Nordic Living 16-02: Spring Feelings!

NORDIC g in Liv ISSUE NO.2 | MARCH 2016

Longing for spring

The strong changes of seasons in the Nordics really affects all of us, and I think this is part of why nature is so important for us. At the moment we are all longing for spring.

Long, dark and cold winter days have soon passed by and we are slowly getting a sense of spring. The days are longer, during sunny days we can really feel the warm weather and the first spring flowers are starting to grow in the gardens.

One of the best things right now is the first sunny outside coffe break of the season, and this inspired us for this issue.

We also went to Stockholm to meet with talented designer Lina Johansson, and had a long talk about design, business and design business, make sure to check it out!

Welcome, we hope you enjoy this issue. Thank you for reading, following and supporting us!

Maria Richardsson Founder and CEO of Nordic Design Collective Ps. As always, we love to hear your what you think about our work! Tell us through social media or send us an e-mail. We want to hear it all - the good, the bad and the ugly.

CONTENT Spring Feelings

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Trend: Spring Greens

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Presenting: Kattvik Design

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Meet the designer: Lina Johansson Presenting: Wargstedt

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Trend: Time for a Fika

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A day in the life of: Patternplan

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Nordic Living is a magazine created by Nordic Design Collective, all rights reserved. www.nordicdesigncollective.com | info@nordicdesigncollective.com

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SPRING FEELINGS Styling and photo: Maria Richardsson and Elin Karlsson

Living in the Nordics, we are all longing for the spring season that brings light, warmth, flowers and greens. There is really something special with that first outdoor coffee, even if you have to bring a blanket to not get too cold!

Left: Wine Bottle Tumblers by Återbrukshyttan, vases Glasilium and Solitair by Eva Levin.

Top right: Topsia Navy and Madhu Green cushion covers by Aderelles, Skog mugs by Patternplan, Knitted small tray by Kristin Erséus.

Right: You Bug Me poster by Matilda Svensson, Madhu Green and Tara Rose cushion covers, Viskadalen blanket by Patternplan.

Next page: Artichoke poster by Texttavlor, Glasilium vase by Eva Levin.

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Trend

SPRING GREENS Bring the new energies of spring inside with more greens!

Add posters with trendy cactus, small vases for budding twigs and new pots filled with plants.

From top left: Lady’s Mantle and Tulips poster by Anna Handell, The Lonely Cactus poster by AnnaCarin Isaksson, Tequila Sunrise poster by Patternplan, Ulla hanging pot by Camilla Engdahl, Ladybird pot by Pingo Pots, Pedestals in green and blue by Wis Collection, Buddy Copper Vase by Jenny Kåberg Metalldesign.

Right: Green Fern poster by Details by M.

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Presenting

KATTVIK DESIGN The beautiful candlestick Kattvik is perfect for both outdoor and indoor use. With it’s clean design, this is a design classic to be.

Tell us about your background.

I was born curious and when facing a problem I always ask myself: Can we solve this problem in a better/smarter way than it is made today.

Learn from what already exists and make it better.

I have always – since I was a small kid – had an interest in smart design and to create beautiful environments especially with lighting that gives a visual experience. From my background from restaurant, salestrainer, marketing, travelling and environmental consultant and design – I have a wide range of life experience from many different areas.

What’s the story behind your brand?

One late summer day, my family and some good friends had a picnic in Kattvik harbor.

The evening sun was warming, the wine was chilled and the seafood tasted fantastic.

Unfortunately, the candle in the open candlestick we used blew out periodically.

There and then the idea was born to our storm candlestick Kattvik. A proven design from my father Paul Rösth senior was developed by me to a smart and stylish design which soon proved to be incredibly popular.

What inspires you to create?

It is pretty much about solving problems.

When we started to think about a solution for blown out candles – primarily outdoors – there

was almost no other candlestick with glass for longer candles.

We are proud to having succeed in creating a candlestick for many occasions that makes both outdoor and indoor life more atmospheric for many people.

What made you decide to start your own company, and what do you like most about it?

I had a strong belief in that the world needed a candlestick like ours. Getting fantastic feedback from our customers confirms that I was right.

What are your plans and dreams for the future?

We have the last time got quite a few new prestigious reference customers and resellers who will participate in strengthening our brand. We will continue this work and are designing a new candlestick that will be launched this fall. In six months I will be able to work full time with my beloved company.

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Meet the designer DESIGN LINA JOHANSSON

“MY DREAM IS TO CREATE A NEW DESIGN CLASSIC” One of our bestselling designers is Lina Johansson, a talented designer with passion for textiles. We visited her in her studio and showroom just outside the center of Stockholm.

Text and photo: Maria Richardsson

Originally from Karlskrona, Lina has lived abroad and studied in different places. She took her Bachelor of Fine Arts - textile design at The Swedish School of Textiles (Textilhögskolan) in Borås. “I loved my studies there! I’ve always been most interested in the techniques of textiles, how different weaving and knitting methods create different patterns and characteristics to the textile, and it was so great to have

access to the different machines and all the knowledge from the staff” Lina tells us.

Another topic Lina is passionate about is trends. Or actually quite the opposite... “I think it’s sad to see that the interior design industry is becoming more and more like fashion when it comes to trends. The cycle of what’s hot and what’s not is spinning more

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rapidly, the seasons are shorter, and there’s a constant craving for news. I understand the appeal with trends and changes, but I think it’s much more interesting to see homes where the people who live there express their own personal taste, and don’t feel the need to change it once a year. Creating trends is a way of giving products an expiration date, when they really don’t need one. However, it’s difficult to work in this industry and not be affected and influenced by trends” Lina says with passion in her voice.

