The edit: Stockholm Furniture Fair 2019

There was a refined sense of maturity emerging at the Stockholm Furniture Fair this year. Colours and finishes were richer, deeper and earthier. Hues of chocolate and terracotta mixed with neutral greys and beige. Darker woods, frosted glass and silver finishes featured heavily, set against textured boucle's and velvets that were abundantly layered and combined across the stands. Forms felt more organic, curved sofas and smooth detailing were to be found everywhere. Both New Works and &Tradition had particularly elegant examples of this with their Covent Sofa and Loafer Sofa respectively. 

As always the focus at much of the fair was on Scandinavia's rich design heritage and craftmanship often interpreted in new ways. Carl Hansen brought a Børge Mogensen classic the Huntsman Chair back into production. Elsewhere Nikari and presented a subtle rumination on Shaker and Japanese design interpreted through the prism of Finland's own distinct craft skills.

Collaboration was also a recurring theme with companies working more closely with clients to design bespoke solutions for very special spaces, as with Artek/TAF Studio's Nationalmuseum project and Studio David Thulstrup/Brdr. Kruger collaboration for Rene Redzepi of restaurant Noma.

See below for our round up of the most notable releases from the fair ...

Loafer Sofa by Space Copenhagen for &Tradition

New &Tradition furniture launches include the Loafer sofa (left), an expansion on their popular Loafer lounge chair. Space Copenhagen make reference to classical design via the Loafer's sinuous curves and plush velvet upholstery but still retain a contemporary feel due to clever use of proportion and line.

P376 pendant light by Kastholm & Fabricius made by &Tradition

Also new from the Copenhagen based brand is the P376 pendant light by Kastholm & Fabricius, originally designed in 1936. Kastholm & Fabricius were Danish architects whose work influenced the signature aesthetics of Danish Modernism. Kastholm added his experience as a blacksmith combined with Fabricus’ training as a cabinetmaker to create distinctively sculptural pieces.

Covent Sofa by Arde Design Studio for New Works

Continuing the trend for softer organic forms Ferm Living and New Works both introduced curved sofas to their collections. In the case of New Works the Covent Sofa, an extension of their Covent Chair series. Designed by Arde Design Studio who have taken the gently curved shell of the Covent chair and extended it to the ground to create an refined sofa with a generous seat and slim arm profile. Also worth noting is that the entire Covent collection is made in Denmark. 

Rico Sofa and Lounge Chair by Ferm Living

Ferm Living's version Rico is bolder, more curvaceous and was presented in a richly textured boucle fabric adding to the sense of warmth and cosiness implied by it's shape. The Rico sofa is available as a two, three or four seater and also as a lounge chair in a series of neutral toned textiles.

w182 Pastile Lighting Collection by Industrial Facility for Wästberg

New lighting launches were particularly strong this year. We love the w182 Pastile light collection designed by Industrial Facility for Wästberg. Described as "a pure disc of light, attached to a thin line – a construction that allows a variety of ‘surfaces’ to be illuminated. Different to task lamps that illuminate in a focused way; or table and pendant lamps that provide ambient light; w182 pastille sees environments as surfaces to softly illuminate a wall, a floor or a table." The w182 Pastile floor light also comes as a table, wall or clamp light in several colours and sizes. Pastile is also made using solid fibreglass reinforced biopolyamide with no use of paint resulting in a durable, lightweight lamp.

Ombre Lamp by Antoine Rouzeau for Northern 

Also new is Northern's Ombre Lamp designed by Antoine Rouzeau, elegantly simplistic in its design-  "the light is projected upwards directly onto the shade, where it is softened and diffused. The shade captures the light in its contours and reflects it onto the surfaces surrounding it."

Ware Table Lamp by MSDS studio for New Works

Over at New Works we liked the concept of MSDS's Ware Table Lamp, the design brings together two distinct flowing forms into a single object, the rounded front concealing the light source from view whilst the curved reflective back offers soft illumination.

Atelier Chair by TAF Studio for Artek

Artek's Atelier Chair was one of 82 products designed by local designers and companies selected to be part the renovation of Sweden's Nationalmuseum. Developed with TAF Studio the Atelier chair was was designed for the museum restaurant and is crafted from locally sourced wood. TAF Studio took inspiration from the Orchestra Chair by Swedish Architect Sven Markelius who was in turn inspired by Artek's own classic 611 chair. It has a lightweight geometric profile that includes a simple connecting front bar that hugs the front legs and is stackable to seven chairs high. 

611 Chair by Alvar Aalto, updated by Hella Jongerius for Artek

Also at Artek, their 611 chair originally designed by Alvar Aalto in 1929 has been given an update by Hella Jongerius. The webbing has been given a duo-tone weave to add depth and dimensional qualities, made of 100% linen it is a sustainable, durable and breathable option.

