Taking place from 5-9th February, the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair is primed to offer the most innovative, Scandinavian- designed products to the market.
The annual event is essential for retailers seeking sleek, contemporary furniture that is far removed from typical Ikea-esque products. The Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair focuses its attention on providing retailers with some of the most design-led, innovative products to be conceived in Scandinavia – and is well worth a visit for retailers seeking unique, contemporary furniture at keen prices.
Held at the Stockholmsmässan exhibition centre, the event heavily embraces design in all its forms, and its main feature areas are centred around the design stories that will take the world by storm in the year ahead.
A good example of its commitment to design is the presence of the No Copy Ethical Council, a collaborative effort between Stockholmsmässan and the Swedish Federation of Wood and Furniture Industry. First introduced in 2012, the feature area will offer attendees the opportunity to receive impartial advice on intellectual property issues during the exhibition.
In addition, a new exhibition space will be added to this year’s show. Entitled Architects View On: Future Scandinavian Colour and Material Trends, visitors will be able to view future colour and material trends from a Scandinavian perspective, through the experience-based exhibition.
The trends due to be presented are derived from many sources, including in-depth workshops with a panel consisting of Sweden’s most exciting contemporary designers, daily contact with the Swedish design and architecture elite, as well as monitoring international materials research.
While last year’s event was full of colourful, imaginative products, it is anticipated that there will be a return to more typical Scandinavian design – think cool whites with colour accents, as opposed to full-on colour – but either way, there will be a host of inventive, contemporary designs shown.
Moreover, Stockholm’s traditional Design Bar is a welcome return to the show. Each year, the Design Bar is conceived by a different Scandinavian designer to create a welcoming, but intriguing, environment for visitors and exhibitors to take a break from the show.
This year, the Design Bar has been created by Norwegian designer and artist, Daniel Rybakken, who aims to produce an uncluttered, crisp space for attendees to relax within.
“I’m picturing an uncluttered white room with a focus on details and artificial daylight,” says Daniel. “It will be a place far removed from all the inevitable stimulation at a trade fair.
“A narrow strip of light will create an illusion of natural sunlight and tell a story about what might lie beyond the room’s four walls. This will provide a feeling of extended perceived space, in which visitors and the object are transformed into dark silhouettes in contrast to the strong light.”
The juxtaposition of achromatic shades help to create a clean, modern feel – hallmarks of the show itself.
