Every Swede loves Svenskt Tenn, but few know its founding story. Learn more here and take a peak behind the scenes of the craftsmen and women that make it the brand it is today
For many Stockholm residents, the Svenskt Tenn flagship store on the city’s upmarket watery strip on Strandvägen is a mecca for all things interior. An Aladdin's Cave of classic Scandinavian design, the shop has long proved a popular tourist destination for Scandinavian interior design fans the world over, with many flocking to the Swedish city come summer time just to purchase a Svenskt Tenn candlestick.
It is here that founder Estrid Ericson, along with longtime collaborator designer Josef Frank, introduced the brand’s colourful wares, everything from boldly printed textiles to furniture, to the world. And still today, echoes of the founder remain dotted around the store; the former art teacher’s desk sits on one corner of the retail space, giving visitors a glimpse into the brand’s humble beginnings.
“What she did, in comparison to others, was to put something a little bit softer into an interior of sharp design,” says Thommy Bindefeld, marketing and creative director at the brand, of the brand’s founder.
But actually a lot of the work happens behind the scenes, in workshops dotted around Sweden, still working with, well, largely, tin – a material originally chosen as it was in vogue when Ericson first set up shop.
“It had been an important material historically and now it was coming back into fashion. The grey colour was interesting, particularly with the functionalism and the aesthetics of that time. It was also easy to shape and to do different styles and products," explains Bindefeld.
And some of the very first items to come out of the interiors brand were the pewter animals such as the lion, designed by artist, Anna Petrus. And these products are still in production today.
In this original Vogue Scandinavia short film, go behind the scenes and take a look at how these special artefacts are crafted still today...
