The new Hemline
Scandinavian design fans have a change of address ( OK, a new URL). Hem, the Swedish word for home, is a new online store developed by Fab Europe and its 2014 acquisition, the Finnish firm One Nordic. Focusing on contemporary international design, quality materials and cost- reducing, flat- pack, factory- to- customer delivery, Hem offers preorders for more than two dozen products.
Among them is the Levels light fixture by the Stockholm design firm Form Us With Love, which comes in three sizes and a selection of colors, including a coppery finish, from$ 299, and the Alle table, available in three sizes and starting at $ 799 in solid oak.
The $ 1,119 Hai Lounge Chair by Italian industrial designer Luca Nichetto exemplifies the Hem aesthetic. Upholstered in a wool fabric called Razzle Dazzle ( also used for $ 85 accent pillows), the chair sits on a lean metal frame that has the Midcentury flair of classics that are three times the cost. It’s designed for easy shipping and assembly.
“Many newdesign companies and brands are reinterpreting Modernist values. We find this uninspiring,” says Hem’s global creative director, Petrus Palmér. “We are very aware of our place in design history. However, we pride ourselves in not having a particular style. Instead, we seek to define howpeople are living today, and find solutions for those needs.”
For anyone who has ever sweated it out putting together an Ikea chair, Hem’s no- brainer assembly systems are a welcome solution. For instance, the Bento chair requires four steps and no tools to build. An online tool lets shoppers customize tables, shelves and cabinets.