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      Form Us With Love designs perforated steel furniture for its Stockholm studio

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      As part of Stockholm Design Week, Swedish design firm Form Us With Love has opened the doors to its new studio space featuring modular furniture informed by pegboard walls.

      Perforated steel units are dotted throughout Form Us With Love’s (FUWL) Stockholm studio, which is housed in a former travel agency.
      Form Us With Love’s Stockholm studio has furniture made from perforated steel”We’ve been dealing with this space for a good year and a half, and thinking about it for a good ten years,” FUWL co-founder John Löfgren told Dezeen.
      “It’s definitely a place that is a catalyst for what we’re doing – and we’re doing quite a lot of different things, so we need a really flexible space and we need a mobile space,” he added. “We tried to be smart about how you store things and logistics in general, really being economical with each square metre.”
      Large hangar doors can be used to divide the interiorThe 200-square metre studio space, which was created in collaboration with architecture studio Förstberg Ling and branding studio Figur, was designed to suit the needs of the FUWL team.

      Large floor-to-ceiling hangar doors hide an office area, workshop and kitchen while allowing the front of the studio to be sectioned off from the remainder of the space.
      The studio is showcasing material experiments on wheeled cabinetsThis allows the area to be used as an exhibition space, where FUWL is displaying some of its ongoing projects during Stockholm Design Week.
      Among these is a project that explores how toxic glass – a waste material from the glass industry – can be treated to separate the toxins from the glass.
      Five low, wheeled cabinets made from perforated steel were used to display the projects.
      FUWL has created multiple different storage unitsThese are just some of the storage units and room dividers that FUWL has made for the studio, drawing on materials found in its own workshop.
      “We have these boxes that were derived from the workshop, like ones you would have in the garage,” Löfgren said.
      “We started wondering what would happen if we move these things out in the open,” he added. “It started off as dividers and walls, but add some wheels and all of a sudden we are in the open space.”

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      The studio is currently using the modular units as a material library, a tool wall and storage for personal and studio use, as well as experimenting with new functionalities.
      Produced by Tunnplåt – a company that normally supplies lockers to schools, gyms and other public-sector interiors – the containers have a pattern of symmetrical holes.
      A material library is housed in their drawersThis was designed to make the reference to pegboard walls immediately recognisable.
      “We definitely experimented with patterns,” Löfgren said. “We still wanted people to have a smile on their face like: I can see where it derives from.”
      The pegboard-style furniture was informed by tool wallsRealising that the perforated steel units could be used to create a flexible interior was just a coincidence, Löfgren said.
      “I think it’s definitely a tool that incorporates how we want to work in the interior,” he said. “And I think that’s just been a coincidence.”
      “We were always looking for something that would help us have this kind of full flexibility, and still be able to do something both fun and functional,” he added.
      The studio was designed to be both practical and flexibleIn the future, the studio said it might also create the units in other colours. For its own office, soft grey tones were chosen to aid concentration.
      “We worked with tones of grey as a backdrop throughout the space to put focus on the creative processes taking place within,” architecture studio Förstberg Ling said.
      Form Us With Love has previously launched products such as Forgo, a soap designed to minimise carbon emissions and an IKEA chair made from recycled wood.
      The photography is by Jonas Lindström Studio.
      Form Us With Love’s studio is open to the public between 5 September and 9 September 2022 as part of  Stockholm Design Week. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Note Design Studio creates “unexpected” restaurant in historic Stockholm food hall

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      Off-kilter tiles set in thick blue grout clad the bar of the Tysta Mari restaurant in Stockholm, designed by local practice Note Design Studio.

      Tysta Mari is one of several restaurants set within the city’s recently renovated Östermalms Saluhall – a historic food hall housed in a brick building from 1888.
      Tysta Mari is a restaurant in the historic Östermalms SaluhallThe two-storey eatery serves up fresh seafood and Swedish dishes using ingredients sourced from the indoor marketplace that surrounds it.
      Local design firm Note Design Studio was invited to renovate the interior with the aim of creating a “welcoming environment that feels effortless, unexpected and full of charm”.
      Pale blue accents pop up in the eatery’s bistro tables and in the grouting of the barThe design team used a light, tactile material palette for the interior featuring mirrors, gauzy fabrics, textured walls, glazed ceramics and stainless steel.

