Australia meets Swiden

Posted by Tiffany on April 1st, 2011 2 Comments »

From Anna Engström in Boston last month, to Charlotte Swiden in Australia this month, we continue our journey to get to know independent Swedish designers who have found their own special nook in the world outside Sweden’s borders.

One look at their designs though and it’s clear – other influences may creep in, but their Swedishness is here to stay.

swiden_portrait_500 Charlotte Swiden at home with Aussie partner, Clem Stamation. photo: chris polack

In our exclusive interview with designer Charlotte Swiden, we hear how Sweden still inspires, even half a world away. Enjoy!

FS: Where in Sweden did you grow up?

CS: I grew up in Malmö, a small coastal city in the south of Sweden.

FS: Did you always know you wanted to be a designer?

CS: I was always determined to become a designer, but it was a long time before I discovered that combining illustration with product design would be my calling.

I’ve always had a passion for illustration but it was usually always separate from my design work. That was until a few years back when I landed a job as Senior Designer for a Swedish stationery design company here in Melbourne. Being set free to have my little sketches developed into complete collections, printed, displayed and sold world wide was a bit of a dream come true. It also inspired me to start my own business doing more of the same with a focus on home wares.

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FS: How do you describe your designs?

CS: Swedish, Happy, Colourful.

FS: It’s a long way from Sweden to Australia… how did that happen?

CS: I fell in love with Melbourne on a trip and decided to start a new life here. As a designer I was blown away by everything that was going on here, it was just brewing with talent.

Melburnians seemed to think less about “how, when and why” and more about following their hearts and learning along the way. Beautiful nature and the warmer weather also helped in my decision. I packed up my life in Sweden, sold my belongings, resigned from my job and made the big move to a country where I knew no one.

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FS: Do you find that the influences in your work now tend to be more Swedish, or Australian, or both?

CS: I find that the more time I spend living away from Sweden, the stronger my design influences from home are. It’s like when you grow up and realise that you’re actually very much like your parents even if you tried hard not to become like them. Then you start feeling good about it and appreciate who they are and what they stand for. Swedish Design is like my parents – can’t escape my genes. Maybe it’s nostalgia too, a way of re-creating what I grew up with and loved as a child.

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FS: Where do you get most inspired?

CS: I think visiting friend’s homes often inspires me for new products and designs. Just to see how they decorate, mixing old and new furniture and materials, their colour combinations, their art pieces etc. Scouting through op-shops and garage sales is another favourite. I also get a lot of inspiration from nature of course – trees, flowers, fruits, and the ocean.

FS: What is your studio like?

CS: My studio is in an old sewing factory which is now shared by a group of creatives. It’s a cosy, happy studio full of vintage furniture and bucket loads of things you can draw, paint or print with. It’s a little rough too, but that’s the way I like it. I can leave my paints out and not be too precious about getting things dirty.

Swiden_studio_500 Inside the studio space that Charlotte shares with fellow creative Melissa Pacella. photo: charlotte swiden

CS: The best thing about the space though is where it is and what’s around it. I love the fact that I’m surrounded by other creative minds, then when I step outside I’m in the middle of the buzzing city, and at the same time I can also relax and have my lunch on the sidewalk in the sun.

FS: Does your design style extend to your home as well?

CS: Clem, my partner and I, live in a small apartment in Brunswick. The block was built in the 70s so when we moved in we decided to renovate and decorate to match the era. Colourful, light and happy would best describe our home. Not too different from our own design work really.

swidon_lounge_500 Charlotte & Clem’s home mixes Australian and Swedish decor, down to the wooden floors. photo: chris polack

CS: Our style is a mishmash of Australian and Scandinavian design and decoration, most of which is from the 50s to 70s. We love to check out garage sales and markets for bits and pieces to add to our collection.

swiden_ceramics shelf_500 A shelf in the living room mixes porcelain from Aussie Martin Boyd with bric-a-brac and Blå Eld from Rörstrand in Sweden. photo: chris polack

CS: The apartment is full of stories and history from Clem’s Greek-Australian heritage and my Swedish life. Beautiful materials, well-designed items and brilliant graphics inspire us and fill our home.

swiden_bedroom2_500 Fabrics from Sweden adorn a bedroom marked by color and pattern. photo: chris polack

FS: Do you have any favorite items or collections?

CS: My Nils Strinning bookshelf is very dear to me. My Grandmother, Ragnhild, lived in a house full of 50s Scandinavian furniture. When she passed away no one in the family was interested in keeping any of it and it ended up at the tip.

I begged my mum to put this shelf away for me. So she packed it down and brought it over to Australia in her suitcase. The shelf reminds me of Sweden, the kind of design I love, and of my Grandmother.

Swiden_string bookshelf_500 A string bookshelf is one of Charlotte’s treasured heirlooms. photo: chris polack

FS: When you’re designing something, how does that design come together for you?

CS: Often it starts with a feeling. I’ll be out walking, see a pattern on the sidewalk, or a colour combination on a house wall, and suddenly I realise that it fits together with another idea I’d had in my head for a while. It’s a piece of a puzzle I wasn’t aware I was looking for.

I draw a lot with no particular direction in mind as well, and I often find that a doodle I made while talking on the phone will develop into a whole range.

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FS: What most inspired the tea towel designs we’re featuring this month?

CS: As a kid I loved picking raspberries, goose berries, apples, blackberries, strawberries, or rhubarb in my grandma’s garden, and getting covered in dirt and fruit juice gave me some unforgettable taste memories.

Somehow most of my illustrations seem to be inspired by nature, fruits and the green grass under my feet. Where I grew up and what I love is just what comes out when I draw (even some more Australian fruits sneak in every now and then).

The Pear was just one of those little doodles that kept re-appearing in my sketch book.

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FS: What is your biggest challenge now?

CS: I have so many ideas and sketches for new things, but I try to be patient and do one thing at a time. I have a folder of new designs on my desk labeled “future projects”, I’m itching to go in there again. Wish I could just produce them all tomorrow.

swiden_office_500 The work desk that Charlotte and Clem share. photo: chris polack

FS: What are you most excited about next?

CS: I’m going to Sweden for the summer and I’m very excited about traveling to the countryside, to spend lots of time outdoors, be with my family, and also to see some traditional handicrafts and art being made. My plan is to get very inspired and have a complete new collection ready by the time i get back to Australia!

swiden_shelf cu_500 photo: chris polack