nordicinterior

Scandinavian designs made up a large part of the whole industry of home furnishings in the 20th century, and there are several stand out designers that contributed to this. Some of these names are Bruno Mathsson, Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobson, and Alvar Aalto. One of the most prominent, though, is the memorable Yngve Ekström, who was born in 1913 in the city of Hagafors, Sweden.

It is no surprise that Yngve Ekström was drawn to the business of furniture design, as Hagafors is the city in Sweden with the longest tradition in the art, thus it was a popular pursuit to undertake. As with many Scandinavian designers, Ekström studied more than just wood crafting, but also such pursuits as art history, painting, drawing, and sculpting. Many of the elements of these different pursuits can be found in his designs.

He and his brother (Jerker) created Swedese in 1945. The company has become one of the most respected producers of modern furniture and decor in the world. He continued to be active in the company until he passed away, leaving a career that spanned more than forty years. Swedese produced items that were elegant and artistic home pieces. Their clean lines and utilitarian construction also helped their items find plenty of use in high end offices and business applications.

The Lamino Chair, which is probably his most well known piece was originally created in the 1950's. This chair is still being made today and is a much sought after piece. In 1999, a Swedish design magazine reported that the Lamino chair was the greatest Swedish chair in the Twentieth Century. In 2003, the Lamino chair was awarded the prestigious Design Innovation, by the I.M.M. in Cologne.

This chair is as esthetically appealing from the front as from the side view. An ottoman that matches is frequently purchased together with the chair. There are many different types of wood that can be used to make the frame. Also, the upholstery can be anything the consumer wishes, no matter how unusual. The Lamino chair has been popular for many years due to its simplicity of design and versatile applications. It is not uncommon to pay two to three thousand dollars for new versions of this chair. Chairs that were made earlier have been much more expensive than the newer styles.

Yngve Ekström not only continued to design until his death in 1988, he also continued to be at the helm of his company. This ability to manage and produce new innovations only added to his legend. His chairs add to many styles of decor (inredning) and look exceptionally good with hardwood floors. While his designs were often breakthroughs when created, most have become true classics.

Scandinavian design was a very big part of the 20th century home furnishings industry, and some names truly stand out. Yngve Ekström was a Scandinavian designer in Hagafors, a city in Sweden with a proud history of furniture making. He was drawn into that very popular and well regarded historical business as well. Swedese produced items that were elegant and artistic home pieces. In 1999, a Swedish design magazine reported that the Lamino chair was the greatest Swedish furniture design in the Twentieth Century. In 2003, the Lamino armchair (fåtöljer) was awarded the prestigious Design Innovation, by the I.M.M. in Cologne.