huset's modern scandinavian design blog

NICE Fashion Debuts In Sweden

holly@huset — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:41:17 +0000

Looking “nice” now has a whole new meaning! ;- )

: Image by Dmitry Valberg via Flickr

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 RTW-collections for Spring/Summer 2011. Many of the shows are only open to those in the fashion trades but luckily, the NICE show is open to the Public.

If you’d like to learn more about NICE, you can visit their site here: http://www.nicefashion.org/

If you’ll be in Sweden during Stockholm Fashion Week, you can see the full show schedule here:
http://stockholmfashionweek.com/schedule.php?tid=21&tbd=schedule_dsummer&PHPSESSID=j2s82ci2jnusa3uefgqkk95832

New At Huset – August 2010

kevin@huset — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:52:29 +0000

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 left to right)

Ferm Living Robot Junior Bedding Set, Ferm Living Stem Vases, Ferm Living Pipper Junior Bedding Set

We love Ferm Living designs and the new bedding products are wonderful. The Stem Vases are real wood and are perfect for bringing the natural warmth of Scandinavia indoors.

Click here to view our Ferm Living collection

From Normann Copenhagen -

(pictured from left to right)

The Mormor collection includes: Mormor Jug, Mormor Large Bowl, Mormor Small Bowl, Mormor Sugarbowl and Mormor Carafe

Mormor means “grandmother” in Swedish and the line is designed to bring the warmth of grandmother’s home straight into yours!

Designed by Gry Fager, a recent graduate of the Danish Design School, the Mormor line of dinnerware is inspired by the patterns found on the humble kitchen tea towel.

Click here to view our Normann Copenhagen collection

From Odd Molly -

(pictured from left to right)

Odd Molly Cheque Dress, Odd Molly Cheque Blouse, Odd Molly Cheque Strap Dress

Three beautiful new offerings from Swedish cult brand Odd Molly! Each are 100% cotton and are as comfortable as they are cute!

Click here to view our Odd Molly collection

Want to see all of our newest products? Click Here!

Copenhagen Fashion Week 2010

holly@huset — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:02:01 +0000

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.

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

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.) outdoor catwalk. The catwalk stretches between City Hall and Kongens Nytorv and is currently the world’s longest catwalk.

: Image via Wikipedia

While attending, I will be shopping for new brands (and lines) to carry on the site and many will not be available anywhere else in the U.S. I will also be taking photos and videos so I can share the experience with you on the blog soon.

If you’d like to learn more about Copenhagen Fashion Week, make sure to check out the links below.

Cope nhagen Fashion Week’s Main Site

If you plan to attend, take a look at this page. On it, you’ll find the best places to shop, eat, club and stay while in Copenhagen.

IDEA Awards 2010

holly@huset — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:33:45 +0000

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 would become a “gold-medal winner.”

Here are three great pieces that caught our eye…

Skybar(TM) Wine Chill Drops

Category: Home Living

Design: Tools Design

Country: Denmark

Medal: Bronze

Credits: Claus Jensen and Henrik Holbaek of Tools Design (Denmark)

This ingenious device was created to chill a single glass of wine. The “drops” are coolant-filled and immersed into the glass of wine.

In keeping with Scandinavian Design, they are sleek, modern and have a great visual appeal. As for function, they can chill a glass of wine up to 20 times faster than using a refrigerator.

CAS Air System

Category: Student Designs

Design: Umeå Institute of Design

Country: Sweden

Medal: Gold

Credits: Malin Grummas of Umeå Institute of Design (Sweden)

The CAS Air System was designed for firefighters or any first-responder that must enter a smoke-filled area.

Research shows that firefighters face much greater risk for many types of cancer, including testicular and prostate cancer as a result of being exposed to high levels of smoke. They also have a higher risk of having children with medical issues such as congenital heart disease.

Of course, these risks increase when they do not use some sort of self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). The CAS Air System is more efficient than a filter mask and allows for easier breathing.

The transparent window and voice amplifier is designed to improve communication. To enhance safety, a tube with compressed air will automatically “kick-in” if the carbon monoxide level suddenly increases. The system also warns the user of this event with a signal.

This next piece doesn’t come from a Scandinavian designer but you wouldn’t know it by looking at it. In form, it reminds us of some of the designs by Louise Campbell, Muuto or Sagaform but the function is truly the key.

Who would have thought we’d be so impressed with a device designed to trap mice/rats? The fact that the designer could create such a product… one that is beautiful to look at, efficient and humane/eco-friendly just goes to show what is possible when all three attributes are given their due during the design process.

ONEDOWN

Category: Service Design

Design: DSK ISD International School of Design

Country: India

Medal: Gold

Credits: Aakash Dewan of DSK ISD International School of Design (India)

The designers call ONEDOWN a humane rat trap. Basically, some “yummy” bait is placed inside the form which is rested on its side.

