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A poster says a thousand words From effective sound absorbers to modern design statements, Desenio’s posters add a trendy, personal touch to any living space. Whether you want a beautiful piece of photo art, an inspirational quote during breakfast, a map of your favourite city or a bold fashion statement, Desenio delivers without breaking the bank. Now, the Sweden-based company is taking on the world. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Desenio
It was 2010 and Martin and Helena Blomqvist had just built a house. The living room was spacious with high ceilings, and the couple realised that they would need some sound absorbers for the echo. But the market was disappointing; everything was dull. There and then, the idea to offer art with built-in sound absorbers was born. Desenio, the Blomqvists’ new company, 36 | Issue 94 | November 2016
adopted the canvas trend and soon became the biggest supplier of art on canvas to Gallerix, Sweden’s then main retailer for picture frames and posters. Still working with very small volumes, relatively speaking, Desenio took a hit when Gallerix, in the form it was known then, went out of business. The Blomqvists had to think outside the box, and posters became their solution.
Things started picking up again and the company’s growth since then has been somewhat of a phenomenon in business circles. “It was in 2014 that things started moving – nothing crazy, but the business reached a turnover of around 4.5 million SEK. And then last year, things really, seriously took off, with a turnover of around 30 million SEK – and we keep on growing at a fast pace,” says Fredrik Palm, who joined Desenio as CEO earlier this year, having worked in e-commerce for five years and in a range of other sectors before that. “Helena and Martin have a lot of relevant skills but needed someone who could come in and help bring the business to the next level. They’re still heav-