      An eye-catching bar is located on the restaurant’s ground floor, visible both from the street and from inside the food hall. Designed to draw customers into the interior, this area is clad in glazed tiles surrounded by thick blue grouting and finished with detailing in polished stainless steel.
      A black metal staircase leads up to the second floorA black metal staircase leads up to a bistro and a private dining room with a large sharing table and balcony providing views of the entire food hall.
      Note Design Studio’s interior scheme was based on the four elements of earth, air, water and fire, according to the practice’s co-founder and design manager Cristiano Pigazzini.

      Note Design Studio creates warm-hued wine bar that doubles as an office

      This theme is picked up in the earth tone and texture of the restaurant’s walls, the smokey hue of the oak furnishings, the gauzy curtains and the ceramic tiles, which were designed to look almost wave-swept.
      “The light half-transparent textiles diffuse the incoming light to give an airy, soft accent to the other hard, heavy materials,” Pigazzini told Dezeen.
      This floor houses a private dining roomFounded in 2008 by Pigazzini and Johannes Carlström, Note Design Studio works across the fields of architecture, interiors, products, graphic design and design strategy.
      Other recent projects from the practice include a warm-hued wine bar that doubles as an office and a collection of pendant lights that recall cake sprinkles.
      All photography is courtesy of Note Design Studio.

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      Norm Architects creates inside-out greenhouse restaurant in a Swedish meadow

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      Danish studio Norm Architects has completed Äng, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Sweden that features a glasshouse entrance and a subterranean wine cellar.

      The restaurant is located in the middle of a meadow in Ästad Vingård – one of Sweden’s largest vineyards.
      Norm Architects has added the Äng restaurant to a Swedish vineyardThe main component of the restaurant is a minimal glass building supported by a steel structure. Its design resembles an inside-out greenhouse, with the steel structure on the inside and a smooth exterior that reflects its meadow surroundings.
      Accessed via a stone pathway that winds through the grasses and crops, guests enter Äng through a glass door, where the stone flooring continues inside.
      The restaurant has a steel structure surrounded by glass panelsThe entrance takes guests past an open kitchen with a stone counter and bespoke artworks of organic forms.

      Inside, the glass building is designed to give diners the feeling that they are sitting in the middle of the field with nothing but clear skies overhead.
      “With inspiration found in both the unspoiled Nordic nature surrounding the premises of Äng and Japanese sensibilities in design aesthetics and craftsmanship, the interior provides a holistic, sensory experience,” said Frederik Werner, partner at Norm Architects.
      A stone counter and oak furniture features in the open dining spaceThe interiors are furnished with oak furniture by Japanese brand Karimoku, for which Werner is the creative director, and wood and stone sculptures made by Norwegian artist Anders Pfeffer Gjengedal .
      The furniture include the Äng lounge table, which was designed exclusively for the restaurant and constructed from solid oak.
      Other bespoke pieces include an oak serving tray by Keiji Ashizawa and a solid wood trolley inspired by the umbrella and shoe racks by the entrance of Japanese temples.
      Solid oak furniture by Karimoku fills the spaceA range of tableware designed to complement the restaurant’s atmosphere was created in collaboration with Sweden-based design studio Bonni Bonne.
      The collection of plates and bowls are made from green wood, an ancient woodworking method that creates natural silhouettes and raw textures.
      A grey cube-shaped volume is surrounded by further seatingArtworks by Danish designer Sara Martinsen made from materials found in the forest are also displayed.
      Norm Architects said its aim was to carefully balance every element of the design from architecture to design, lighting, taste, smell, and sound.

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      “The fundamental ambition behind the Michelin-starred Restaurang Äng is in many ways in line with Norm Architects’ design philosophy of striking a delicate balance between all the sensory experiences that make up a space to create a harmonious setting, where all elements support one another,” explained Norm Architects partner Peter Eland.
      A series of stone sculptures from a quarry in Växjö, Sweden, reference the Japanese Karesansui gardens of raked sand and stone. These dry landscape gardens celebrate yohaku-no-bi, meaning the beauty of blank space.
      Stone sculptures from a Växjö quarry sit in the spaceThe interior also features discrete acoustic walls. Constructed from canvas, the studio specified the panels be made in a shade reminiscent of the jute sacks that are used to store grain.
      Bespoke cabinetry is filled with sculptures and ceramics by Viki Weiland and Ulla Bang, both artists who work with curved, simple forms.

