Be ready to get inspired by all these amazing things that took my attention when I visited Formex. It turned out to not be a fair for me to network that well, it was more interesting for stores to see new collections and to place orders for their business. Nevertheless, I had a great day and came back home full of inspiration.
It started well with this table that you can look endlessly at and keep on discovering new pieces. There was also a booth from the designer who made these ceiling lamps. Especially with so many together they are stunning.
I went all by myself and decided to join the daily design walk hosted by Frida Ramstedt and Stefan Nilsson. Two well-known persons in at least the Scandinavian interior field. It was a bit challenging to follow everything in Swedish, but I tried to stand close to the hosts so I could hear everything clearly. I must say I understood almost everything and later during the day I even went to two different talks in Swedish.
I've been following Frida already for a while. She has an interior blog named Trendenser that is super popular and she has written several interiors books. She looks at design with an uncommon and refreshing perspective. I would definitely recommend checking her out.
One of the first stops we made was at Plantstraws. I thought it looked super nice and I really like the idea. It's handmade in Sweden and has such a functional design.
We also made a quick stop at Madam Stoltz. Not sure if it's correct, but I get the feeling that I have seen this brand a lot in the Netherlands but not that often in Stockholm. It's a Danish brand that stands for handmade designs inspired by nature, local traditions and craftsmanship.
This corner from Rivsalt mainly got my attention because of the floor. It is all made of salt, which is the product that they are selling.
This rug exists out of several rugs. The idea is that you can combine as many as you want to create the perfect size and design.
These flower pots from Archiella are designed in Sweden and made in Italy. Founded by Sofia Bergqvist. The brand also has scented candles with this design, you can see one in orange in the back on the chair.
If you're into tableware, PotteryJo is definitely a brand to check out. It was founded in 2011 by the Swedish gardening and food enthusiast Johanna Hampf.
I really liked these cushions from Olsson & Jensen. It was only possible to place orders in large quantities as a company, otherwise I might have bought one of these. I will check where they sell their products.
The first talk I went to was from Elsa Billgren who is passionate about vintage and second-hand. She is working mainly with her blog/Instagram and is seen a lot on TV. Together with writer Ulrika Ewerman she has created the book: Ett hem, Carl och Karin Larssons värld.
And for the second time, I joined a talk from Frida Ramstedt. I really like following her on social media and I can recommend her books. They are translated into many languages. After the talk, she was signing her newest book and I was already hoping to buy a signed copy at the event. Unfortunately she was only selling the Swedish book and I would have been fine with English, but that was not available either. I asked her assistant if I could order a signed copy and she gave me her card to reach out via mail, so I did. A few weeks later I got a delivery with the Dutch book signed and a card from Frida.
Recently I have seen these pots in so many interiors. I am not sure if they all come from Annuzza, but they were at least promoting them at this event. An Asian twist in your Scandinavian interior becomes more popular as far as I see.
Formex is in the suburbs of Stockholm, so I was a bit surprised when I heard two women speaking Dutch with each other. I started a conversation and we talked for a while about the fair and our thoughts about the brands. We thought the biggest difference with a fair like this in Sweden compared to the Netherlands is that all exhibitors were waiting for potential clients who were showing interest while in the Netherlands you would not have been able to walk past all these stands without exhibitors who invite you to come and have a look.
The Dutch visitors were surprised by the new plant trend so I had to see it myself. They had cabbage for a green twist in flowerpots.
This brand, Clouds & Dreams, mainly sells tablecloths and cushions. The prints looked very happy and perfect for a nice summer terrace. The patterns are made with the block printing method in India.
Classic Collection is not a small startup anymore and is a well-known brand in Stockholm. As far as I noticed, I saw a lot more colourful items that were used in the presentation. Like these cushions for example. I have never bought something for my interior from this brand (yet), but they have super nice products like rugs, cushions and blankets.
A pile with rugs like here just makes me happy to watch. All these different prints and colours. At home, I have a very basic rug and sometimes I wonder if a more outspoken design would be nice.
Speaking of a more outspoken designed rug, this definitely is. These come from Bargi and I thought these looked more like a piece of art instead of a rug. This can absolutely work as a statement in your interior. I am not sure if I would dare to go this 'wild' for my interior, but I do love it.
Let's end with the beautiful lamps from Art and Bottles. It's all unique glass pieces that are painted. Some of them are combinations of bowls and vases, second-hand or new. Lisa, the designer, showed me that you can change the lightning with a remote control which is another positive point since these lamps do not have a cable. It's already on my wishlist and the prices are very reasonable if you ask me. Definitely check out her Instagram.
