Swedese is relaunching three classic chairs

Swedese is relaunching three classic chairs by Yngve Ekström at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2018: Caryngo, Thema and Lamino Rattan from the Swedese Archive

Swedese’s founder Yngve Ekström was one of Sweden’s leading furniture designers during the 1950s and 60s. He created one of the nation’s best loved armchairs, the Lamino (1956), a classic furniture icon that remains the top seller in the Swedese range. At Stockholm Furniture Fair 2018, Swedese is now relaunching three chairs from Ekström’s most productive era: Thema, Caryngo and Lamino Rattan.

Swedese’s factory and head office in Vaggeryd, southern Sweden, is home to the Swedese Archive, where all the company’s historical material is kept. From sketches via prototypes to classic original pieces, the archive is an endlessly updated treasure trove of Swedese history. From this rich archive, the company has selected three products that will now be brought back into production, all of which were designed by Yngve Ekström.

“We believe that by bringing back these three classics, we’re meeting the market’s demand for timeless design and sustainability. The three chairs, all of which are very different in their design and shape, also clearly show what a multifaceted designer Yngve Ekström was,” says Sonnie Byrling, CEO of Swedese

Thema 1953. Design Yngve Ekström

The Thema chair was undoubtedly the piece that launched Yngve Ekström’s career as a furniture designer. It was presented to the enthusiastic interior designers at Nordiska Kompaniet (NK), Stockholm’s most fashionable department store, in 1953 and the rest is design history. Thema is an early example of Swedish flatpack furniture design that was cheap to distribute and could easily be assembled by the customers themselves. The chairs were sold as sets of four in one pack, with the tagline “Four chairs in one box”. The unconventional design with crossed legs and low clothes-hanger-like backs is named after Bach’s piano variations. The frame is made from black lacquered birch with a seat and backrest in oak or walnut. RRP: SEK 5,375 in oak, SEK 6,125 in walnut.

Caryngo 1955. Design Carl Malmsten & Yngve Ekström

Caryngo was a unique collaboration between the two biggest Swedish furniture designers of the 1950s: Carl Malmsten and Yngve Ekström. Malmsten created the basic design and Ekström was responsible for the detailing. The first versions went by the name of “Model Yngve” but were later launched as Caryngo. The armchair’s solid oak frame and deeply sloping backrest are combined with glossy leather on the back and seat. The composition and the contrasts in the design and material choices make the chair feel both playful and serious at the same time. RRP: SEK 12,375

Lamino Rotting 1956. Design Yngve Ekström

Lamino is one of the most renowned armchairs in Swedish design history. Its comfort and neat elegance are typical of Yngve Ekström’s approach. Over the years, Swedese has updated the iconic design of the timeless original with the addition of new materials.

Back in the early 1950s, a precursor to the Lamino chair called “Kurva” was
available in a version with a seat and backrest made from rattan, and in the
early 2000s the company also sold a Lamino in rattan. Now the rattan
favourite is back from the Swedese Archive – a beautifully elegant armchair
whose natural colours accentuate the laminated bentwood that has been
such a feature of the Lamino and of Swedese since the very beginning.
Lamino Rattan is available as a limited edition. RRP: chair SEK 16,125: footstool SEK 5,875

For further information, please contact:

Trendgruppen PR, phone +46 8 23 00 21 or e-mail astrid.wallstrom@trendgruppen.se. High resolution images are available at www.trendgruppen.se/imagebank
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About Swedese:

Swedese is a family-owned Swedish furniture company founded in 1945 by Yngve Ekström and his colleagues. Today the company is owned by Anna Johansson and Julio Patino. All their furniture, for both domestic and professional environments, is manufactured in Vaggeryd and Äng using top-level craftsmanship that has been developed over more than half a century. Thoughtful and strong designs are translated into furniture with minimal environmental impact that should last at least one lifetime.

(RRP = Recommended retail price including VAT)