New lighting from Pholc

Swedish lighting company Pholc introduced three new pendant lights to their collection, each with a distinctive look and feel. The Donna pendant light designed by Nina Jobs and Stina Sandwall is reminiscent of pleated textiles but is in fact made of thin metal available in five colour ways. Their Bounce chandelier is available in several configurations and has a striking graphic quality. Lastly the Kandinsky pendant light by Broberg & Ridderstråle was inspired by the artist's circular paintings; "A sphere and a spear act as the main characters in the lamp composition, piercing each other in midair to create an object that evokes a sensation of weightlessness, fragility and precision".

Apiales Chandelier by Sofie Refer for Nuura

Elsewhere Nuura launched their new Apiales Chandelier, designed by Sofie Refer. Inspired by Refer's love of nature, she explains "Umbellifers are my favourite flowers and a symbol of nature's generosity. The flowers spread gracefully from the flower stalks and, to me, symbolise the abundance found in nature." 

Stacy Chair by Lievore Altherr for Arper

Inspired by classical architecture the Stacy chair by Lievore Altherr for Arper comes in a series of colours referencing structural materiality such as brick, rust, sandstone, marble and iron. The design is informed by it's functionality, deliberately lightweight at 5.5kg it can be stacked on a trolley up to forty chairs high.

Arv Chair by Studio David Thulstrup for Brdr. Kruger

The Arv Chair by Brdr. Krüger was designed by Studio David Thulstrup in collaboration with chef René Redzepi as part of the renovation of his renowned double michelin starred restaurant Noma. Redzepi wanted a chair that would encourage diners to feel comfortable. The studio responded with Arv, a chair inspired by Danish design tradition, in keeping with the philosophy of both the restaurant and the design they worked with Brdr. Krüger a highly skilled Danish furniture company that craft all their pieces locally.

Linea Akademia Chair by Studio Kaksikko for Nikari

We have long been fans of Nikari here at Viaduct, and their newest addition the Linea Akademia Chair is a perfect example of why. Designed by Studio Kaksikko, the design is a rumination on Shaker and Japanese design traditions interpreted through the prism of Finnish heritage and craft skills. Nikari produce all their pieces from their workshop in Fiskars, a beautiful village in South-West Finland, their skilled craftspeople use timeless techniques, their workshop is one of the oldest in the country.

Pal stool by Sami Kallio for Northern

At Northern we found this three legged stackable stool by Sami Kallio, with a charming rattan seat and legs that rise to the full height of the seat, creating a striking profile as they sit alongside the frame rather than underneath it. 

Huntsman Chair by Børge Mogensen for Carl Hansen & Son

At Carl Hansen & Son a highlight for us was the Huntsman Chair, designed by Danish Modern legend Børge Mogensen. Made from a robust solid oak or walnut frame, the chair's saddle leather seat and back are wrapped taut around it, held in place by distinctive metal buckles. 

Covent Loveseat by Arde Design Studio for New Works

At New Works there was a further extension to the Covent collection, this time the Covent Loveseat, the design balances elements of soft and hard, its unique asymmetrical frame extends - both out and up, to bring new meaning to the series. 

Calmo Sofa by Hugo Passos, Yksi Stool by Thau And Kallio and updates to Spine Collection by Space Copenhagen, all for Fredericia

At Fredericia there were several new releases and updates to the collection. London based designer Hugo Passos presented his Calmo sofa, a design where straight lines converge with discrete curved details. The cushioning is particularly generous to make the sofa extra comfortable. We also loved their new Yksi stool, designed by Thau and Kallio the stool carries through the signature y-shaped leg detail of their Yksi Chair creating a striking, minimal design that can be supplied with or without upholstered seat. The Spine collection has a new metal leg option that makes the range more accessible for budget conscious projects.

Linear Outdoor Series and Cover Lounge Chair, both by Thomas Bentzen for Muuto

Muuto present their new Linear outdoor collection by Thomas Bentzen. A discreet, refined table and bench with a visually clean design. Clever details such add interest and functionality in equal measure including folded edges, half circular intersecting legs and small spacing for easy removal of water. Another clever addition to their collection is the Cover Lounge Chair also by Bentzen, its small footprint and hollow backed design make it a perfect solution for smaller spaces.

Hi Five Cabinet by Rudi Wulff for Northern

Lastly, we were impressed by Northern's Hi Five cabinet, well crafted with the delicately proportioned design, it is an elegant concealed storage solution for both home and office. Designed by Rudi Wulff, the cabinets can also be supplied wall mounted, its units are sized to accommodate vinyl LPs but can store music and television media too.

Insert Side Table by Mario Tsai for Ferm Living

This compact side table is perfect for smaller spaces. A clever design, the meeting of the heavy cylinder base and the light oval top is crafted to appear as if floating on the small, geometric joint.