I just wanted to say *thank you!* to all of you who came out for the event! Also to the folks at Zinc Details who have encouraged our little start-up here at From Sthlm from the beginning.

If you’re in San Francisco, the display will be up through the end of March. Go check it out!

Zinc Details 1905 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

Just before the reception, and we’re all set!

Goodies from Ikea (duh). tasty + authentic Swedish favs.

Hand-painted kokeshi nesting dolls… Where’s the wee little one? Didn’t make the shot I guess.

Guests arriving… problem is, as soon as I get chatting I forget to take pictures!

This couple couldn’t resist buying a Bantie table runner. *yay!*

Happy faces, that’s good.

All in all, a very good night.

Thanks all!

With so much wonderful feedback, we decided to go back to Maria to find out a little more about her inspiration in general and the items we’re featuring this month in particular.

Here’s what she had to say…

Maria working away… on a very cold winter day!

FS: We’ve gotten a glimpse into your fantastic studio already. What are some of your favorite things about it?

Maria: My studio is an old shop with high ceilings and a huge beautiful front window. It´s situated in the centre of Stockholm, at Kungsgatan. So it’s close to everything, I have everything in walking distance (I live in an apartment just across the street). And that’s important for me as a designer. To get out, to meet people and see trends… to get input!

Maria’s big window on the world

FS: How would you describe your design style?

Maria: I’m striving for graphic harmony and simpicity using geometric shapes. And I give letters character in the same way.

FS: How does a design come together for you?

Maria: Every design starts with lots of study and collecting. Then comes the huge process of reduction. I seldom know at the beginning how the design will look in the end. It’s a journey that makes designing so exiting!

I also think it’s very important to have the time to let the design mature, to let it rest, to come back after some time and then reduce even more……then suddenly it takes on its own distinctive character.

One of Maria’s most recent additions… the London tray

FS: I know the details are as important to you as the overall impression. What will we find if we look closely at the Stockholm tray?

Maria: I always try to build up levels of impressions…

Some people know Stockholm very well and they’ll of course understand the sublime details. For instance, The “T” in Stockholm is also the shape of a well-known restaurant named Gondolen. So to do a “portrait” of a city you must know it well. It should feel like it was done by someone who lives there.

My favorite part in the design is the five skyscrapers “Hötorgsskraporna” built in the fifties and sixties. But in real life my favorite part of Stockholm is the waterside of course. Stockholm is a Northern Venice.

Maria has made the “T” in the shape of a popular Stockholm restaurant called Gondolen… easy to recognize for a Stockholm local.

FS: Another one near and dear to you I know is the Kingdom of Sweden kitchen towel. What do we see there?

Maria: I thought a could do a portrait of Sweden but it’s hopeless since there is just too much to show. So it ended up with three perspectives, nature, culture and design… more like a poster, but on a towel. I often frame my tea towels. It looks great on kitchen walls!

There are many different symbols in the pattern. In the back you can see the midnight sun over the old “fjällen” (mountains) with snow on the tops. Lots of water in lakes and rivers. And nature with endless wild woods. Two birds in love are enjoying a meal shaped like a heart… the smaller red bird has a royal crown and it’s easy to think about the upcoming royal wedding in Sweden.

Famous Swedish botanist Carl von Linné is represented by his favorite flower and little red cottage.

A small fragile flower named “Linnaea borealis” is there too. It was Carl von Linné’s favorite flower. And the red little cottage was one of his houses in Råshult.

A line with small berries stands for the Swedish “Allemansrätt” – the law in Sweden that gives everyone the right to stay and enjoy the wild nature in Sweden, including picking berries, flowers and mushrooms.

Lastly, the big tree is a favorite motif. It’s a symbol of grand nature but also a symbol for life itself and generations all common rooted.

Maria’s dishcloths sit comfortably with nature. They’re made of trees after all, and will help things grow when you’re done with them.

FS: Speaking of nature, one of the items we’re featuring this month, the dishcloth sponges, are new to us in the US. But they were developed with nature in mind – and what a great everyday palette for good design! What role do they play in Swedish households?

Maria: This kind of dishcloth is sold all over the world today, but it was invented in 1949 by engineer Curt Lindqvist in Sweden.

It absorbs up to 15 times its own weight and
is made of natural cellulose and cotton fiber, which makes it naturally compostable.

