Nordic Living no8: Home Office the Scandi way

NORDIC g in Liv ISSUE NO.8 | SEPTEMBER 2015

New Beginnings

The first weeks after a long summer is one of my best time of the year. You have a long season filled with new and exciting activities ahead, and it is the perfect time for new beginnings.

It is also the perfect time to redo your home. Add some darker colours, a few new candles and lamps and you’re all set for the coming dark days. The home office is also the perfect start to get more structure and energy, and that is why we did a home office special in this issue.

We also took a roadtrip to Copenhagen, to meet with the amazing Josephine Senger, founder of Aperie. She has a lot of passion for making the world a better and more beautiful place. Make sure you read her story.

Do you know the story about Scandinavian design? If not, don’t miss the story giving you the basics on the topic.

Welcome, we hope you enjoy this issue. Thank you for reading, following and supporting us!

Maria Richardsson Founder and CEO of Nordic Design Collective Ps. As always, we love to hear your what you think about our work! Tell us through social media or send us an e-mail. We want to hear it all - the good, the bad and the ugly.

CONTENT Home Office for the new season

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What is Scandinavian Design?

Trend: Forest Greens

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Meet the designer: AnnaCarin Isaksson Interview: Meet Aperie Meet the designer: Tian Gan Statement Pieces

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A day in the life of: Studio Äppel Päppel

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Nordic Living is a magazine created by Nordic Design Collective, all rights reserved. www.nordicdesigncollective.com | info@nordicdesigncollective.com

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HOME OFFICE FOR Paint your walls in grey, add some pastels and mix it with natural materials like cork, wood and leather.

Now you’re all set with the hottest home office of all for the new season!

Styling and photo: Maria Richardsson and Angelica Olofsson

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THE NEW SEASON

Products in picture (from top left): Dot ceramic pot by Camilla Engdahl, Koto scented candle by Skandinavisk, Under the Cherry Tree postcard by Majali Design & Illustration, Haväng postcard by Dan Isaac Wallin, Urban Cube Calendar in cork by Jollygoodfellow. ABÇ-poster

by Jollygoodfellow, Harmony poster by Details by M, Clutch/iPad cover Garance and Frances leather paper tray by Aperie, Sailor notebooks by Sabina Wrobleski Gustrin, Pop Funky mug by Carina Björk Design, Dot ceramic pot by Camilla Engdahl, Arthur leather pen holder by Aperie, Triangle Wood notebooks by Lucky Me Studios.

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Scandinavian design refers to the design movement that emerged in the 1950s in Denmark, Sweden and Norway – also known as Nordic design when it comprehends Finland and Iceland as well. It belongs to modernism, a movement characterized by functionality, minimalism and simplicity of forms. Scandinavian design is based in three main pillars: design accessible for everyone; minimalistic and functional beauty; and optimal use of natural resources.

Text: Evelise Biviatello

Scandinavian design is highly influenced by the history of Nordic countries: while the rest of Europe favored an opulent and wealthy design, northern Europe focused on functional forms. This could be explained by the fact that Northern countries became industrialized relatively late compared to the rest of Europe, keeping the traditional crafts preserved in their unadulterated form for longer.

Another important factor that contributed to the development of this style lies in the fact that Scandinavian life revolves around the home: with a rough climate and long winters, the home had to be comfortable and cosy, as this would be the place where families would spend most of their time. That is why despite their minimalistic and functional approach, a truly Scandinavian home radiates warmth and is very “liveable”.

Another aspect that influenced Scandinavian design is the Lutheran philosophy based on Protestant values of rationality and humanity, which can be

translated into principles of democracy and equality, where aesthetics of such design was intended for everyone.

Lastly, due to the harsh weather conditions, Scandinavians developed a deep respect and appreciation for nature, that can be considered the mother of all Scandinavian design inspiration. This reflects in the sustainable use of natural resources, and in an interior design that favors natural elements such as wood, natural light, metals, leather and glass.

Even though Scandinavian design is a term that generalizes the region’s style, each country has its particularities.

According to the design critic Anna Stenros, “the Danes are slightly more southern, the Finnish slightly more eastern, the Norwegians slightly more northern and the Swedes keep the golden mean.”

WHAT IS SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN?

Poster “Pinnstolen” by Magdalena Tyboni

Trend

FOREST GREENS A strong trend this fall is the forest. We are mixing darker greens with scents of the forests and patterns inspired by pine cones and forest animals.