When the mouse/rat enters to get the treat, the weight of the rodent (coupled with the weight of a metal insert) tips the form upright and traps the rodent unharmed.

The rodent can then be released instead of being killed.

Scandinavian Design: A Look Back In Time

holly@huset — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:05:58 +0000

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.

: Image via Wikipedia

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 Scandinavian design and was given to two outstanding Scandinavian designers each year. This helped to bring Scandinavian design into the limelight and worldwide sales rose sharply as a direct result.

Today, designers find recognition from a variety of awards including the Forum AID Award given out by Swedish Magazine, Forum AID. The award is available to all Nordic designers and not just those from recognized Scandinavian countries.

Image via Wikipedia

While Scandinavian design concepts have been debated for more than fifty years, much of the original design ideals have stood the test of time. In fact, many International designers are now embracing the ideals and it isn’t uncommon to see “Scandinavian-like” designs coming out of Asia and Europe.

The future for Modern Scandinavian Design is exciting and we at Huset-Shop.com can’t wait to see what’s yet to be revealed!

Blog post resources:

CLICK HERE to see a list of the Lunning Prize winners between 1950 and 1970

CLICK HERE to visit Forum AID Magazine’s website

CLICK HERE to visit our Designers’ Bios page for a full list of the designers available here at Huset

Featured Designer: Muuto

holly@huset — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:39:54 +0000

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 products we carry, CLICK HERE

Glad Midsommer / Happy Midsummer

holly@huset — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 01:20:31 +0000

Today is one of the most anticipated days of the year for all of Scandinavia. The longest day of the year and the celebration of the light is the most celebrated day in Sweden, Norway and Denmark ever over Christmas. Scandinavians celebrate the summer solstice (the longest day of the year) with festivals full of music, dancing, lights, flowers, pickled herring, aquavit, and lovely girls running around with crowns of flowers in their hair.

According to Midsummer Festival website, “the summer solstice celebration has its roots in pre-Christian practices and is a day when the spirits of nature join the human community to rejoice in the long days of summer. Midsummer was originally a fertility festival with many customs and rituals associated with nature and with the hope for a good harvest in autumn.”

Traditionally Midsummer is June 21st, but the festivities usually occur on the Saturday between June 20th and June 26th. There are tons of festivals going on around the world. Our family celebrates this day with a very large traditional Swedish party, full of snaps, songs and sill (herring). We will even put up a large maypole covered with leaves, flowers and ribbon. It’s by far our favorite night of the year!

Glad Midsommar (Happy Midsummer) to all!

There is love in the air in Stockholm!

holly@huset — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:32:50 +0000

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!

The ceremony will take place at Storkyrkan (the royal church) in Gamla Stan (The Old Town) right next to the Royal Palace where the banquet will later take place.

Dignitaries from all over will all be in attendance. Denmarks Prince Frederick and his lovely wife Mary, Norway’s Haakon and his lovely wife Mette-Marit and Prince Nikolaos of Greece and his fiancée Tatiana Blatnik, who are thought to be planning their own wedding for 2011 will all be in attendance.

The Royal wedding and the city of Stockholm with it’s LOVE theme has made what some people call the Paris of the north, a major destination during the month of June for both Swedes and foreigners alike who wants to join in the celebration.

If you want to watch the royal wedding tomorrow you can watch it online at http://svt.se/detkungligabrollopet, starting at 6 am pacific time.

The Amazing Story Lamp by Skar+Vidal

holly@huset — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:22:24 +0000

Norwegian industrial designers Vibeke Skar and Ida Noemi Vidal created these wonderful ceramic pendants that not only provide light, but convey the story of Norwegian traditions, the contrast between the cold weather and the warm clothing and homes. Story draws inspirations from the fact of going backwards to go forwards.

The lamps are called Story, which have been decorated with Norwegian patterns sandblasted into their unglazed porcelain finish. It’s a modern look on a very traditional pattern. It sheds new light upon traditional Norwegian knitting patterns on woolen sweaters and gives a new and softer expression to the cold hard porcelain surface.

According to the designers, here is Storys, story: Once upon a time there was a porcelain lamp called Story. Born in Norway between high mountains and deep fjords, it dreamed of lighting up small wooden houses in the dark forests. With a translucent pattern depicting Norwegian traditions, it warmed the hearts of the travelers it met on its journey.”

Via Liv Blog Spot

Valdemar is here….from Normann Copenhagen

holly@huset — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:38:34 +0000

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 intimacy, calm and contemplation. For that we need furniture that creates room and space – a place of our own. The point of departure was to design a piece of furniture that is a lounge chair and an easy chair in one. Furthermore, you should be seated great and the comfort should be superb. We believe that a chair should be beautiful from all angles. Valdemar almost embraces the user with its big open arms and welcomes in the user.” The chair is ideal for the home to create time and room. It brings character to the living room either as a part of the couch area or as a freestanding chair.