Wear something warm, ok? my mother always says. So, with scarf and cap in hand, I slip through the narrow streets of Gamla stan, Stockholm’s historic town, making my way to the subway that will take me to the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair.
Every year the Stockholm Fair earns the right to be named my favourite – as well as for all other home décor enthusiasts. There are no decorations, no cactus or flamingo applique. Just sofas, chairs, living room layouts and kitchen cupboards. How I love the cupboards! So let’s get to it.
I can't tell you the first thing I noticed, like at IMM Cologne, because I can't say I noticed one thing upon entering Pavilion A of the Stockholm Fair: everything was beautiful. And I went on to think the same upon entering Pavilion B some hours later.
The Stockholm Fair is once again as Nordic as it gets. But it’s not quite what you had in mind. Danes, Swedes and Finns are changing course. Yep, a whole new Nordic direction.
Beautiful pastels are long gone, and pink, sage and subtle colours make way for dark green, amaranth and ochre. Natural, bleached and light wood leave room for more vintage walnut wood. Cotton bows down to velvet and leather. And more elegant materials, like marble, steal the show, along with copper and brass.
But I'm not surprised, after all. My head is spinning and I'm falling in love - for the second, third, fourth, tenth time – with Scandinavian design. After a closer look, there are also rich fabrics and embossed textures - what a treat!
The visit continues. I walk the ecstatic pavilions and catapult into the office world. That's where pastel colours ended up!
The Nordic designers seem to have declared war on boredom at the office. Everything Is decked out in lights, filled with colours, and adding a push towards socialization made of huge work desks and shared spaces.
Because working today simply requires one big room and large tables to sit together, and getting rid of the inevitable background noise calls for numerous sound-absorbing panels of all shapes and sizes. These, without a doubt, are the headliners of tomorrow’s trendy-office.
And for those looking for privacy? Nothing’s better than a small modular meeting room and inspired by the convenience. Ever tried? They're almost like recycled telephone booths, set up in the form of a small office. Just close the door and you feel like you're in a space capsule, the muffled sounds bring to mind Christmas night when it’s snowing. The silence of the low northern plains: Scandinavian peace. I love this so much!
But there’s no snow! my first thought when landing in Stockholm. Yes, but that dazzling breeze… my thoughts when first walking into the crisp air. The view is beautiful, the air is cold and the flight was a nightmare: I’m going to start a petition to exclude alcohol on board.
I come out from the airport and hail my taxi, seemingly driven by the singer of Prodigy. He welcomes me with a smile and the promise to take me to downtown Stockholm. He makes me sit in the front seat, You know, because it is heated and I discover immediately that loves cats (he has four of them) and cyberpunk (who would have thought...) and is planning a trip to Italy. This is Stockholm.
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