Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
New design icon with heritage With roots more than 100 years old, Iris Hantverk tells the story of how the visually impaired reclaimed their right to active participation in society. Hand-drawn using refined techniques, its brushes are renowned for exceptional quality and feeling just right in the hand. Recently, the brand has become somewhat of a design icon. “We want it to be a different shopping experience, not like walking into any other boutique,” says Sara Edhäll, co-owner and vice president of Iris Hantverk. “Our boutiques breathe the tradition of the brush-binding craft. It’s not unusual that people walk in and sigh, ‘It’s so peaceful, I could spend all day here’.” Iris Hantverk’s model can be traced back to the struggle for the right to self-sufficiency by the visually impaired, which resulted in a brush-binding workhouse allowing visually impaired craftsmen and women to earn a living. Today, five visually impaired craftsmen work at the manufacturing premises in Enskede in Stockholm, using responsibly sourced wood from Swedish forestry companies
and cold-pressed, boiled linseed oil for optimal sustainability. Producing a wide range of brushes for all parts of the home, including dusters, grooming brushes and vegetable brushes, Iris Hantverk has increasingly become a must-have design item for the Scandinavian, eco-friendly home. Take a booming craft trend and growing environmental concerns, and it seems like a no-brainer: why buy an ugly, toxic plastic dish brush that needs to be replaced after one heavy-duty shift? Upon entering an Iris Hantverk boutique, you are immediately enveloped by that special blend of craft heritage and modern design, perfectly illustrated by the clearly visible wire at the back of each brush. But while the range has been extended to in-
By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Iris Hantverk
clude blankets and other beautiful quality interior items, the design most certainly puts functionality over style. “Our products are made to be used,” says Edhäll. “Over and over and over again.”
For more information, please visit: www.irishantverk.se
Useful keepsakes to remind of happy days – every day Enough painted cowbells and snowy bubble lederhosen men on the window sill? By Berndes sells true keepsake gems for lovers of distinct Scandi design. These are souvenirs you will treasure forever.
market!” Berndes laughs. What a relief to find the tired red gingham pillow cases retired to the wardrobe…
By Ulrika Kuoppa-Jones | Photo: Mattias Andersson
The mountains mean the world to passionate skier Elisabeth Berndes. An economist with a flair for design, she spotted a hole in the market: a need for useful, and tasteful, reminders of treasured holidays. On the coast outside Umeå in northern Sweden, Berndes and designer Helena Harnesk create beautifully playful trays, pillow cases and towels. “We’re creating with a strong sense of local identity. I love the idea that when customers use our products, they are also reminded of truly special times,” says Berndes. Here, right on the Arctic Circle, an outdoors lifestyle and a love of all things bright and beautiful come naturally. By Berndes products are made by domestic artisans. “We make our trays on 66 | Issue 102 | July 2017
the island of Öland, handmade from birch,” she says. The pillows are printed in Borås, Sweden’s hotspot for textiles, and the towels are made in Sölvesborg. “Everything is made in Sweden, which makes for quality and sustainability, both of which are really important to us.” By Berndes are now looking beyond Sweden’s borders – a natural next step, since the family name has roots in Bern in Switzerland. “The attraction of the Alps has always been huge in our family. We’re making more and more motifs from there. We’re already established in Verbier,” says Berndes. With a bit of luck, By Berndes’ design might greet us in our hotel room when we are next in the Alps. “Yes, that’s our next
By Berndes is available online and in shops in Sweden and Verbier. Web: www.byberndes.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ byberndes Instagram: @byberndes