Creating long lasting design objects with high quality is more important to Lina than following trends. She put a lot of work in creating patterns, colour combinations and products that people will like and keep for a long time. “ I dream of creating a design classic, a product that will last and be loved by generations” Lina says. She also puts a lot of work in to finding production partners with high quality and good sustainability,

but it is hard to balance quality and price especially as a small brand.

Colours are important to Lina, and she gets a lot of credit for her colour combinations in her products. For her, colours are important for creating a home that really feels like a home and not a showroom. And it is ok with things just being pretty. “In design schools, I feel that the design process sometimes gets too academic. You have to discuss and analyse every little detail and have reason for everything, and from time to time it just gets absurd. Of course it’s important to analyse what you are doing and why you are doing it, but when you’re working with design you shouldn’t neglect the feelings you get from your heart and gut. Aesthetics and design speaks to many of our senses, and the attraction of objects cannot always be explained. Sometimes it is ok to create something just because you think it’s pretty!”

Not only is Lina a very talented designer. She is also an hardworking entrepreneur with a business mind. She has been running her business for almost 4 years and now has her own studio and showroom just outside the center of Stockholm. She is often told how lucky she is to be able to work with her design full time. “Yes, I do feel lucky. But the thing is it is not just luck. It is mainly hard work.

And the most important reason I’ve made it is because I tried to do it. Most people don’t, and if you don’t even try you will never make it.

But if you do try and put your mind to it, you will - hopefully - find a way to make it work.

It is not easy, but it is possible!”.

When we visited Lina, she was in the middle of planning her Formex exhibition, and like always, she is doing it as thoroughly as she can, by building detailed models in scale of her booth and her products. “I’m putting quite a few hours in to this” she admits “but it is

fun, and it makes it so much more easy once I get to the fair to build it. I rarely change any of it during the building of the exhibition, all the decisions has already been made in advance”.

I’m certain that we will see a lot more of Lina in the future. And when I ask her about her future dreams, she starts to talk about moving out to the countryside and getting her own weaving machines. “That would be the ultimate solution for me, I would have control over the production and the freedom to try out new things whenever I get a new idea. That would be so great” Lina says with a big smile.

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Presenting

WARGSTEDT Karin and Alide are an inspiration and great role models. Combining their passion for design and entrepreneurship with empowering women, really adds an extra dimension to their beautiful posters.

Tell us about your background!

We met three years ago when we started studying at the same Bachelor Program: Economics with specialization in Retail Management. Alide has a big interest in illustrating and photographing, and Karin enjoys creating websites and working in Adobe. Our differences made us complete each other, and we became close friends within a week.

What’s the story behind your brand?

When we met, me realised that we share an entrepreneurial mind, and a passion for design. We discussed the fact that none of us could find any Posters that suited our walls, so we simply decided to make them on our own. Our posters are meant to represent the calmness of minimalistic Scandinavian design, but with a feminin twist. Many wise quotes have been expressed by women, yet many of them haven’t been recognized. We tried to change that with our poster ”Power Women”. We are also a bit concerned about how society defines the ideal women’s body today. Our poster ”Shapes” was made to accentuate all body shapes as equally beautiful, and is now our bestseller.

What inspires you to create?

We are inspired by almost everything in our surroundings, but mostly nature, simplicity and the beauty of women.

Our sources of inspiration changes every day, and that is actually a problem. We want to innovate and make new posters every day…

What are your plans and dreams for the future?

Our hopes and dreams for the future is of course to continue working with Wargstedt for many years to come. We would like to develop our designs and create a strong spirit of the brand. We would also like to expand our work in terms of women’s well-being, and start donating a part of our profits to organisations like UN Women.

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Trend

TIME FOR A FIKA The coffee break called Fika is very important to all Swedes, and when the first signs of spring hit town you want to take your fika outside. So grab a cup of coffe and some sweets, and let’s go outside!

From top left: Fika poster by I Love Design, Cinnamon Roll Girl poster by Tian Gan, Nutty Squirrel poster by Adelina Lirius, Peacocks tray

by Cajsa Wessberg, Islands tray by Adelina Lirius, Water dispenser by Återbrukshyttan, Tjutrut cup with plate by Diket, Skog mugs by Patternplan.

Right: Tina coffeecup by Camilla Engdahl.

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A day in the life of

PATTERNPLAN Anette Carlsson Mobergs is the designer behind the brand Patternplan. She creates her amazing products in the inspirational country side on the west coast of Sweden.

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08.57: Hello and good morning ! I’m Anette, designer and artist, and I will give you a hint of my creative world!

9.02: A good start of the day is a strong cup of tea and some toast, correct I’m not a breakfast person!

10.03: I love to be on the move, it’s not that I have to travel far, but to see things from another angle.

12.16: It is always the colours that moves me and start the process.

12.51: I live on the countryside outside of Varberg, a small but creative town on the West cost of Sweden.

16.22: My afternoon was spent in our barn for product shoots, new artprints has arrived!

17.19: In the springtime the barn is also a place for design markets, this year we open up the old barn 5-6th of May.

17.24: With a sketch book in my hand I make daily notes and sketches. On a train journey the passing landscape got my design process started.

Check out the work of Patternplan in our store!

18.56: Finally, Do what you love! Over and out, with love Anette.

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