21st Century Scandinavian Modern

It’s been way too long since lifeiscarbon® has written about its Scandinavian design favorites Muuto, and now there are simply too many great new designs to squeeze into one post. So we hope you’ll forgive us for writing two quick articles about this remarkable Danish design company, a company that’s almost single handedly defining the look of Scandinavian Modern in the 21st century.

The founders of Muuto, Peter Bonnén and Kristian Byrge, have signed up an impressive roster of Nordic designers including Norway Says, Claesson Koivisto Rune, Harri Koskinen, Ole Jensen, Matte Klenell and Louise Campbell, among many others and given them the freedom to express their highly individualistic ideas through the design of everyday objects. Objects made more sublime through their fresh perspectives on traditional Scandinavian forms. Make a pilgrimage to museums like Skansen in Stockholm or Folkemuseum in Oslo and you’ll begin to understand where the inspiration for many of the designs, for example Jens Fager’s Raw candelabra or Louise Campbell's The More The Merrier candlestick, comes from. Despite the modernity of Muuto’s designs, there is an increasing use of traditional materials that are hand crafted to create unique pieces. Take a look below at some of favorites from amongst Muuto’s latest products:

RAW Candelabra by Jens Fager (Hand-carved wood in white) Jens Fager on the design: 'RAW is a product family based on rough and intuitive interpretations of iconic everyday objects. Every piece is unique because they are all made of a piece of wood carved by hand with a band saw machine. With strong yet iconic look they can easily be placed anywhere in your home, at the office or at the restaurant. The RAW-family is available in limited editions in various colours.'

CRUSHED Bowls by Julien De Smedt (Handmade fine bone china in white) Julien De Smedt on the design: “The Crushed Bowls show big-scale architecture applied on small scale objects. The bowls are composed of equilateral triangles and principles we use for big-scale computer modeling. Adding human ergonomics and aesthetics to the equation we have derived a series of vessels that are carefully crushed for everyday use”

GLORIA Candlestick by Norway Says (Cast iron in white or black) Norway Says on the deisgn: 'Gloria is a new take on the traditional candlestick and it adds a very nice and lively atmosphere wherever you place it. It looks good with one candle, it looks nice with three and it looks great with six – it even works well with candles in different heights – the composition is up to you.'

SURFACE Egg Cup by Ole Jensen (Porcelain in white) Ole Jensen on the design: 'A small hand-held and sculptural plateau with three smalldents. One for the egg, one for the shells and one for salt - or whatever you might imagine! For breakfast - though maybe not everyday - for brunch and definitely for sunday mornings. To serve a boiled egg is almost a happening on its own. An eternal source of shared moments and discussion of whether it's overcooked or not....'

THE MORE THE MERRIER Candlestick by Louise Campbell (Technical Rubber and Steel in White or Black) Louise Campbell on the design: 'A candlestick that is everything but streamlined. As the saying goes: the more elements you join together, the merrier the result. Can be constructed in infinite ways. The design is a blend of the formal and the informal. Crystal-inspired candleholders are made of the softest matt rubber; the garland-like arms are pressed in hardwearing steel and then coated. Assembly can be conducted with a sense of meticulous symmetry, or with complete chaos, as you wish. Using 4, 7, 14, 27, 77, 189… elements, according to desire.'

GOOD NIGHT FLOWER Bed Spread by Helle Mardahl (100% cotton canvas in white/black print or grey/black print) Helle Mardahl on the design: 'It’s a surface that hides what goes on beneath. It’s a fabric dressed in lines growing into imaginary flowers. It’s a small piece of life on your bed, when you are not there.

MUUTO