15 Things We Loved From Stockholm Design Week
Heading to Stockholm in February might not sound very appealing. But despite still being in the depths of winter, the city comes alive thanks to its vibrant design community.Taking place from February 3 to 7, the Stockholm Furniture Fair and the corresponding Stockholm Design Festival have become real highlights on the calendar. There aren't many furniture "fairs" – in the traditional sense – that would even come close to being described as that – but thanks to its pockets of curated areas and manageable size, it's one of the best, and you always leave feeling like you've seen just the right amount of good stuff.Read on for the things we loved the most.Nick Ross' Gallery ShowWe've long had eyes on the work of Nick Ross – a Scottish designer whose studio is based in Stockholm. The project presented at Public Service Gallery was titled "The Kings Hat", and saw Ross create a collection from pruned branches of trees once planted byKing Fredrik I in the 1730s. The collection, which includes seating furniture, a coffee table, vase, and a floor chandelier, is simple in form – letting the material and its legacy do the talking. A Lamp by Axel Wannberg at Nordiska GallerietNordiska Galleriet was a hub of activity this year, with different studios invited to take part on the occasion of the design week. Our favorite piece on show – aside from the treasure trove of design classics – came from Axel Wannberg, who presented his Lamp 53 in a bright blue hue. The piece (which takes its name from the 53 degree angle at which it is welded) was originally crafted in wood as part of an exhibition during Stockholm Design Week 2023, but has now been made in metal to be made available through the gallery.This Lamp by the Late Yrjö KukkapuroThis piece by the late Yrjö Kukkapuro was our favorite from an exhibition organised by Swedish architecture studio Claesson Koivisto Rune and vintage specialists Jackson Design. Flanked by important works from the 20th century, the piece stood out despite being placed at the back of the room. Originally designed in 1968 for the XIV Milan Triennial, the floor lamp is typical of Kukkapuro's style, in that it combines function with a playful aesthetic. Note Design Studio's Conversation Pit at TarkettNote Design Studio's decision to install a conversation pit inside the showroom of a materials company was a clever one. These days, conversation pits are like catnip to design fans – and it's surely going to lure passersby to wander in, even if it's just for a picture. The sunken seating is the focal point amongst the rest of the Tarkett Ateljé in Södermalm, which has been covered in the company's flooring materials, from floor to ceiling. Simon Skinner's New FurnitureSimon Skinner is a designer that doesn't seem to be afraid of switching up materials, typologies, and scales. In the relatively short time since his graduation, the designer has gained international recognition with his Afropicks project, before moving onto creating the delicate Bukè table lamps from glass. At the Älvsjö Gård exhibition, Skinner showed yet another facet to his design practice: upholstered furniture. A Chair Called "Book Monster"Designed and handmade by JLF Design Studio, the Book Monster is made up of two parts: the "torso" seat section and the "wings" for armrests. Finished in a bold orange-red, the chair allows the sitter to be immersed within their books, which can be placed between the slots covering the arm rests. Books conceptually influence the shape of the chair's sections too: the torso evokes a feeling of "movement", like pages being turned, and the "wings" represent the journey of a book, from waiting on the shelf, to being finished. This Blue Stool from OMI CollectiveThe sleek blue woodwork of this stool caught our eye instantly as we wondered around the Greenhouse area at the fair. This particular section provides a springboard to emerging brands and designers, and as such – you often find some incredible things on show. The Omi Series 2 Stool comes from Lagos-based Omi Collective, and takes its cues from the shapes and symbols seen acorss traditional African stools and neckpieces. The aforementioned blue – "that's our little nod to indigo, a color with deep roots in African tradition," the studio says, while the legs have been handturned to create a chunky shape. "We really wanted to highlight the human touch and the craftsmanship that goes into each piece," they add. Blå Station's Wooden ReclinerBlå Station is one of those labels that is difficult to categorise. On first look, you'd expect it to be just contract office furniture, but when you get amongst the collection – you can imagine the pieces in a residential setting. From the 2025 range, we loved the PYR chair (which called out copies and counterfeits) for its concept, but we loved the reclining Villhelm chair for its looks. The sleek wooden shell seat is made through compression moulding, allowing it to have a clean, seamless silhouette. "We are at
Heading to Stockholm in February might not sound very appealing. But despite still being in the depths of winter, the city comes alive thanks to its vibrant design community.
Taking place from February 3 to 7, the Stockholm Furniture Fair and the corresponding Stockholm Design Festival have become real highlights on the calendar. There aren't many furniture "fairs" – in the traditional sense – that would even come close to being described as that – but thanks to its pockets of curated areas and manageable size, it's one of the best, and you always leave feeling like you've seen just the right amount of good stuff.
Read on for the things we loved the most.
Nick Ross' Gallery Show
We've long had eyes on the work of Nick Ross – a Scottish designer whose studio is based in Stockholm. The project presented at Public Service Gallery was titled "The Kings Hat", and saw Ross create a collection from pruned branches of trees once planted byKing Fredrik I in the 1730s. The collection, which includes seating furniture, a coffee table, vase, and a floor chandelier, is simple in form – letting the material and its legacy do the talking.
A Lamp by Axel Wannberg at Nordiska Galleriet
Nordiska Galleriet was a hub of activity this year, with different studios invited to take part on the occasion of the design week. Our favorite piece on show – aside from the treasure trove of design classics – came from Axel Wannberg, who presented his Lamp 53 in a bright blue hue. The piece (which takes its name from the 53 degree angle at which it is welded) was originally crafted in wood as part of an exhibition during Stockholm Design Week 2023, but has now been made in metal to be made available through the gallery.
