DESIGNRO » stockholm fair

No Early Birds by Per Söderberg

Iulia Constantin — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:44:17 +0000

If you get easily confused when hearing the name of ‘No Early Birds’, we assure you this is no newly discovery of an animal species but a new furniture manufacturer established by the Swedish architect Per Söderberg and recently presented at the Stockholm Furniture Fair .

Holding a Master in design from the Domus Academy in Milan and running his own architecture firm in Stockholm for 14 years, Per states that No Early Birds is an overall result of all the places he has visited, interesting new faces he has met, and all the design and architecture he has experienced in his trips around the world.
The main reason for Per’s creation was to develop personal and responsible products that are caring, inspiring and emotional. The philosophy behind this furniture collection is to make conscious design, locally produced from natural Swedish materials with excellent manufacturing skills and high quality materials. This collection is seen as a basic yet strongly architectural formal language, with elegant and well thought through functional details. All these details, materials and surface treatments are chosen with great concern to environment, origin and sustainability, all the while being elegant and tactile. The materials are rich in contrast: vegetable-tanned Tärnsjö leather, waxed pine plywood, powder coated metal and brass.
This ‘emotional, uncompromising and honest’ collection is based on an ingenious cross leg inspired by a bird’s leg. With the leg as starting point, Per has created a range of stools, chairs, tables, benches, a shelving system, and also an elegant box to tuck away your belongings. The logo is inspired by the word “NO” as in the first word of the name, but also as a reaction to the uninspired traditional furniture industry.

‘Being both the designer and the producer, I have a unique perspective on how my design decisions affect the final product. I never feel that I have to compromise, since every decision is made from a holistic approach. Having a direct contact with the consumer has been very instructive and given me a humble approach.’

The iconic and architectural cross-leg structure is the main feature of the “No Early Birds”collection. Now it has been developed and stretched out to serve as the base for these fresh products.

The high stool is ideal for the kitchen island. You sit comfortably with both feet on the ground. The triangular seat in vegetable-tanned Tärnsjö leather is made to last.
The low stool and footstool use the same leather. The products came about when the artist was looking for an extremely low stool to sit cross-legged on. Unable to find it, he came up with the idea to stretch out the cross-leg structure. The result is an elegant clash between the powder coated metal and Tärnsjö leather.

The cabinet ‘La Pasticceria’ is inspired by the classic Milanese pastry shops that he has seen during his student years in Italy. This cabinet is a perfect place to put all of your sweetest things in, exposed or… unexposed.

Among Per Söderberg’s former projects you’ll find the storage system Funk from Asplund, private houses, shops, restaurants and office interiors for clients such as David Design, Moschino, J.Lindeberg and Orrefors.

The whole philosophy of the brand “No Early Birds” will continue to be a hybrid of design, lifestyle and fashion, because its creator can’t make up his mind and choose only one domain to include his work in.

No Early Birds
Per Söderberg

Fredrik Färg at Salone Satellite 2009 in Milan

Cosmina Dinu — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:55:25 +0000

First, I was attracted by its shape. And the very next second by its cover. Then, I learned its story.
Modus:cover is a cupboard distinguished by the fashion prevalent on the day it was built. The cupboard is covered with fashion magazines from its birthday, and is thereafter stained in black and varnished, and the magazines show through ever so slightly. A secret shelf inside the cupboard hides a magazine in original. The inspiration for this piece of furniture comes in part from the magical moment when one renovating an old house finds newspapers, as old as the house, behind the wallpaper. The historical context of the building suddenly stands before you!

Something seemed familiar at this cupboard and my intuition was right. The designer of Modus:cover is Fredrik Färg, whom I knew from Stockholm Furniture Fair. He is actually one of the winners of Glimåkra Designers Prize, distinction received for his Coat chair:

The intention with this chair was to fight against the trend of easy replacement of furniture and to create more confortable and durable pieces. Pieces that you fell in love with and you don’t get rid of them easily.

RE:cover – Bespoke dresses for old chairs.
On the same mindset, along with Modus:cover, Fredrik Fräg presented at Salone Satellite 2009 a range of found chairs rejuvenated with felt coverings.

The fabric structures are inspired by vintage tailoring.

The project looks to the beauty of those shapes that never change. Fredrik takes his inspiration from classic tailoring, such as suits and dinner jackets that never go out of style.

Material: Old chairs and a new cover of 100% recyclable polyester felt.

Fredrik Färg

Readers Nest, new useful object by WIS Design

Mihai Gurei — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:32:43 +0000

The nice people at the Swedish brand David Design know a thing or two about happy living. One of their new products launched this year at the Stockholm Fair is trying to solve a fairly simple problem: what to do with the stack of books some of us hungry readers tend to gather on the table near the bed or the favorite armchair? The Readers Nest by WIS Design solve the issue quite smoothly. The cute lacquered metal shelf will keep your beloved titles in order and also will function as an efficient bookmark. The product is already available. We would like to make also a suggestion: a version with integrated reading lamp will be great!

David Design
WIS Design