From top left: Kotten poster by Jollygoodfellow, Misty Woodland poster by Majali Design & Illustration, Ravens I by Anna Handell Montage, Gradient & Squares Green cushion cover by Simon Key Bertman, Pedestal Petrol Green by Wis Collection, Pinecone of Love tray by Anna Grundberg, TP Green small tray by Toodeloo, Deer stamp by Tian Gan, Skog scented candles by Skandinavisk.

Right: Forest Blues photo art by AnnaCarin Isaksson.

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Meet the designer

ANNACARIN ISAKSSON Photographer AnnaCarin Isaksson creates photos with a great sense of mystery and a strong connection to nature. With a background within photo journalism, she really brings something special to her photos. Let’s hear her story.

Tell us about your background!

I’ve studied Photo Journalism at Nordens Fotoskola and Fashion Photography and Styling in London. I worked as a freelance photographer for magazines and organisations for the last 7 years, and during the last years also with young adults as an art educator. Right now, I’m taking the leap to focus on my photography full time and this lead to me selling my photos as prints. I’m trying to find new ways as a photographer, since the magazine business with all its cuts and downsizing is very tough at the moment.

What’s the story behind your brand?

The first serie I’m publishing as prints now is from a serie called The Biologists. I get a lot of inspiration from human kind and our psyche, our relations to each other and to nature. I explore these elements constantly.

The Biologists is a product from this neverending source. The women on the photos are both biologists, one from Sweden and one from USA. They have a deeper relation to nature than most people, and this is why they are a part of my project of nature and mankind.

A lot of my photos springs from the subconscious and I don’t over-analyze the pictures too much once they appear to me and I re-create them. I let my spontaneity and feelings be in charge during the photo session.

What made you decide to start your own company, and what do you like most about it?

I started my company in 2007 as a way to work as a free lancer. Today when I’m in a way starting over, I do it with another awareness and a dream of having the freedom to control my own life.

What are your plans and dreams for the future?

My plan is to develop my company so that I can do it full time. To be brave.

My dream is to combine both artistic projects and photo journalism full time. To keep on evolving.

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Meet the designer APERIE

“I WANT TO CREATE THINGS THAT LAST” It is a late summer day, and I’m on my way to Copenhagen to meet with Josephine Senger, the founder and designer behind the brand Aperie.

The office and showroom is located in the old beer district in Copenhagen, once the breweries of Carlsberg, now a busy building site as the area is being transformed to a new living district with housing, shopping, business and more.

Text and photo: Maria Richardsson

Josephine comes from a truly entrepreneurial family, used to keep the business in the family. Her father is a serial entrepreneur, currently in the beverage industry, and her fiancée runs his own business helping small business within economy and finances. Josephine herself is used to work in small teams, having worked with a kids fashion trade show and later as a designer for a kids fashion brand. She studied business and law for two years, but then realized that it wasn’t what made her tick. Instead

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she moved to KEA, the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology, where she studied a combination of design and entrepreneurship.

During her studies, she created the brand Aperie, which in Latin means “opening up”. The key values of the brand is to do things differently and to make products that lasts, both in terms of design and by using natural materials. “I’ve worked on the brand for a while, and it was great to be able to do

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it during my studies. But it got intense at the end. Within one month I presented my first collection, got my BA degree and gave birth to my son!” Josephine says with a smile. “It was a crazy and overwhelming period, but also one of the best times of my life”.

I would also add making a difference in the world as a core value to her brand. Her first range of products is made in Bolivia, a country with strong traditions in both leather and knitting. All textile products are made of the softest alpaca wool, machine knitted by one small factory and then sown by a network of 400 home-working women. “Bolivia has a very strong mining industry, and it is a very patriarchal society. Women often don’t go to school, and there are a lot of widows due to the many mining incidents. By working from home, they can support their family and kids on their own. The woman in charge of the network, is from a shepherds family herself and has returned from studies abroad to help

Photos, by Aperie, from the production on Bolivia.

these women and we are so glad to be working with them” Josephine tells me with passion in her voice.

The same goes for the leather products. The man in charge is very experienced in saddle works, and he is running a project with keeping young men off the streets and out of trouble, by teaching them leather crafts. The Aperie boxes are made from cow leather and the bags from llama leather. “We are using llama leather from local shepherds. After they’ve cared for the animal for years and made a living from the wool, we are trying to teach them how to cut the leather in a way to make the most from it. They don’t have a tradition to sell the leather yet, so this is another way to support the local shepherds and traditions”.