      Ceramic pieces are on display in the restaurantAs well as the main restaurant spaces, Äng also has a hidden elevator that transports guests underground to a catacomb-like wine cellar with a dark lounge setting in its centre.
      “With the changing of light, we play on the phenomenon of chiaroscuro; a technique from visual arts used to represent light and shadow as they define objects in order to achieve a sense of volume,” said Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, architect and founding partner at Norm Architects.
      “When stepping into the shadows, the vision weakens while the remaining senses intensify. One automatically pays more attention to sounds, smells, tastes and touch and even the intuition and instinct are strengthened.”
      The cave-like wine cellar was inspired by the visual arts technique chiaroscuroTo emphasize the transitions from one atmosphere to another, the floor tiles in the wine cellar recall a brick floor to enhance the cave-like feel, while the main dining room has a wooden floor.
      Founded in 2008, Norm Architects says its work builds on the traditions of Scandinavian design. Other recent projects by the Danish studio include a spa-like dental clinic modelled on art galleries, and a Swedish forest retreat “designed for a simple life”.
      The photography is by Jonas Bjerre Poulson.

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      Oak furniture and parquet flooring feature in Scandi-style Asket office

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      Swedish studio Atelier Paul Vaugoyeau worked closely with fashion label Asket to design its minimalist office in Stockholm, which features oak wood tables, parquet floors and soft white furnishings.

      Atelier Paul Vaugoyeau has transformed a 450-square-metre space on a high street in Södermalm into an office and workshop for fashion retailer Asket.
      Asket has transformed an office space in StockholmThe single-story space, which is located within an 18th-century building, was previously occupied by two separate offices that had been divided up into several small rooms.
      The aim of the renovation project was to celebrate the character of the existing building and pay homage to its “industrial roots”.
      The designers referenced minimalist Scandi design”We wanted to ensure that the design honoured the building’s original industrial roots,” said co-founder of Asket August Bard-Bringeus.

      “The new headquarters is located in an old industrial building from the 18th century which is typical for the district of Södermalm – the former working-class quarter of Stockholm,” he told Dezeen.
      Large oak wood tables are dotted throughout to encourage collaborationBard-Bringeus decided to create a workspace where the fashion label’s employees could meet but also work on new designs for its clothing range.
      The renovated open-plan office consists of a meeting room, a small kitchenette and a designated workspace, which is stocked with tools such as sewing machines and materials to help them design and develop new garments.
      The office has a small kitchenetteIn an effort to embrace the building’s original features, the team chose to strip back the interiors, leaving the original parquet flooring and metal pipes exposed.
      “I’ve always been drawn to the functionalist design movement,” Bard-Bringeus explained. “The work of Dieter Rams was a formative influence – and especially his approach to involve as little design as possible. ”
      “So we followed this doctrine and stripped back the space, consisting of two offices with different identities, to its structural foundation.”
      Soft furnishings were chosen in muted tonesLarge tables custom made by Paul Vaugoyeau were installed in the middle of the main office space, as well as in the meeting rooms and dining area.
      Designed to promote collaboration, the tables are made from oak wood that was sourced in Nyköping – a municipality south of Stockholm.
      The studio hoped that the material, which is commonly used in Scandi interiors, would make the office feel timeless.

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      “What has proven to stand the test of time is the tactile beauty of natural materials,” said Bard-Bringeus.
      “We worked with a lot of wood which lends a natural warmth to the industrial features, balancing out the lustre from metallic fixtures,” he continued.
      “Instead of changing the given space, we worked with what was here and used natural, long living materials, such as metal and oak wood for a timeless design that will last and last.”
      Light enters through multiple generous windowsThe Asket office benefits from plenty of natural light through multiple large windows that provide generous views of the nearby Baltic Sea and the town.
      To amplify this and make the space appear larger, Bard-Bringeus and Atelier Paul Vaugoyeau cast the walls in muted tones such as brown and beige, while translucent cream curtains provide privacy in the two large working areas.
      Metallic tones contrast the warm wood furnitureScandi is a term used to describe designs from Denmark, Sweden and Norway – but has also become a buzzword for minimalist interior design that uses plays with tactile, natural materials.
      Other offices that exemplify Scandi design include Danish brand Menu’s showroom, office cafe and in Copenhagen, which was designed by Norm Architects and Norm Architects’ stripped-back workspace for Kinfolk magazine in Copenhagen.
      The photography is by Erik Lefvander.

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      Pastel colours and textured concrete decorate Stockholm hair salon

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      Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor has designed the interior for a minimalist hair salon that was informed by architect Carlo Scarpa’s geometric designs and the muted colours of 1920s swimming baths.

