Hasta La Ideas

Bees and strawberries inspire furnishings at Stockholm Design Week’s premiere satellite show

With the world’s press and monochrome-clad fans of design descending on Sweden for a glimpse of the distinctive “Scandi” style at Stockholm Design Week, we checked in on one of the most promising satellite shows, “Check In 11: Unpacked” to see what the ten promising new designers exhibiting there had to show. Curated by Frida Jeppsson (author of In Case of Design—Inject Critical Thinking“), this ambitious show seeks to let the work of the ten do the talking in a “work in progress” format.

We were happy to see the geometrically exuberant work of the furniture designers Zweed, but the show includes some exciting furnishings from Daniel Svahn, whose work focuses on the form of the beehive. Svahn’s two cabinets (below) and tactile drooping lamp (above right) twist the hive form into something that we can enjoy without getting stung. Stained legs and gentle external coloring in green and gray play against the honey-colored interiors of the two cabinets, while the semi-translucent white of the lamp gives it an almost ghostly quality—devoid of the buzz of frenzied bees.

Young design practice Glimpt collaborated with artisans in South Africa on a range of lighting inspired by strawberries (top right and above). The two lights on view, called “Last Fruit Standing” and “Forbidden Fruits,” mix the colors and vibrancy of the region with Swedish aesthetics, drawing the viewer’s attention to reward it with the charming little touches. Each ceramic element has been hand detailed, while the colorways of the shades are enhanced by more accent colors, instead of taking a safe road with neutrals. Each of Glimpt’s lamps command attention and are all the more covetable for their bold, almost carefree use of coloring.