mikko Paakkanen For Nikari
Nikari, founded by Nikari Oy in 1967, commissioned 12 acclaimed designers to create one product for each month of 2012. We absolutely adored the JUNE Chandelier  by Mikko Paakkanen which really stood out from the entire collection. The list of designers includes: Harri Koskinen, Thomas Sandell, Martí Guixé, Alfredo Häberli, Simo Heikkilä, Mikko Paakkanen, Nao Tamura, Aamu Song & Johan Olin, Mikhail Barashkov, Samuli Naamanka, Louise Campbell, Jasper Morrison & Wataru Kumano.

The F-A-B Collection By Fredrik Färg & Emma Marga Blanche
Based on the idea of the chair acting as a body, the F-A-B chair series by Fredrik Färg & Emma Marga Blanche can be used nude or bare.  However, a whole new personality is revealed when they are dressed in their haute couture back 'cover' combining industrial production with exclusive workmanship.

The EMMA Armchair By Fredrik Färg And Emma Marga Blanche For GÄRSNÄS
EMMA, the hand-sewn armchair whose frame and legs are made out of ash in the shapes of diamonds, is the latest addition from Swedish furniture brand GÄRSNÄS designed by the couple, in work and life, Fredrik Färg and Emma Marga Blanche.

The INTRICATE Lamp By Alexandra Raben
Her studying of patterns led Danish designer Alexandra Raben to an experimental piece with a mix of materials and techniques through inspiration found in feathers, contrasts and transparency. Intricate - meaning very complex or detailed - is made of a steel frame with coiled wire and thread that is hand-woven through to form a thin surface of patterns.

Reinventing Nils Strinning’s Famous String® System
The ''string®'' system was designed by Swedish architect Nils Strinning (1917-2006) in 1949 and has evolved from being a ground-breaking concept to becoming one of the most loved pieces of classic Scandinavian design. This great system was recently upgraded to ''string+'' by Swedish architects Anna Von Schewen and Björn Dahlström with a series of system components. This year signified the release of the ingenious folding table. We had a sneak preview during the SHOW OFF exhibition at the Wetterling Gallery in Kungsträdgården located in central Stockholm.

Tree Crown By Karolina K Eriksson
Tree crown is one of the most recent ceramic creations from Karolina K Eriksson. Although strictly a decorative collector’s piece, it deserves to be highlighted simply for its sublime attention to detail and the care with which it was made in a small studio in Gustavsberg, Sweden.

FRAME By Anya Sebton And Eva Lilja Löwenhielm For Asplund
The super minimalist FRAME table by Anya Sebton and Eva Lilja Löwenhielm for Asplund
from for Asplund,  got a line extension with a glass display cabinet framed in wood, MDF and metal. It features details such as leather-wrapped handles inspired by vintage glass medicine cabinets or display cabinets found all over the world in museums. The unit has a slim, stylish design and is suitable for books, china or other fine ornaments. The FILE small storage drawer unit in oak veneer with hidden wheels by Jessica Signell Knutsson for Asplund is also displayed under the FRAME table in the picture above.

The Collect Cabinet By A2
The 'Collect' cabinet of A2 is characterised by its beautiful leather doors. Limited to only 81 cabinets as the designer Sara Larsson was born in 1981, the cabinet has a fish scale patterned front made in Tärnsjö leather and comes with a signed and numbered metal plate.

The Two Seater NUB Bench By Patricia Urquiola For Andreu World
The two seater bench is Patricia Urquiola’s latest addition to the Nub collection for Spanish furniture company Andreu World. Made of beech wood with a spindle back, it exemplifies sophisticated wood work, updated with great delicacy and given a contemporary twist. Essential elements in the project are not only the cylindrical rods but also the enlargement of the rods in the back to the height of the lumbar area. Added to that, the entire Nub collection is made of wood from reforested areas with FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) certification.

The Agnes Vase By Agnes Fries For Normann Copenhagen
Designer Agnes Fries has created a simple and contrasting range of vases for Normann Copenhagen. Each beautifully hand painted with intense black brush strokes which gives each one their own unique personality, the contrast between the fine white porcelain and the intense black brush strokes gives them a raw and graphic feel.  Agnes Fries grew up in an artistic home full of canvases, paints and brushes. Whilst in China, she began to use calligraphy as her starting point, and this sparked a turn of events; her brush strokes began to stand out more clearly. Her combination of experiences clearly serves as sources of inspiration for the Agnes vase. With reference to the process behind the vase, the designer claims that: ''The brush strokes on the first versions of the vase were painted on the bottom, until one day when I turned one of the vases around by coincidence. And all at once it became obvious. This was just what was needed. It created the perfect playful, unhindered interaction between the simple shape of the vase and the decoration thereof.''

Volki’s VOLKIPILLOW Collection
Volki is an Icelandic design company, founded by designers Elísabet Jónsdóttir and Olga Hrafnsdóttir. The design duo has been working together since 2007 on various projects from artwork to projects that are connected to recycling. In 2010, their passion for Icelandic wool led to their first line of wool textiles where graphic patterns and bright colors play a pivotal role. Their colourful vibrant woolen pillows proved to be irresistible at GREENHOUSE, Stockholm Furniture Fair 2013.

