Ten Highlights From Stockholm Furniture Fair 2023

On February 7-11th, the world’s largest platform for Scandinavian design opened its doors to more than 400 participating companies, including Hem, Artek, Kinnarps, Lammhults and Verk.

Here are ten things from Stockholm Furniture Fair 2023:

Experimental design – Älvsjö Gård

The historic Älvsjö gård manor house, located near Stockholm Furniture Fair, is a home to a limited edition showcase of experimental design. Meet sculptor Kajsa Melchior, see unique works never shown before, and experience a new side of Norwegian design.

This year’s Guest of Honor exhibition

Research, high-tech, and embroidery. In 2004, the Front design studio showcased their work in a small stand in Greenhouse, Stockholm Furniture Fair’s platform for emerging designers. Today – 19 years later – their designs are being produced by industry leading companies such as Moroso, Moooi, Vitra, and Kvadrat, and international galleries such as Friedman Benda, and Galleri Kreo. This year, returned to Stockholm Furniture Fair as the first ever Swedish Guest of Honor – with an exhibition that shows what design can be.

Selected new products at The Gallery Edition

The fair’s gallery is a gallery with selected new products from companies and designers exhibiting in the city during Stockholm Design Week. The Gallery Edition is a design week quick fix and strengthens the synergies between Design Week and the fair. Here were present new products from studios such as Ateljé Lyktan, Ekbacken Studios, Fogia, Tre Sekel, and Folkform, with styling by Sophia Bratt.

Meeting place Underbar

A place to meet, created with care and imagination. Underbar is the brainchild of Swedish designer and interior architect Jonas Bohlin and interior designer and producer Christine Ingridsdotter. It was made from carefully selected components, and all materials will be reused after the fair. All the furniture in the bar has been designed by Bohlin and made in Sweden. The chairs are a cavalcade from different restaurant environments. The lamps are new products and are being presented to the public for the first time. Once the fair is over, the furniture and lamps will be used in other bars and restaurants, including a restaurant located in Stockholm city center.

Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks

How do we build and design for a better tomorrow? This year’s speakers and panelists at the fair talk about the challenges of our age. Every day, several invited international designers and architects also talked about their work and shared their knowledge. The speakers included Sabine Marcelis, Stephen Burks, and Raw Edges, as well as architects such as Anders Lendager and Victoria Millentrup from BIG.

Greenhouse

Gustav Winsth from Sweden showed a mirror called Heavy metal. Reeta Laine from Finland has designed a chair you’d love to take home with you. Greenhouse is where you meet the design stars of tomorrow. This year, 32 designers and 30 design schools from 18 countries were represented. The location is also home to Greenhouse Bar by Nola, a place for conversations and panel discussions.

Towards a sustainable future – The Nude Edition

Meet Reform Design Lab, Johanson and Hans among others. The Nude Edition is a new area with smaller stands and a full focus on sustainability – a step in a transition towards a more sustainable way of exhibiting. The stands were made from recovered materials that are returned and recycled after use. Material partners for the stands were Recoma and Tarkett.

Now or Never – 1 kg CO2e

Now or Never is an exhibition that evokes thoughts about design materials and how they affect our environment – and highlights the importance of making the right choice. The exhibition was run by Emma Olbers, designer and sustainability strategist, together with the design and innovation agency EY Doberman. Form us with Love, Polestar and Nrep were also participating.

Young Swedish Design celebrated a milestone

They’re back, and they’re celebrating 25 years at the fair. Young Swedish Design is an annual award and exhibition that showcases the young Swedish design scene. This year’s exhibition featured Simon Matiasson, who has developed a wood composite made from spruce damaged by bark beetles for use in 3D printing.

Swedish Design Movement

The Swedish Design Movement government initiative brings together players in Swedish design, fashion, and architecture who are driving the transition to a sustainable world. During the fair, they will be hosting a stand designed by Note design studio and more than 20 program items.