Svenskt Tenn interprets Estrid Ericson’s interiors pre Josef Frank

The exhibition Sober and Elegant is a tribute to Svenskt Tenn founder Estrid Ericson and the interior style she advocated before her famous collaboration with Josef Frank began. The objects that were created then had a fastidious design, in contrast to the imaginative style that later came to be so strongly associated with Svenskt Tenn.

Estrid Ericson founded Svenskt Tenn in 1924 – 90 years ago this year.

’’Estrid Ericson has meant a lot for the Swedish design history. We want to present her early style using pictures and objects from that period combined with recent design that fits with it’’ said Thommy Bindefeld, Marketing Director at Svenskt Tenn.

Estrid Ericson, an accomplished designer herself, engaged famous artists of that time with her company, including Uno Åhrén, Björn Trägårdh, Anna Petrus and Edvin Öhrström. The objects and furniture were given a modernist, classicist design in accordance with then-contemporary ideals.

Estrid Ericson’s collaboration with Josef Frank began in 1934. She was captivated by his imaginative world of prints and his humanist interior design philosophy, and over time Svenskt Tenn came to be characterized by Josef Frank’s design language.

But in 1932, Estrid Ericson’s idea of interior decorating was still a different one: ’’Everything in the room should be sober and elegant. I staunchly stand by the neutral colors when it comes to interior decorating. The room must be calm and sensible, there should be no extravagance in colors,’’ is a quote attributed to her.

The exhibition opens on April 4 and runs through June 2 in the Svenskt Tenn store in Stockholm. Three new colourways of Svenskt Tenn’s single colour linen are also introduced: Aqua, Amber and Peach Pink.