This Lamp by the Late Yrjö Kukkapuro
This piece by the late Yrjö Kukkapuro was our favorite from an exhibition organised by Swedish architecture studio Claesson Koivisto Rune and vintage specialists Jackson Design. Flanked by important works from the 20th century, the piece stood out despite being placed at the back of the room. Originally designed in 1968 for the XIV Milan Triennial, the floor lamp is typical of Kukkapuro's style, in that it combines function with a playful aesthetic.
Note Design Studio's Conversation Pit at Tarkett
Note Design Studio's decision to install a conversation pit inside the showroom of a materials company was a clever one. These days, conversation pits are like catnip to design fans – and it's surely going to lure passersby to wander in, even if it's just for a picture. The sunken seating is the focal point amongst the rest of the Tarkett Ateljé in Södermalm, which has been covered in the company's flooring materials, from floor to ceiling.
Simon Skinner's New Furniture
Simon Skinner is a designer that doesn't seem to be afraid of switching up materials, typologies, and scales. In the relatively short time since his graduation, the designer has gained international recognition with his Afropicks project, before moving onto creating the delicate Bukè table lamps from glass. At the Älvsjö Gård exhibition, Skinner showed yet another facet to his design practice: upholstered furniture.
A Chair Called "Book Monster"
Designed and handmade by JLF Design Studio, the Book Monster is made up of two parts: the "torso" seat section and the "wings" for armrests. Finished in a bold orange-red, the chair allows the sitter to be immersed within their books, which can be placed between the slots covering the arm rests. Books conceptually influence the shape of the chair's sections too: the torso evokes a feeling of "movement", like pages being turned, and the "wings" represent the journey of a book, from waiting on the shelf, to being finished.
This Blue Stool from OMI Collective
The sleek blue woodwork of this stool caught our eye instantly as we wondered around the Greenhouse area at the fair. This particular section provides a springboard to emerging brands and designers, and as such – you often find some incredible things on show. The Omi Series 2 Stool comes from Lagos-based Omi Collective, and takes its cues from the shapes and symbols seen acorss traditional African stools and neckpieces. The aforementioned blue – "that's our little nod to indigo, a color with deep roots in African tradition," the studio says, while the legs have been handturned to create a chunky shape. "We really wanted to highlight the human touch and the craftsmanship that goes into each piece," they add.
Blå Station's Wooden Recliner
Blå Station is one of those labels that is difficult to categorise. On first look, you'd expect it to be just contract office furniture, but when you get amongst the collection – you can imagine the pieces in a residential setting. From the 2025 range, we loved the PYR chair (which called out copies and counterfeits) for its concept, but we loved the reclining Villhelm chair for its looks. The sleek wooden shell seat is made through compression moulding, allowing it to have a clean, seamless silhouette. "We are attracted to try out where the boundaries are between contract super comfort and the comfort you would like at home," the brand says. "Villhem is a play with words. Vill hem! Meaning; I want to go home."
David Taylor's Giant Candelabra
The scale of David Taylor’s current work makes his past life as a silversmith seem almost unbelievable. The Scottish designer, who has been based in Sweden since the 1990s, transitioned to working in aluminum after the financial crash in 2008, which sent the price of silver soaring. Luckily for Taylor, many of the techniques he learned through his original craft could be applied to his new medium. Many of these were on show at the “Special Effects” exhibition at Bukowskis Auction House, where our favorite piece was an oversized candelabra.
Ololoo Studio's Inflatable Light and Stool
Sometimes design takes itself too seriously. It's always a breath of fresh air to see a studio bringing a bit of humor to an often all-too-serious discipline – and that's exactly what Ololoo Studio manage to do. Their inflatable lamp came to us at exactly the right time, providing some light relief having already spent hours walking around the bigger brand's stands. The most impressive thing about the studio's work is that their playfulness doesn't compromise their execution – and each detail was perfectly constructed.
Living Form Design Studies' Lab-Inspired Lamp
The LF-2 Lamp is simply a beautiful piece. The adjustable and modular design allows the user to create different light settings depending on the intensity desired, with the reflector and the bulb able to move on the axis, and its pared-back aesthetic inspiration comes from laboratory apparatus.
Jenny Nordberg's Ability to Repurpose Old Office Furniture
The entirety of Jenny Norderg's "The Executive" collection could've been included on this list. In the end, we've selected a coffee table which had a really interesting pattern across its surface. Designed in collaboration with Soeco, the designs make use of a stock of recyclable pre-owned office furniture. The coffee table we've chosen made use of a funnily shaped tabletop, and its surface has been painted and treated with charcoal and lacquer to create and seal the pattern.
Sahco's Zade Textile
Sahco has been going from strength to strength since the appointment of creative director Bengt Thornefors. At their showroom, they presented us with the new textile offerings for this year – from couture inspired drapery in shades of lime green to lace good enough for clothing. Our hearts were stolen by the Zade range, which features a woven pattern inspired by the work of artist Franz West – specifically his Uncle chair.
Form Us With Love's Testing Grounds Bistro
Form Us With Love turned its studio into another bustling activation this year – placing new designs inside the "Testing Grounds Bistro". Collaborations with BLOND, +Halle and String were each set up to reflect on how the best work is often done through a more casual setting. Throughout the course of the week, drinks were provided by Lucy's Flower Shop, food came from Albin Edberg, and the music was devised by Tobias Lindén.
Tobias Berg's Stilas Chair
The work at Tobias Berg's stand looked meticulous. The piece we're choosing to spotlight, the "Stilas", is described as an "architectural lounge chair". The use of dark-toned walnut works to warm up the stainless steel, which is used to create the slightly reclining form. "Despite its sleek appearance, the chair prioritizes comfort, featuring ergonomically angled seating, a flexible backrest, and wide armrests," the designer adds.
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