Shifting borders at Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair

Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, February 3–7, 2015, has invited four interior designers to the Trend Exhibition 2015/16 to design spaces that could be found both in the home and in public places: a hotel lobby, lunch room, home office and bedroom.

The traditional boundary between home and public spaces is becoming more and more blurred. Our trends exhibit will provide inspiration and tips and show how this might look.
Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair Event Manager Cecilia Nyberg

The task of designing the Trend Exhibition 2015/16 has been given to designer Johanna Asshoff, Sweden; color expert Dagny Thurmann-Hoelseth, Norway; trend expert Stefan Nilsson, Sweden and interior stylist Lene Ostenfeldt, Denmark. The exhibit will be located in Hall C.

The Lunchroom – slow motion
Johanna Asshoff’s lunchroom is bright and uncluttered, with large, clean surfaces that create a clear space and leave room for the small details. In the design, she uses mainly natural materials, with green plants and luscious shapes embracing those entering the room.

-At a time when the pace of life around us is accelerating, when our lives are swirling and we are faced with a faster than ever pace of change, we need to find energy and repose. Lunch is the brief period of the day that gives us the chance to wind down and sit and talk with friends and colleagues. I want the lunchroom to breathe energy and light while being a place that inspires, empowers and allows time for contemplation, says Johanna Asshoff.

Johanna Asshoff is trained as an interior designer and designer at Carl Malmsten’s School and has run the Stockholm-based Asshoff & Brogård design studio since 2008.

The Bedroom – Scandinavian maximalism
Color expert Dagny Thurmann-Hoelseth’s bedroom highlights “Scandinavian maximalism”, a style characterized by more relaxed and informal standards than those of Scandinavian minimalism. There is a greater range in the use of colors. It is a mix of different idioms – expensive and cheap, with a focus on the Scandinavian – of both classic and contemporary design.

-I want to show the flexibility of Scandinavian design and the more maximalist approach to interior design, color deployment and composition. This is now about to assume a larger role in the market, but is by no means as well-known as Scandinavian minimalism. I would also like to explore hotels’ desire to become more personal, while many homes strive for a “hotel look" in their bedrooms, says Dagny Thurmann-Hoelseth.

Dagny Thurmann-Hoelseth, is an Oslo-based color expert whose work includes color and trend analyses and concept development for various brands.

The Home Office – new simplicity
In an era of flexible working hours and diverse work environments, trend expert Stefan Nilsson creates a home office focused on relaxation and beauty, but also efficiency. Among the most important trends of 2015 are “reduction" and "new simplicity".

-The trendiest thing you can do is to work two hours and then spend the rest of the day reading a good book, drinking tea and gathering energy. But that requires the two hours of work to be effective and focused, says Stefan Nilsson.

In the space we will show specific ideas for how one can quickly switch between the private and public. It's all about storage and solutions for putting things away and getting them out again. Everything in an environment must function for both unplugging and plugging in. Stefan Nilsson's design and trends expert and founded the Design Gallery design works in Stockholm in 2008.

The Hotel Lobby – luxury and grandeur
Lene Ostenfeldt’s hotel lobby is in a relaxed space where you can chill out, wait, read, work, enjoy a drink or a cup of coffee, just be yourself or socialize – and meet new people.

-In my design, I would like to raise our Scandinavian roots to a new global level. The space should exude luxury and extravagance and convey a warm, comfortable feeling. For some years now, the color white has ruled and minimalist design has been popular, but I want to work with a sensitively selected color scale. More color is on the rise and I hope to inspire more courage in décor, says Lene Ostenfeldt.

Apace with the technological revolution, where everything is technically possible, the feel of a home or public space plays an important role. A stylish decor isn't enough; the decor is successful only when we feel comfortable and can interact in a natural way with each other. Lene Ostenfeldt is based in Holbæk and works as an interior stylist, concept developer, design journalist and writer.

Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair will be held on February 3–7, 2015 at Stockholmsmässan.

For more information, please visit www.stockholmfurniturefair.com or contact:
Cecilia Nyberg, Event Manager, tel +46 8 749 43 86, cecilia.nyberg@stockholmsmassan.se
Lotta Signeul, Press Officer, tel +46 749 43 36 19, lotta.signeul@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. Stockholm Design Week is also running parallel to Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair.