I got a chance to visit the Svenskt Tenn shop in Stockholm yesterday. If you’re not familiar with the company it’s a Swedish company, founded in 1924 by Estrid Ericson (a drawing teacher with an artistic nature) working with the designer Josef Frank. Svenskt Tenn’s design philosophy today is founded on Ericson and Frank’s shared conviction “that a home should be an eclectic mix of old and new, of different styles, colours and patterns”. The shop today exemplifies this. Frank’s beautiful patterns are front stage everywhere in the shop but the fantastic mix of materials, design and pattern both old and new continues to furniture, tabletop and other accessories. It’s one of my favorite environments, and as well one of my favorite companies. Today they are owned by the Kjell and Marta Beijer Foundation and which has as one of it’s goals to support the “continuation and preservation of cultural and aesthetic values with in the Swedish home interior design tradition.” I find this such an interesting crossroads between commerce and art and design.

I’ve taken lots more photos here.

We were lucky enough to be here for the launch of the new Josef Frank wallpaper collection, and to be given a wonderful tour by Thommy Binderfeld (Svenkst Tenn’s Creative and Marketing Director). For the event, the front gallery of the shop is filled with a wallpaper display.The original designs were re-configured to more closely match Frank’s original drawings, and two new prints were put in to production. The wallpaper is all printed in Sweden using the old tradition of distemper printing. The wallpaper can only be purchased from Svenskt Tenn, at their one shop, or online. 

See some more of our photos from our visit yesterday to Svenskt Tenn.

-cathy