      Called Little Faktory, the salon was designed and renovated by the local architecture studio for hairdresser Sofia Geideby and is located in a former office in Stockholm, Sweden.
      Circle and square shapes define Little FaktoryWestblom Krasse Arkitektkontor overhauled the 220-square-metre basement space, which is over one hundred years old, to reveal its original textured concrete walls and exposed steel structure.
      As the salon is located underground, the studio explained that it also had to be “very careful working with artificial light”.
      Round mirrors hang above black chairsIts design for Little Faktory was intended to be minimalist and streamlined.

      “Our aim was to declutter the former office and create one big open space, making its four pillars the heroes of the main room again,” studio co-founder Jesper Westblom told Dezeen. “The challenge was to reduce, rather than to add things.”
      The salon features four original pillarsIn line with this pared-back approach, the firm painted the salon’s walls in a delicate, light yellow hue that intends to brighten its basement setting and maintain but soften the space’s industrial feel.
      Circles and squares are dotted throughout the salon in the form of mirrors and furniture. According to Westblom, they were informed by the geometric shapes seen in the late Italian architect Scarpa’s designs.
      The studio also drew on Scarpa’s use of contrasting colours.
      A washing station is located behind a perforated metal screenFreestanding haircutting stations are arranged in the centre of the salon’s main studio. These feature thick side tables shaped like plus-signs, as well as round mirrors mounted on powder-coated steel tubes.
      On one side of the main space, black leather chairs sit opposite a floating table that lines the concrete wall, above which embellished circular mirrors and square-shaped display shelves are positioned.
      Gustaf Westman recreated one of his mirrors in a bespoke colour for the projectA washing station can be found on the other side of the room, which is subtly separated from the rest of the area by a cloverleaf perforated metal screen that echoes the plus-shape used elsewhere.
      “The customer and the hairstylist represent one square each, on both sides, resulting in the plus shape,” Westblom explained.

      Nordic functionalism informs Stockholm beauty clinic by ASKA

      A colour lab, VIP area and private office space are located behind bespoke, glazed double doors, while the entrance stairwell is illuminated with spidery neon lights by designer Josefin Eklund.
      Also among the salon’s bespoke elements is a rectilinear mirror with a bulbous blue frame by Gustaf Westman, a design that the Swedish artist recreated in a custom colour specifically for the project.
      LED lights illuminate the stairwell in neonAll of Little Faktory’s interiors are created in a muted combination of the primary colours of red, yellow and blue, which Westblom explained is an ode to the salon’s slogan, “the colourful kind”.
      “We looked at some early, inspirational images that set the tone of the project,” he said.
      “One image, in particular, was of 1920s public baths with beautiful cream-coloured tiles, orange and red details and, of course, a blue swimming pool. This ended up forming our main colour scheme.”
      Mirrors shaped like paint splashes liven up the customer toiletThe project’s emphasis on colour is repeated in the customer toilet, where playful mirrors shaped like paint splashes are arranged opposite each other in an attempt to create an infinity effect.
      Little Faktory’s material palette includes rubber flooring, reeded glass and dyed fibreboard, which intend to complement the salon’s existing elements and provide functional solutions to its customers’ needs.
      Little Faktory is a basement hair salonJesper Westblom and Robin Krasse founded their eponymous Stockholm-based architecture firm in January 2021.
      Other recent hair salon designs that have colour and texture at their core include Danielle Brustman’s Mitch Studio – a Melbourne salon that features yellow accents and glass partitions – and Mood, a hair studio by Casa Antillón in Madrid with bold mint-green ceilings sprayed with insulation foam.
      The photography is by Mikael Olsson.

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      Nordic functionalism informs Stockholm beauty clinic by ASKA

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      Swedish architecture studio ASKA has drawn on the existing 1930s architecture for its refurbishment of Stockholm beauty salon MBS by Malika, adding arched shapes and oak veneer panelling.

      The beauty clinic in central Stockholm is located in a building designed in the Scandinavian modernist style known as Nordic functionalism – or simply funkis in Swedish.
      Doorways were given subtle arched shapesASKA, which is led by Polina Sandström and Madeleine Klingspor, made a number of structural changes to the space as part of the refurbishment, but wanted to keep the interior design both functional and stylish.
      The studio tore down most of the interior walls in the 70-square-metre salon to make more space for private rooms for its beauty therapists.
      The designers used oak veneer in reference to modernist designsAdditional walls were designed with the building’s modernist architecture in mind.

