Posted August 10th, 2010
by holly@huset
Looking “nice” now has a whole new meaning! ;- )
NICE stands for… Nordic Initiative, Clean and Ethical. It is a joint commitment from the Nordic fashion industry to take a lead on social and environmental issues. Basically, they are committed to making eco-friendly clothing that is more socially responsible and sustainable than that produced by most of the world’s fashion producers.
While the NICE project collections have been shown before, they will be shown for the first time in Sweden at Gallery Pascale during Stockholm Fashion Week.
Stockholm Fashion Week runs from August 16-20, 2010 and will focus on…
Posted August 6th, 2010
by kevin@huset
As Holly is on a “Scandinavian shopping spree,” I thought I’d let you know about some of the newest items we’ve added to our shop. Of course, when Holly returns, we’ll have many more items to add and I’ll likely make a new post covering those items in the very near future.
From Design House Stockholm -
Design House Stockholm Box Light by Jonas Hakaniemi
Jonas Hakaniemi’s Box Light is a lamp hidden away in a box, to be drawn out and exposed. A light adjusted with the touch of a hand. Forget about dimmers, this is as straightforward as interactive design can get.
Comes in either a black or silver aluminum finish.
Click here to view our Design House Stockholm collection
From Ferm Living -
(pictured from…
Posted July 27th, 2010
by holly@huset
As you may (or may not) know, I’m currently in Sweden. I’m here looking for new products to carry at Huset and to take a little holiday as well.
While I will be attending a variety of shows, I’m especially looking forward to Copenhagen Fashion Week which runs from August 11th-15th.
The event kicks off by highlighting creations by Copenhagen-based designer Ole Yde. Ole is the dressmaker to royals and has designed for the Crown Princess amongst others.
His collection portrays a dreamlike vision of the feminine form and will be displayed along the almost mile-long (1.6 km.)…
Posted July 22nd, 2010
by holly@huset
The 2010 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) were awarded recently at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. While most of the awards went to non-Scandinavian designers, we wanted to make special note of the two Scandinavian winners (and then point out one really great design from a non-Scandinavian designer).
If you’re not familiar with the IDEA Awards, let me give you a little background…
Each year, thousands of designers submit pieces to be judged. The designs are judged based on innovation, benefit to the user, benefit to society and natural ecology, benefit to the client, visual appeal and aesthetics, usability testing (i.e. function and reliability) and implementation.
This year, there were 1,900 entrants from designers representing 28 different countries. While most of the pieces submitted were impressive, only 38…
Posted July 6th, 2010
by holly@huset
Scandinavian design began in the early 1900’s but gained wider recognition (and approval) in the 1950’s. The goal of this design movement is simple… to design beautiful, minimalistic pieces that are as wonderful to use as they are to look at.
They also sought to design pieces that could be mass produced as cheaply as possible without sacrificing quality. With strong “post-modern” ideals, the Scandinavian designers looked for ways to make their designs affordable for all… not just the wealthy and influential.
Scandinavian Design really flourished between 1951-1970 as a result of the “Lunning Prize.” The Lunning Prize was created to acknowledge excellence in…
Posted June 28th, 2010
by holly@huset
While Muuto is a Danish company, its name comes from the Finnish word, “muutos,” which can be translated to mean “fresh perspective” (or change).
Muuto handpicks from the very best Nordic designers and challenges them to come up with a design that embodies the essence of Modern Scandinavian Design… something aesthetically pleasing and perfectly functional (and in keeping with Mutto’s mission… something fresh!)
Many top Scandinavian designers like, Harri Koskinen, Ole Jensen, Louise Campbell, Norway Says (among many others) have designed for Muuto and more are accepting the challenge.
They primarily design furnishings for the modern home and a few of these include…
Muuto’s Match Tea Light Holder
Muuto’s Dots Wall Hooks
Muuto’s Restore Storage Basket
If you’d like to see all the Muuto…
Posted June 18th, 2010
by holly@huset
Tomorrow, on Saturday June 19, the Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden will wed Daniel Westling, her former personal trainer, a commoner from the small village of Ockelby. Initially, the King, her father, Carl XVI Gustav, and the royal court did not approve of this relationship but Victoria, as it has turned out, is a true romantic and insisted that the boy from the little village in central Sweden was indeed her soul mate. She proved her commitment by stubbornly holding on to the love of her life for eight years until everyone finally gave in to her wishes and approved of their engagement. However, Daniel will have to settle with the title of Prince, as Victoria will not allow him to bear the King title. Go Girl!
Posted May 27th, 2010
by holly@huset
Time for contemplation and calmness – Normann Copenhagen presents Valdemar. Valdemar – a chair in a simple and modern design. The chair’s characteristic sides form a private sphere that gives room for a cozy atmosphere and relaxation. Valdemar is full upholstered and the chair legs are covered with fabric to form an aesthetic graphic whole.
Valdemar is designed by industrial designers Martin Kechayas and Christian Nørgaard. The designers focus has been on designing pieces of furniture with beautiful graphic expression and great sitting comfort. The chair’s inside has an organic round form in contrast to the sharp and edged outside of the chair, which makes the chair exciting both visually and in use. Martin Kechayas and Christian Nørgaard explain:” Nowadays there is a huge need for…
