Greenhouse the path to success for up-and-coming designers

It's time to apply to Greenhouse at Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair 2014. Greenhouse is the section where up-and-coming designers and design schools show off their prototypes to future partners, producers and customers. Several of the leading designers and design groups of our time have had their breakthrough thanks to their participation in Greenhouse.

Oki Sato, founder of Japanese design studio Nendo, was the Guest of Honor when Stockholmsmässan opened this year's Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair in February. He returned to the fair after exhibiting at Greenhouse in 2004, which turned out to be the initial spark for his successful career. But there are also more recent success stories from previous Greenhouse exhibitors.

In 2011, Christina Liljenberg Halstrøm decided to exhibit at Greenhouse. Christina lives and works in Copenhagen where she graduated from the design program at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2007. Prior to the fair, Christina had made sure to set up some meetings to ensure that her trip would not be completely in vain. The companies that ended up showing an interest in her outdoor furniture series still ended up actually showing up at the stand completely spontaneously.

"There was a woman from Danish W.A.V. (With A View) who walked by and just shouted "oooh, we've gotta have those'," says Christina Liljenberg Halstrøm with a laugh as she describes her first contact with the people who would eventually produce the seats she brought with her, "Beddo" and "Cover Up", both for outdoor use.

Industrial Designer Clara Lindsten, who was educated in Lund, decided to try to find funding for her products before she even exhibited them at Greenhouse 2012. That turned out to be a smart move. When she arrived at her stand to unpack the exhibition, she had already received the green light for the production of the "broom baskets" and the "Crystal pendant".

"It was extra special because it was the first time I exhibited anything on my own. I needed sponsors and contacted a large number of companies and asked if they would help me make prototypes. That led to a couple of them being so interested that they wanted to start producing and selling them right away.”

Once she was at the fair, an American buyer showed up and wondered whether it would be possible to mass produce the baskets, and it was. Now her "broom baskets" are being delivered by container across the Atlantic and sales have gained tremendous momentum.

Mattias Stenberg came from another trade altogether before he decided to get into the furniture industry two yeas ago. In 2012, he exhibited at Greenhouse with his "Demi Lamp" and "Carry on Seat", a stool for offices.

"I picked out a couple of relatively commercial products with an explicit purpose: to find producers. Since I knew that Design House Stockholm had recently invested in a glass plant down in Boda, I primarily had them in mind when I developed the 'Demi Lamp'," says Mattias.

He got in touch with Design House who was interested in producing his lamp, and he signed a contract with them within one week of the fair. As If that wasn't enough, his stool was very well received by another Swedish company, furniture producer Offecct.

Mattias' advice to people who want to exhibit at Greenhouse is to be active and make sure that the producers you are interested in find your stand.

"You have to work through your prototypes carefully. Presenting yourself as a first-time designer with a product that is not yet fully developed is difficult. It is much easier if you can show people something that can be put straight into production. That makes it easier for the producer to make a decision," says Mattias Stenberg.

The deadline to apply for Greenhouse 2014 is June 30, 2013 for schools and September 20, 2013 for independent designers and design groups.

The 2014 jury will consist of Gabriella Gustafson, architect, Anna von Schewen, architect and designer, Matti Klenell, architect and designer, and David Carlson, design consultant.

Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair will be held on February 4-8, 2014 at Stockholmsmässan.

To find out more, please contact:

Johanna Nilsson, Event Coordinator, +46 8-749 91 46, johanna.nilsson@stockholmsmassan.se

Ida Mlowe, Press Officer, +46 8-749 44 13, ida.mlowe@stockholmsmassan.se

Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair is the world’s largest meeting place for Scandinavian furniture and lighting design. Domestic and international visitors will find the most comprehensive selection of Scandinavian furniture, office furnishings, design, textiles, lighting and other interior furnishings for both homes and public spaces. The next fair will be held on February 4-8, 2014 at Stockholmsmässan. Stockholm Design Week is also running parallel to Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair. www.stockholmfurniturefair.com, www.stockholmdesignweek.com