Running production in Bolivia can turn out to be quite a challenge. Josephine shares many stories about things that can happen and

delay deliveries for weeks or months. “Once, a thunder storm killed the electricity at the main customs for about two weeks. During that time, all products imported and exported got stuck at customs and it took weeks to sort everything out once they got the electricity back!”.

The journey for Aperie is just begun. The vision is to create a timeless design brand, creating great products made all over the world, inspired by local traditions but with a Scandinavian twist to them. And Josephine is already on her way. Her second textile collection is made of cotton and produced in India. “I would also love to do wood products, pottery and so much more... I have so many ideas, but I have to remind myself to focus on one thing at a time” Josephine says laughing.

I’m not sure how well she is succeeding in that, since she is running two quite big projects on the side of her business at the moment. “Well, we are getting married in a few months time

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and we also bought to apartments that we are rebuilding and converting in to one” she confesses. “But I love to do what I do, and the flexibility with my job makes it all much easier. I can leave the office early and pick up my boy from pre-school, and spend some time working later when he’s asleep instead, and that means the world to me”.

With her dedication and sense of style, I’m sure that we will see a lot more from Aperie in the coming years. We are so proud to be able to follow her on her journey as one of the designers at Nordic Design Collective.

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From top left: Kara Dark Brown poncho, Ivy Plain Natural knitted hat, Hudson Natural scarf, Estra Deco Dusty Blue plaid, Clio Deco Granite baby blanket, Luna Deco Dusty Blue pillow, Lou Deco Granite pillow.

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Meet the designer

TIAN GAN Tian Gan is a true artist with her tools and knifes. She’s creating the most detailed and beautiful things from linocuts, and invited us to see the process - from sketching to drying the final print.

Tell us about how you work.

I’m a full-time graphic designer and printmaker and I work from my small studio on Lidingö.

I primarily use relief printing to create.

Simply put, after I make an initial pencil sketch, I carve the design into the block, ink it with a roller, then print it onto the paper.

Printmaking takes time; it’s definitely a labour of love. It usually takes days to complete a print, but when the prints are pulled and hanging to dry, I love knowing that I made something really intricate and personal with my own hands.

What inspires your work?

I moved to Stockholm 5 years ago and this place never ceases to amaze me. I think of it as my home, but very often I still see interesting stuff from an outsider’s perspective. I like paradoxes and things that are a little out of place. I also like the way animals move; wildlife is always fascinating.

What made you choose linocut as your technique?

Initially I was intrigued by the reductive process of carving - you start with an intact

piece of linoleum, then carve away lines and blocks so as to create your design.

The process is irreversible, challenging me artistically; yet the result is unexpectable – you never know what your print looks like until the moment of truth, the moment when you pull your first print from the completed linoleum block.

I also like the how affordable/accessible linocut is for art buyers. Since a printmaker can make multiple prints from a carved block, the price of an original print is much lower than that of an original painting. At the same time, each print is handmade; the application of ink and pressure makes every print unique and full of personality.

What are you working on now?

I am taking on commissions, and also collecting motifs from my print and stamps to develop some products, which hopefully will be available by this Christmas.

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STATE MENT PIECES

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Update your wardrobe with a statement piece of jewellery!

Check out our shop for more ideas and inspiration.

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From top left: Aunt Beth by Langaeble Stockholm, Cross My Heart by Saga Melina, Queen Awy by Langaeble Stockholm, Tanja bracelet by Opium Jewelry, Gwang ring by JohannaN, Triplicity by Sparv Accessories, Square ring by Saga Melina, Virrvarr by Sägen, Double Trouble by Saga Melina.

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A day in the life of

STUDIO ÄPPEL PÄPPEL Design duo Studio Äppel Päppel is run by Erika and Frida, from their amazing studio on Gothenburg. We got to tag along for a day, using Instagram.

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09.20: Good morning! This is the building where we have our studio. It is an old sewing factory built in the late 1890’s.

10.12: This is often what our desk looks like, full of colourful pieces of paper.

11.33: Here is part of our studio that we share with other creators. Many them are photographers, which makes us very lucky.

12.27: This is our spot in the studio. Here we spend our time producing our products and sketching on new ones.

13.36: Time to create some paper gems. We create all products by hand, so we spend a lot of our time cutting and folding.

15.42: Time to package some of the paper gems. These packages will soon be available at Nordic Design Collective.

16:50: We also do commissioned design projects, mainly in graphic design. Now we are sketching on a mural painting.

17.32: Assembling a mobile before shipping it off to a customer and heading home.

Check out the work of Studio Äppel Päppel in our store!

18.25: Thank you for following us today! / Erika & Frida

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