Every household in Sweden uses it every day. It’s easy to wash and it’s very environmentally friendly.

FS: Lastly, you’ve given us a more abstract but every bit as striking pattern with the “Coffee in Bed” tray. Can you tell us about that?

Close up of Maria’s Coffee-in-bed tray with its old fashioned patchwork pattern.

“Kaffe-på-sängen-brickan”, or the “Coffee-in-bed tray”, is a small reminder of how nice it is to treat someone you love, spoil your friend with a nice cup of coffee on a tray in bed. It’s such a nice way to wake up. And perhaps there is a croissant there as well…

The design and shapes are like an old-fashioned patchworked bedspread. I always cut out pieces of my husband’s old worn but much-loved shirts and pieces of my children’s old clothes. One day I will put every piece together into a lifelong memory bedspread….

It’s all part of the same message I like to send out. Enjoy life, every minute! And spoil your near and dear! Give and get!

:: all photos © www.fromsthlm.com ::

Wilhelmina Wiese (left), one of the two talented ladies behind Bantie, visits me (right) in San Francisco.

Over coffee we celebrate a happy meeting with Zinc Details and make our plans.

Started showing real signs of life this past week…

Days leading up to the big event are spent visiting craft and diy stores and learning to wallpaper. (not so hard it turns out)

…and taking over our family room to make a (very nice don’t you think) sign just for the occasion!

And now it’s turned into something really exciting, that finally I can show you.

The Bantie display at Zinc Details on Fillmore Street in San Francisco is up!

The opening reception is tonight from 6-8pm, so come join us if you can. Otherwise if you’re in the area, the display will continue through the end of March.

Let me know what you think of Bantie’s fabrics.

And if you have a shop where you would like to feature Bantie too, please get in touch!

Now that we’ve brought Bantie to the US, they’re just too darn good to stay a secret. :)

Celebrate with us on Friday, March 5th at Zinc Details in San Francisco.

We’ll be kicking off a very exciting new endeavor to bring independent Swedish design to retail shops across the US. That’s right, From Sthlm is now distributing as well!

Join us as we launch with textile brand Bantie’s US premiere. You’ll recognize the work of these talented ladies as our featured designers last month.

Already well established in their home country of Sweden, Bantie marks its first foray into the US with a reception and month-long display at Zinc Details on Fillmore Street.

The display will be designed for impact, covering a 14-foot wall with Bantie’s vivid orange, red, yellow, black and white patterns and products just in time for spring.

The patterns are both contemporary and timeless, combining inspiration from Japan and the natural forms of Scandinavia with top quality craftsmanship from the longstanding tradition of Sweden’s Ljungbergs textile factory. This is the same factory that produced Stig Lindberg patterns in the 50’s, and continues to do so today.

Products will include home interior pieces such as table runners, cushions, placemats, serving trays and even wallpaper, with personal items like shoulder bags and pouches. All products are for sale.

This is the second time we’ve worked with Zinc Details, another company committed like us to promoting the exceptional work of independent designers.

Opening reception

When: Friday, March 5th from 6pm – 8pm
Where: Zinc Details, 1905 Fillmore Street, San Francisco

* The Bantie display will continue through the end of March.

Maria Holmer Dahlgren’s happy patterns are enough to make winter blues last month’s news.

Served up on trays, kitchen towels and dishcloths, her art brings a welcome pop of color and personality to any space.

And it’s not just good for your home, it’s good for the environment too.

Buy with confidence knowing you have something built to last that won’t leave a permanent mark once you’re done with it!
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Maria Holmer Dahlgren always has time for a laugh in the cheery studio she shares with fellow designer Åsa Kax Ideberg of EmyLittle.

A shabby chic bench is oh so welcoming (above), and Åsa’s EmyLittle designs (below) make a sweet complement.

It’s a lovely bright space tucked away in a cozy corner of Kungsholmen, one of the 14 islands that make up Stockholm, just a stone’s throw from home. Everywhere are the unmistakable signs of Maria’s creativity. Patterns, products, and works in progress are displayed throughout the space, lining shelves from wall to wall.

Maria’s studio is a feast for the eyes with her distinctive designs everywhere

Behind Maria’s desk hangs a rug she designed to commemorate the special years she spent in New York while still in school. It was done as a gift for a dear friend who was there with her in 1981. Because of a collaboration with A-carpet, any of Maria’s patterns can be made into rugs.

