PROFILE: NOTE DESIGN STUDIO

This Swedish design collective uses bold and fearless colour to challenge the norms of Scandinavian Minimalism.

This Swedish design collective uses bold and fearless colour to challenge the norms of Scandinavian Minimalism

NOTE DESIGN STUDIO is a Stockholm-based collective of architects, product and graphic designers reinventing the concept of Scandinavian Minimalism. Susanna Wåhlin, one of three interior designers within the 11-strong team, talks bombastic materials, concept and colour.

‹‹ The Bolt stool for the Parisian brand La Chance was one of our first products.

The Point of View candleholder for Denmark’s Menu is probably our most recognised piece. We’ve also worked with Zero and Fogia in Sweden and the Chinese furniture brand Zaozuo. In terms of interiors, our most exciting project at the moment is Go Hotel, which will open in Stockholm in 2018. One of our most recent projects is a 19th-century apartment in Östermalm, central Stockholm [shown on these pages]. It’s traditionally the posh part of the city. The client had seen our work, knew that we worked with colour and that we also design furniture. He wanted to take some risks and create something unique. The 200-square-metre apartment was empty because it had been an office for a fashion brand before the client bought it.

Our major challenge with this project was to find a way to seamlessly incorporate the newer practical spaces into the existing historic interior. Two new bathrooms, a walk-in closet and wardrobes are hidden behind new walls in the master bedroom and in the hall. The wall surfaces are covered in a pattern that we found on the existing floor in one of the bedrooms. We loved the three magnificent original tiled stoves, which gave us the colour palette for the new interior.

One of them was ivory with hues in pink and the other was a potent green colour. Sadly we couldn’t keep the stove in the kitchen since it took up too much space. A lot of time was spent trying to find someone who could take care of it. What I liked most about this apartment is that it was a project of great complexity. Every room has its own colour palette but as you go through the apartment you feel that they all fit together harmoniously. VL Visit notedesignstudio. se

from left to right: Johannes Carlström, Susanna Wåhlin, Daniel Heckscher, Alexis Holmqvist, Cristiano Pigazzini, Charlotte Ackemar and Kristoffer Fagerström.

clockwise from top: in the kitchen, table from Muubs; J39 chairs by Børge Mogensen for Fredericia; terrazzo kitchen work unit, custom cabinets and Silo pendants for Zero, all by Note; Row wall lamps from Atelier Areti. In the bedroom, custom bed by...