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It was the pursuit of beauty and good instincts that drove Estrid Ericson to found the furniture shop Svenskt Tenn in 1924. Before long, the brand’s pioneering aesthetic and rejection of the popular functionalism would earn it a place in the design hall of fame. 100 years on, Svenskt Tenn continues to produce new designs as well as reproducing popular archive pieces, and in celebration of its centenary has a flurry of exciting releases on the horizon. So significant is Svenskt Tenn in the world of Swedish design that there will be a collection of stamps launching with select objects from the company's archive in Sweden.
The first shop was in Stockholm, the shelves lined with pewter objects made by Estrid and the artist Nils Fougstedt (Svenskt Tenn means Swedish pewter). Until then, Estrid had channelled her creativity into her work as an art teacher who dabbled in pewter art and set design. Reflecting on the early stages of the business in a later interview, Estrid admitted that she ‘was not very worldly and rather impractical’, and ‘relied entirely on the rather precarious future of good taste’. In 1927 the shop moved to the Stockholm address it still occupies today, at Strandvägen 5. Today it is a must visit for any design fan visiting Stockholm.
Since then, the brand has grown into a globally recognised trailblazer for whimsical furniture, textiles and accessories, aided in part thanks to the work of the architect and designer Josef Frank, who joined the company as head designer in 1934. His appointment marked a turning point for the brand. The vibrant use of colour and exaggerated botanical prints which characterise his work were a far cry from the minimalist designs around at the time.
Frank was a man with strong opinions, each shared by Ericson: rooms should be white, and furniture bright and movable. He believed that furniture shouldn’t create a visual block, and his pieces were always created with this in mind. Cupboards were placed high up on legs, so you could see the floor and wall beneath, and chairs had a gap between the seat and the backrest.
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Fast forward to 2024 and the popularity of his furniture and printed textiles endures. From January to December, Svenskt Tenn is planning various limited edition launches and exhibitions which showcase some favourite pieces as well as exciting unseen works.
Kicking things off, today it released ‘Svenskt Tenn Est. 1924’, an archive fabric design of Frank’s. Typically playful, the print was designed between 1949-1950 and depicts central Stockholm. The fabric is printed as in the UK by Lancaster based Standfast & Barracks, which, coincidentally, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, too. The printed fabric will be used to upholster a series of one-off pieces of furniture and lamps. The pattern will also be available as two different cushions, a tray, and on a silk scarf.
Arriving in shops this February and April respectively are two furniture designs, reproduced as limited editions. ‘The Stockholm Cabinet’ is believed to be designed between 1930-1950 by Josef Frank. The piece has never been in production before, so February marks its first time on the market. There will be 100 editions of the cabinet made, each featuring an antique map of Stockholm, drawn by lithographer Heinrich Neuhaus in 1875. It will be exhibited in the brand’s water-front shop in Stockholm as part of the first centenary exhibition, ‘The Clarity of a Room’ which will focus on Frank’s furniture designs.
Second to be reproduced will be the Noah’s Ark Nesting Table, originally designed by Nils Fougstedt in 1927. The set of three pewter tables are hand engraved in Stockholm by engraver Michiko Englund, and feature illustrations of animals. It’s due to hit the market in April.
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Michiko went to extraordinary lengths to recreate the piece sensitively: she researched the etching tools which would have been used at the time, and using a combination of these and more modern machinery she was able to recreate Nils Fougstedt's original as closely as possible.
Summer will see the opening of another large exhibition in the Stockholm flagship. As well as illustrating the brand’s rich history, it will feature never-before-seen designs and old favourites brought back into the range.
It is a celebration 100 years in the making, and one which pays tribute to Estrid Ericson’s exceptional life and work.
