Florinda chairs by DePadova

Monica Förster has created some fantastic contemporary products for companies such as Modus, Poltrona Frau, Cappellini and De Padova. Based in Stockholm her work has a strong sense of pure form mixed with a never-ending curiosity for new materials and technology.

The Florinda chair, designed in 2011, is a mixture of beech wood and plastic combined in a simple shape that was conceived to erase the boundaries between zones, and lends itself to a wide range of different interpretations: from the dining area to the home studio, it can also easily adapt to restaurants, cafes and public areas, due to its contemporary look and versatility.

Fiskars scissors get an update

Those of you who know me well, or have read the blog for a little while now will know how much of a fondness I have for practical, utilitarian products, in fact I have briefly mentioned these scissors in a prior post about a certain iitalla vase. I have always loved the famous orange-handled scissors by Fiskars who, in my opinion, make the best scissors in the world bar none.

Having been invited to an event by Fiskars, you can imagine my delight (and excitement of the prospect of getting a pair in a goody bag) to be talked through the 362-year history of this global company.

To quote from their website… ‘the orange-handled scissors are one of Fiskars’ best known products. But how was decided to make the handles of the scissors orange?

In 1967 when the first basic models were about to be manufactured the designer wanted the scissors to be black, red or green. As the prototype went into production, the machinist decided to finish off the orange color he had in his machine. This meant prototypes were made in four different colors, of which the orange and black were most popular. A choice had to be made. An internal vote was taken at Fiskars, and the result gave birth to Fiskars orange-handled scissors.

The color, Fiskars Orange®, was officially registered as a trademark in Finland in 2003 and in the US 2007. ‘

I love that story… it is how all decisions should be made – by happy accident and validated by feedback!

Now, let’s jump forward 362 years to discover what this iconic brand has been doing to keep the object fresh and relevant… realising that Scandinavia is steeped in history (Fiskars originating from Finland) that has always been exported to the rest of the world, Fiskars have taken another icon from Sweden… the Moomins and applied this to the handles of the scissors. These scissors are designed to outlive their owner and so this has had to be considered with the production of print on to the handles, with the colours running through the handle so that any wear will not remove the print, which should stay fresh as the day it was purchased.

I am not a huge fan of fashionable responses to market changes, but this idea makes me applaud Fiskars for considering the life of the product and going further to ensure it is not a throwaway item. The Moomins have been applied to scissors for children and sewing scissors for big kids alike.

Another print has been applied to the scissors using the same method, but with a more elegant, mature pattern that is, with no doubt, less gaudy than it’s brightly-coloured parent. Although, I never said that if it asks me

Gardeners’ sofa & table by Eva Schildt

Having just moved in to a garden flat, I am now in the market for decorating a room I have never had to consider before… the garden. Luckily, I stumbled across Design House Stockholm’s gardeners’ sofa & table. Whilst not a big seller for the design company that has its roots in discovering new designers, this sofa has appealed to me for some time due to its organic shape and how it appears to grow out of the ground like a modernist plant.

A garden bench or a trellis for plants and flowers, or both? And a tabletop with a birdbath on a stick. Eva Schildt’s Gardener’s Sofa and Table transform classical outdoor items into light objects that are easily anchored for stability.

Josef Frank and his technicolour designs for Svenskt Tenn

Svenskt Tenn in Stockholm, Sweden was founded in 1924 by Estrid Ericson, who recruited the architect and designer Josef Frank to the company 10 years later. Together they created the elegant and boldly patterned style that continues to pervade the collection to this day.

Brightly coloured patterns went completely against the ideals of the day, as did unabashed borrowing from both high and low cultures and eras.

They called it “Accidentism” or “The Happy Chances Philosophy.” In 1958, Josef Frank wrote in the magazine Form: “There’s nothing wrong with mixing old and new, with combining different furniture styles, colours and patterns. Anything that is in your taste will automatically fuse to form an entire relaxing environment. A home does not need to be planned down to the smallest detail or contrived; it should be an amalgamation of the things that the owner loves and feels at home with.”

Frank’s ideas on harmony also went against the tide. When others advocated monochromatic environments, Frank wrote: “The monochromatic surface appears uneasy, while patterns are calming, and the observer is unwillingly influenced by the slow, calm way it is produced. The richness of decoration cannot be fathomed so quickly, in contrast to the monochromatic surface which doesn’t invite any further interest and therefore one is immediately finished with it.”

Estrid Ericson was a big fan of Swedish handicrafts. Inspired by the British Arts and Crafts advocate William Morris, she held the highest esteem for work that was crafted by the hand. “Made in Sweden” has always been, and will always be, an honourable notion at Svenskt Tenn.

Even the mighty Google got in on the act to celebrate Josef Frank’s 125th anniversary with a special logo devoted to the great designer…

You will find Josef Frank’s patterns on many products now, all available from Svenskt Tenn if you want to bring some colour and pattern in to your life.