Sunday sofa

“A test bed for new ideas” was the overarching theme of the Stockholm Furniture Fair from February 6 to 10, 2024. The presentation was by no means as prosaic as the title, and in fact it quickly became clear: This ongoing experiment is starting to get playful.

For three years, the Stockholm Furniture Fair had to take a break due to the pandemic. That both the organisers and the Scandinavian creatives and companies have integrated the current change into their work during this time became quite clear when the gates of Stockholmsmässan finally opened again from 7 to 11 February 2023.

Stockholm Design Week revealed that noise reduction can look good and smartphones are also changing our furniture. But just what is behind “New Nordic”?

Scandinavian design stands for simplicity, reliability and high-quality craftsmanship. At this year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair we were met with attempts to redefine such values in the 21st century.

When the fair comes to town, as in the Stockholm Furniture Fair and the Northern Light Fair – galleries, studios and showrooms across the whole of Stockholm open their doors and the crowds come flocking. There’s always something new waiting to be discovered – in homes, in an old building near the docks, a repurposed parking lots, or even an attic. The Stockholm Design Week team even went so far as to fill a tunnel with robots.

It was tough going for Cologne's furniture fair this year. But not everyone let the crisis get them down. There were some strong showings in connection with the imm cologne, but naturally this overview is incomplete and subjective.