      “The new walls were designed in a way so they would go hand in hand with the rest of the architecture with oak detailing and structured glass, which also helps the daylight to get through the whole space,” Klingspor told Dezeen.
      “The centrally-placed dividing wall with the pseudo three arch was also an addition by us,” Sandström added.
      “From a functional aspect, it helps separate the public part of the clinic from the more private one.”
      A pale blue shade lines doorways and skirting boardsWood was used throughout the space, with oak veneer chosen as it was popular during the era when the building was constructed.
      The material added “the right nostalgic association” to the interior, while balancing out the otherwise clinical aesthetics and the salon’s cool colour scheme.
      ASKA aimed to create a light, clean atmosphere for the salon and chose to work with blue and white hues, with a pale blue shade lining the wooden skirting boards and door frames for a stylish contrasting detail.
      Colour was used to contrast against the abundant wood”We chose to add the popping blue colour because it works as a good contrast against the warm oak adding a fresh and clinical touch, while at the same time being a somewhat unusual choice for a beauty salon – adding a surprising element to the design,” Klingspor explained.
      In addition to changing the layout of the space, the studio also created a new showpiece for the salon, a tile-clad reception desk that greets visitors and references Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto.

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      “The reception desk is something of a key element that captures the essence of the concept in one piece – a homage to the functionalist era with a modern twist,” Sandström said.
      “The white tiles were inspired by Aalvar Alto’s interior designs and help define the shape of the desk-corners thanks to their slightly rounded aesthetic.”
      A tiled desk with a contrasting laminate tabletop was designed for the receptionBoth the shape of the desk and the materials were also chosen to evoke the era.
      “The compact laminate was also a material choice that is true to the mid-century design era, whilst the blue colour and dark blue grout add a bold, unique element to the expression,” Sandström added.
      “The different heights of the desk helps to create two different areas in a true ‘form follows function’ manner.”
      Cream-coloured manicure tables are dotted throughout the spaceASKA also designed cream-coloured lounge tables and nail manicure stations for the salon.
      The studio has previously created a hair salon in Stockholm that features an undulating ceiling installation that looks like dripping shampoo, as well as a pastel-coloured cafe that references Wes Anderson’s film aesthetic.
      The photography is by Mikael Lundblad.

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      Swedish forest retreat by Norm Architects is “designed for a simple life”

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      Norm Architects has converted a traditional timber cabin, hidden away amongst pine trees in a forest in Sweden, into a pared-back holiday home for families.

      The Copenhagen-based studio took a “back-to-basics” approach when it came to remodelling the two-floor building, which is positioned on top of a ridge.
      Norm Architects has converted a traditional cabin into a minimalist holiday home”Creating homes is often an exercise in restraint,” explained Norm Architects co-founder Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen.
      “And while the creation of a simple, authentic and welcoming space might seem effortless and natural once completed, the journey to simplicity and the exercise of finding essence is often rather complex and not an easy task.”
      The ground floor houses an open-plan living and dining areaOn the home’s ground floor, a cosy sitting room is dressed with a couple of plump greige sofas and a sheepskin-covered lounge chair, created by the practice in collaboration with Danish furniture brand Menu.

      One corner of the room is occupied by a wood burner in the same off-white colour as the walls, which were coated in dolomite plaster.
      Oakwood was used to craft the flooring and cabinetryOn the other side of the ground floor lies a dining area, anchored by a large timber table. Just behind is the kitchen, housing a series of handleless low-lying cupboards crafted from oakwood.
      Oak was also used to form the flooring and all of the doors throughout the cabin, which were designed by Norm Architects to act more like slender cabinet fronts so they don’t take up too much space.
      The doors are finished with circular brass knobs and extend all the way up to the ceiling, in a bid to make the rooms appear loftier.

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      A number of new windows were inserted into the cabin’s facade to allow more natural light into the interiors and reveal views of the towering pine trees outdoors.
      Distributed across the rest of the holiday cabin are enough bedrooms and wash facilities to accommodate two families, as well as a small sauna.
      Slim oak doors lead through to the bedroomsFor larger groups, the project also saw Norm Architects build a new self-contained annexe that can house a third family.
      Here, a raised daybed-cum-window seat was set up directly next to a vast wall of glazing, providing occupants with a place to recline and take in the scenery.
      “Designed for a simple life during both summer and winter months, the cabin is rustic yet refined, only equipped with the necessities when opting for a slow living,” the studio said.
      A large window with an integrated daybed provides views of the forestSweden’s lush natural landscape makes it a popular location for holiday homes.
      Dezeen has previously featured a number of other cabins in the country including Sommarhus T by Johan Sundberg, which takes cues from traditional Japanese architecture, and a seaside villa by Studio Holmber with serene plywood-lined living spaces.
      The photography is by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects.

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