Some of Maria’s products including her New York rug (top right) and a bit of inspiration from Picasso

Maria produces most of her products through her own company, Metagram Art, but also collaborates often with other designers. She recently started a new endeavor with designer Barbro Tryberg Boberg of Formverket. Their partnership is called BOM United [BOM=Barbro och(and) Maria], and they’re already producing a fun new line of products for the home that we can’t wait to bring you soon here at From Sthlm.

BOM United stamp, ready for use, and another of Maria’s font-centric patterns below

Maria is all about experiencing the most out of life, and her joie de vivre is positively contagious. You feel it when you’re with her, and it radiates from every piece she produces. One of the reasons Maria has focused so much attention on city names is because it gives her a chance to really investigate new places and get to know them on her own terms.

Maria’s most popular city tray, available this month during March at From Sthlm

Her designs often include well-known landmarks and personal preferences alike. If you look closely, you may even spot some political and cultural commentary. One symbol that reappears in the Sweden-themed designs is two birds together, meant to represent the love between Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling, and their upcoming marriage.

The fun is in the details, as in this little symbol of two lovebirds… the royal couple set to marry this summer.

Maria Holmer Dahlgren’s long track record includes co-founding and designing for the high-end stationary company Ordning & Reda. She also created the graphic identity for the stylish hotel “Rival” in Stockholm, owned by ABBA’s Benny Andersson. In the months leading up to the hotel’s grand opening in 2003, the entire 99-room building was draped in a sheath of Maria’s logotype, dominating one of Stockholm’s main squares. As luck would have it, there is a picture on the Rival site, but I haven’t chased down permission to use it here.

Maria has done many different kinds of things including the book covers seen here – always with a nod towards bold font and graphic design.

With so much accomplishment behind her, Maria is still convinced that her best work is yet to come:

“Today I have the experience, but I’m still curious. I’m humble but also proud and stubborn. When I was younger I just kept adding, but today I can afford to be picky and allow myself to subtract. The sum of that has a greater balance.”

Well Maria, you better believe we’ll be here waiting in anticipation to see what you do next!

::: all photos belong to www.fromsthlm.com :::

This month only… Buy the happy patterns of Maria Dahlgren on trays, dishcloths and kitchen towels at From Sthlm!

We invited some of the friends and very talented designers we’ve met over the past year to our place for semla fika.

Semla is a special cardamom spiced roll with almond paste, milk and whipped cream inside. So yummy, and such a tradition this time of year it even had its own holiday on Tuesday.

Fika is a social institution and national pastime. It’s coffee with friends, a little break in day to get together and chat. The phrase “coffee break” in English doesn’t have quite the nice feeling attached that fika does.

And it was a little celebration too. Our first anniversary in business and the zero anniversary of From Sthlm distribution. Yes, I have some big news to come. (!)

I’ll be posting my favorite furniture and lighting finds here, along with some of the up and comers I discovered in the student exhibitions. Though this site is normally all about love for the Swedes, the Furniture Fair gives us the perfect opportunity to admire work from all over. You’ll have to let me know what you think.

For now, here’s a glimpse inside.

Hand dyed and pleated flower lamps in shibori technique by artist Eva Davidson, as part of the Konsthantverkscentrum display.
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Lamps from Secto Design.
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Moroso display featuring the Shadowy deck chair by Tord Boontje.
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Bolon made a splash with their promotional concept for their new line of environmental flooring. The campaign which features large flowers made of flooring was conceived by the design group Form Us With Love.
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The Morris table in many colors by Original Habitek Works.
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I loved the PXL drop-shaped pendant lamp from Zero last year, and I love their new variation too. Textile company Kvadrat featured a lovely slate of colors.
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Gärsnas had a number of pieces that premiered at the fair. For more information on them, check out my post on Dwell.com!
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More to come soon… promise!

This week saw a whole slew of new furniture introduced at the Stockholm Furniture Fair including one of my favorites, the Snowflake table by Claesson Koivisto Rune. It’s made using a process that cuts every table top differently so that no two tables are the same.

In addition to posting my favorite finds here at From Sthlm, I also have the great honor of covering the fair for Dwell.com.

So for the full story and more pictures of Claesson Koivisto Rune’s Snowflake tables above, click on over to my post at Dwell.com!