The Imeuble DIY Storage Unit By Bjørn Jørund Blikstad For ‘By’
Already considered as an iconic design across Scandinavia and beyond, Imeuble CI (picture above) by Bjørn Jørund Blikstad for '’By'’ has been featured in numerous publications around the world and has changed our storage perspectives from 2D to 3D. In 2013, the 'By' Corporation introduced the TOTAL BLACK Imeuble DIY, made of Valchrohmat, a high quality and coloured MDF, which offers purchasers the opportunity to build their own unique storage unit, whether they want an all black design with a wax or varnish finish.

The MAYOR SOFA By Arne Jacobsen & Flemming Lassen Reissued By &Tradition
The MAYOR sofa was originally created for Copenhagen’s Søllerød City Hall, in 1939. Although the building was designed by the Danish architects Arne Jacobsen and Flemming Lassen, they were also responsible for its entire aesthetic appearance, from the design of the furniture to the design of its doors handles! Now that’s what we call total design at its best. Less than six months ago, Danish design company &Tradition Copenhagen decided to reissue this sofa and with great success.

IN BETWEEN Danish Traditions & International Modernism
Another addition to the &Tradition Copenhagen collection is the IN BETWEEN chair by Finnish designer Sami Kallio, subconsciously inspired by Hans Wegner the mid-century Danish designer. Whilst undoubtedly nodding respectfully to the past, this is a chair that ultimately looks forward to the future as well.  The picture features the latest IN BETWEEN chair by Sami Kallio as well as the Raft Table and Mass Light both designed by NORM. Architects for &Tradition Copenhagen.

The NEB CHAIR 01 By No Early Birds
The NEB Chair with its seat and back made out of vegetable-tanned leather from Tärnsjö with plywood sides and metal details by 'No Early Birds', is thebrand  of Swedish architect Per Söderberg.

Spinning Light By G*R*IG*
Norwegians Henrik Ødegaard and Tron Wisløff of G*R*IG* designed a circular copper screen which when spun around on a centred twisted rod in front of a light, changes the strength of the light from soft to strong depending on the distance between the screen and the wall.

The Copper Epaulette Frame System Of Caroline Olsson And Ida Noemi
Designers Caroline Olsson and Ida Noemi presented Epaulette, a flexible frame system whose corners define its silhouette. ‘Epaulette’ which is the French word for ‘shoulder piece’ can be used as decoration or to show the rank of a uniform. The sides of the frame are held together by L-shaped corner profiles in copper, liberating the frame from any screws and fixed formats. The copper profiles are placed on to the corners as epaulettes thereby enhancing the expression of the frame in a subtle, but characteristic way.

Stone Console By Bat Eye
Bat eye presented its most recent creation: ‘Stone’ console, a piece inspired by the beauty of the stone that lights up the city of Bat eye's hometown, Porto in Portugal, crafted by hand and coated with golden leaf and a blue satin interior.

The PLANK Light By Frida Ottemo Fröberg And Marie-Louise Gustafsson For Northern Lighting
Plank by Frida Ottemo Fröberg and Marie-Louise Gustafsson is a light fixture made out of pure, raw wood inspired by used and abused delivery pallets. Thin, long and simplistic, this lighting pendant serves well to add directed or guided light to a defined space in a room. The dimmable LED light placed in between the two main wooden planks, adds high tech value to the object and ensures for sustainability and eco-friendliness in all of its character. But it is their versatility which is overwhelming; the team at Northern Lighting suggests that you place them together on a wall in a pattern or stack them on top of one another on the floor. If you want to add some colour – all you need to do is simply paint the wood!

The Grinda Outdoor Collection By Matilda Lindblom for Skargaarden
The Grinda dining furniture series by Matilda Lindblom for Skargaarden, consists of a side chair, an arm chair and four different sized tables with which to decorate and beautify your outdoor space, made of teak or oak slats with a black painted steel frame.

Ray Lamps By Kristine Five Melvær
The Ray lamps by Kristine Five Melvær refer to skin and delicate, intimate clothing. According to the designer ''their partially hidden light source triggers other connotations such as domestic scenes viewed through net curtains or the sun through a warm, misty sky.''
 

Tea Caddy Set By Afteroom
Designed by Chen-Yen Wei and Hung-Ming Chen, the founders of Stockholm based Afteroom design studio, the Tea Caddy Set is made by skillful craftsmen in Taiwan. Along with its storage friendly design, each set includes one traditional bamboo caddy spoon, which introduces users to a somewhat more hardcore tea culture; a truly back-to-basics attitude to serving tea.

COMPLEATED™ Lamp By Antti-Jussi Silvennoinen And Pekka Kuivamaeki (&Bros.)
&Bros. is a design studio hailing from Helsinki, Finland, founded in 2011 by the two designers Antti-Jussi Silvennoinen and Pekka Kuivamaeki and one graphic designer Elisa Konttinen, who met whilst studying for their Masters at Aalto University. They launched their pendant lamp made of cardboard at SFF’s GREENHOUSE which neatly follows the folding and packaging values of Scandinavian design.

The 'Oneness' System By Kyuhyung Cho And Hironori Tsukue
Oneness by Kyuhyung Cho and Hironori Tsukue is an extendable furniture system where the core elements (a chair and a low table) can then be combined into an open-standing shelf when stacked. The shelf can be extended vertically and horizontally by adding more chairs and tables, thereby shifting the overall geometry and creating new relationships. Built using Finnish natural birch plywood, Oneness is light which makes it easy to move around and encourages people to compose their own structures with ease. The structure is fixed by connecting each element with a clip inserted into small holes that can be found on the corners of the chair and table. When the chair is turned upside down to make a shelf, it reveals a hidden space on the bottom of the back for books and other small objects.