Boundless Swedish Design – pushing the boundaries

"Boundless Swedish Design" - a new, digital plattform, highlighting Swedish design.

More than 70 percent of Swedish furniture production is exported, and Swedish companies make up a strong domestic industry. With a focus on quality, innovation, inclusion, and – not least – sustainability, Swedish design continues to be at the forefront. The digital platform “Boundless Swedish Design”, launched in connection with Stockholm Design Week by the Swedish Federation of Wood and Furniture Industry (TMF), shows how Swedish companies continue to constantly push the boundaries.

- We want to show how Swedish design makes an impact and pushes the boundaries in more and more ways – from working with sustainability and quality to inclusion, by creating elaborate interior environments that work for everyone. Swedish furniture design is taking the lead and we are now ready to showcase our brands and their successful projects to a wider international audience, says Cecilia Ask Engström, Director Industrial Development at TMF.

Boundless Swedish Design is based on the following manifesto with a focus on a number of values.

“Wood, stone, glass and metal. Leather and textile. Simple raw materials that in the mind of a visionary designer take new shapes and in the hands of a skilled producer are transformed into a table, a sofa or a chair.
Good design contributes to making the world a little better. It is long-lasting and fulfills a purpose in people’s everyday lives. It is aesthetic and innovative, challenging shapes and boundaries as well as our mindset.
From the crude to the refined. From disposable to sustainable. From traditional to cutting edge. From joinery in Markaryd or Tranås to the hotels in Manhattan or the suburbs of Berlin. From local hero to world citizen. From our generation for generations to come.”

Sustainability
Swedish design has long been at the forefront of the movement toward sustainability. Swedish furniture companies work according to circular business models, where reuse, remanufacturing and a long service life are already considered in the design and production processes. This is an ambition that has given Sweden a strong sustainability position internationally – including recognition in a ranking by the British design consultancy Doods & Shute.
"From disposable to sustainable. From generation to generation.” 

Quality & Innovation
Pushing the boundaries in Swedish design takes many forms. The Swedish furniture and interior design industry has long been synonymous with quality and high-class professional know-how, and product development often takes place in local companies with a high proportion of domestic production. Achieving more with less is a Swedish specialty, as is starting from simple natural materials such as wood, leather and metal to create innovative shapes and design solutions.
“From the crude to the refined.”

Inclusion
There are many successful Swedish design projects that are based on the idea of a well-thought-out inclusive interior, which fulfills a purpose and concretely helps people in their everyday life – where design becomes the common language.
"From the joinery in Markaryd or Tranås to the hotels in Manhattan or the suburbs of Berlin."

With these strong values, our Swedish boundless design and our brands reach far beyond Sweden. Just over 70 percent of Sweden's furniture production is exported, and Sweden is the third largest furniture producer per capita in Europe
(Source: CSIL-rapport - 2020).

- Swedish furniture design for me is classic and it stands the test time. Its beauty makes it timeless and durable, as it can naturally be passed on and live for generations. At TOG, we often specify Swedish furniture because of its recognized quality, simplicity and elegance,” says Nasim Köerting, Head of design at The Office Group.

The digital platform “Boundless Swedish Design” has a focus on the target groups of interior designers, architects, designers and purchasers of furniture for private/public environments. In addition to examples of boundless design on a new launched website and Instagram, the theme “Boundless Swedish Design” will be profiled in connection with various design events, including Stockholm Design Week, Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, London Design Festival, Orgatec in Cologne and the design week in Milan.

Learn more about Boundless Swedish Design at boundlessswedishdesign.com
Follow Boundless Swedish Design on Instagram; @BoundlessSwedishDesign
Hashtag:  #boundlessswedishdesign

For more information please contact:   
- Cecilia Ask Engström, Director Industrial development at TMF, 070-381 72 06, cecilia.ask.engstrom@tmf.se
- Sandra Furtenbach, Project Manager Industry Development Furniture & Interior Design at TMF. 08-762 72 48, sandra.furtenbach@tmf.se
- Alexandra Hernadi, Communication Manager at TMF, 070-916 94 30, alexandra.hernadi@tmf.se