Scandinavia’s largest design fair, Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair is held in Stockholmsmässan Stockholm on 7 to 11 February 2023 showing the companies news of Sweden and internationals related to sectors Home decoration, Furniture, Lighting. Beyond presenting work from local and international brands, the programme is set to include dedicated exhibitions on Scandinavian design and circularity.
Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair has grown into what is generally considered as one of the two top-notch furniture fairs in Europe. As the world’s leading meeting place for Scandinavian design, this year, more than 400 exhibitors from 31 countries take part in the event. This year, the fair attracted 26,500 visitors, of which 525 were accredited media representatives. The industry days attracted 80 percent of the visits in 2020. To open so strongly after a three-year hiatus reflects the strength of the exhibitors and the importance of the platform in attracting visitors to Stockholm on a larger scale.
To meet up with like-minded and get inspired by the latest in Scandinavian design, with easy access to both designers and decision makers, get an overview of all that’s new and upcoming within the field of Scandinavian furniture and lighting design. Stockholm Furniture Fair also organized three different press programs with journalists from a large number of newspapers and magazines.
The Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair has been Scandinavia’s leading interior design fair since 1951. At the same time as the Stockholm Furniture Fair, the Northern Light Fair takes place—the trade exhibition for lighting. The trade fair duo and takes place annually in Stockholm. It is an important event for Scandinavian design and a unique experience for trade visitors from all over the world. On the last day of the Stockholm Furniture Fair, private individuals are also welcome to find out about the latest products and trends in home furnishings and lighting.
Stockholmsmässan, which is Scandinavia’s largest exhibition and congress center. During Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, Stockholmsmässan’s 70,000 square meters are full to bursting point with the latest innovations within interior design and lighting for both homes and public spaces. New products, new materials, new knowledge, new trends, new business, new contacts and new environmental and technological solutions are displayed in a both informative and inspirational manner. The exhibitions are of the highest rate and the seminar program is extensive. The first days of the fair are restricted to professional visitors while the concluding Saturday also is open to the general public.
Events at this year’s fair include exhibitions presenting up-and-coming designers’ work, a series of architecture and design talks and The Scandinavian Design Awards. The exhibition Now or never – 1 kg CO2e focuses on “different materials affect our surroundings – and what difference our choices make”. The fair has a packed program of architecture and design talks that run through the week, with speakers including designers Sabine Marcelis, Stephen Burks and Raw Edges as well as architects Anders Lendager and Victoria Millestrup.
This year a number of new exhibition spaces at the fair, including the Gallery Edition, which aimed to strengthen the synergies between the fair and the design week – and the Nude Edition, exploring a new and more sustainable fair format. We were also happy to have had a number of guest exhibitions exploring materials and waste, such as Now or Never and Closing the Loop. At the fair was Swedish Design Movement in a space designed by Note design studio, with a dedicated program with interesting talks during the whole week.
The Gallery Edition was one of the the new spaces at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2023, with the aim to strengthen the synergies between the fair and the design week in the city. The Gallery showcased selected news from participants in Stockholm Design Week, in an exhibition beautifully curated by Sophia Bratt. This year we met news by furniture and lighting brands such as Fogia, Atelje Lyktan and Dahl Agenturer, as well as independent designers such as Katrin Greiling.
Highlights
The Stockholm Furniture Fair showcases the latest trends and innovative new products in design, and acts as a melting pot for buyers, architects, designers, press and influencers from around the world. Showcasing innovative product prototypes, the fair’s Greenhouse platform invites unknown and emerging designers and design schools from all over the world. The fair also coincides with Stockholm Design Week, which hosts over 400 design-related events throughout the city.
This annual furniture and lighting exhibition is the largest in Scandinavia, showcasing over 400 exhibitors including brands, Exhibitors for 2023 include Tableu from Denmark, Pyton Gallery and Kiosken from Norway and Stockholm Modern, Coulisse Gallery and Veermakers from Sweden. The artist Fredrik Nielsen showcases the installation Mixed Emotions and the curated exhibition New Narratives shows new and unique work from a number of Swedish designers and artists. Also Tokio from Slovenia, Navet from Sweden and the Swedish sculptor and designer Kajsa Melchior will show their work here.
Guest of honour
One of the highlights at the fair is the Guest of Honour, a highly respected international designer or design group who is asked to create an installation in the fair’s entrance hall. Other highlights are the Greenhouse section, where new talents are given the chance to show their prototypes and meet manufacturers from the furniture industry, and the Stockholm Design & Architecture Talks, the Fair’s forum for knowledge and discussions concerning design.
Design studio Front has been chosen as the Stockholm Furniture Fair’s Guest of Honour. Front is the first Swedish design studio to receive the recognition and they will show parts of their long research project focused on Swedish nature. The studio exhibited at Greenhouse when it was a newly found design studio, and as part of this year’s fair, it will create an installation.
Front works in an art and research driven way and moves freely between the industry and the gallery world. The duo, Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren, exhibited at the Greenhouse area for young talents early on their careers. The Guest of Honour exhibition they created for the 71st edition of Stockholm Furniture Fair will continue to Vandalorum, a museum of art and design located in Värnamo in south of Sweden.
Älvsjö gård
Älvsjö gård is a new platform for experimental, research driven and collectible design, set in a 16th century building right next to the fair ground. With its close proximity to the Stockholm Furniture Fair it has a unique position to showcase limited and small scale design to a wide audience. The exhibition will showcase work from design galleries, makers, independent artist and designers
Exhibitors for 2023 include Tableu from Denmark, Pyton Gallery and Kiosken from Norway and Stockholm Modern, Coulisse Gallery and Veermakers from Sweden. The artist Fredrik Nielsen showcases the installation Mixed Emotions and the curated exhibition New Narratives shows new and unique work from a number of Swedish designers and artists. Also Tokio from Slovenia, Navet from Sweden and the Swedish sculptor and designer Kajsa Melchior will show their work here.
Greenhouse
Greenhouse, the international platform for up-and-coming designers, continues to grow and flourish. Be inspired at Greenhouse – where seeds grow and wild ideas thrive. This is one of Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair’s most popular and written-about areas. Here, design schools and promising young designers from around the world compete for the chance to present their work and meet future partners, manufacturers and the media.
Greenhouse is a platform for young design talent. For the 2023 edition, 32 designers and 30 design schools from 18 countries exhibited in the area. The Greenhouse Bar by Nola, designed by urban furniture brand Nola in collaboration with designers Anki Gneib and Mia Cullin, formed a central meeting point for new ideas and conversations as well as a stage area for panel debates and talks.
The bar Underbar
Interior architect Jonas Bohlin and designer Christine Ingridsdotter will create the bar Underbar in Hall B from carefully selected components. The bar aims to be a meeting place created with care and imagination, where new creations designed by Bohlin will also be on show for the first time. The bar was made from carefully selected materials that will be reused after the fair, and the furniture and new lighting showcased in the bar will find new homes in other restaurants and bars in the Stockholm region.
Now or never – 1 kg CO2e
1 kg CO2e showed how different materials affect our climate impact, and what difference our choices make. The exhibition was organised by Emma Olbers, designer and sustainability strategist, together with the design and innovation agency EY Doberman. Doconomy, Polestar, Nrep and Ludvig Svensson were also participating.
Closing the Loop
Closing the Loop will be a guest exhibition by the design platform Solaris community that unveils how approximately 11 million tons of plastic that end up in our oceans every year. With upcycling as a key circular economy driving force, the exhibition showcased art, furniture, lighting and fashion created by designers and brands such as Karim Rashid, Pierre Balmain, Swarovski and Julia Koerner. Closing the Loop is made by Solaris Community in collaboration with Materialbiblioteket.
The Nude Edition
The Nude Edition is a new exhibition area created with pre-built stands made of recycled material that will include Reform Design LAB and Hans K. The stands are measuring 15 square meters, and the material will return to be recycled after use. The area is a step towards a more sustainable way of exhibiting and exhibitors in Nude Edition 2023 include Reform Design LAB and Johanson. The material partners for the stands are Recoma and Tarkett.
The Gallery Edition
The Gallery Edition is an exhibition designed by stylist Sophia Bratt, which aims to offer companies from the city a chance to showcase a product during Stockholm Design Week, with the aim of strengthening connections between the city and the fair. The area is highlighting selected news from furniture- and lighting brands exhibiting at Stockholm Design Week in the city. With the aim to strengthen the synergies between the fair and Stockholm Design Week, it offers brands an opportunity to be present at both places and gives fair visitors a short cut to some of the news launching in the city. The material partners for construction and flooring in The Gallery are Recoma and Tarkett.
Ung Svensk Form – Young Swedish Design
Ung Svensk Form is an annual award and touring exhibition that showcases young Swedish talent, organised by Svensk Form. The exhibition will be centrally located in Greenhouse. The 25th edition of Ung Svensk Form was presented in an exhibition Greenhouse during the fair. This year’s line-up was brimming with circular ingenuity, – how to reuse materials and learn from nature as a problem solver.
Scandinavian Design Awards
The Scandinavian Design Awards is a new award initiated to celebrate the best design, architecture and interiors in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The awards consist of eight categories, including Architecture of the Year and Sustainability Award of the Year. The winners will be presented at a ceremony and dinner in the Stockholm City Hall on February 6 and displayed in an exhibition in Hall B at Stockholm Furniture Fair.
Seminars
Stockholm Design & Architecture Talks aims to offer a dedicated program securing its position as one of Scandinavia’s leading discussion platforms for design and architecture. Stockholm Furniture Fair with keynote speakers and inspiring design and architecture talks throughout the week. Amongst the speakers on the main stage for the 2023 edition were designers such as Sabine Marcelis, Stephen Burks and Raw Edges as well as architects such Anders Lendager and Victoria Millentrup from BIG.
Stockholm Design Week
Stockholm Design Week is organized by Stockholm Furniture Fair and in February 2023, the festival features a programme of exhibitions at galleries and museums, showrooms and parties. More than 100 furniture brands, design studios and museums opened their doors to an international audience in Stockholm. Design Week is open to both the industry and design enthusiasts, and the interactive Stockholm Design Week app lists daily activities and events to attend.