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FORM US WITH LOVE

Summertime is product design time.

My friend Anna Stenvi introduced me for the very first time a piece from Form Us With Love, we just could say –“ They are so damn talented ! “. This studio was founded in 2005. You can reach them in a very nice local by the Old Town of the city (Gamla Stan), perhaps the most touristic area of the city. Because of that more than once people has attempted to get in asking for how be a member of this internet-café or just trying to buy one of the gorgeous pieces on the window stand.


Form Us With LoveForm Us With Love
Photo: Jonas Lindstrom


How is it working within Form Us With Love?

Form Us With Love (FUWL) is a multidisciplinary design studio focusing on idea-based design. Our Studio was founded by John Löfgren, Petrus Palmér and Jonas Pettersson in 2005. We tend to design everything more or less together. We usually start the projects together and then work with different parts of it individually. We do have different backgrounds and we use it in our line of work. Traditional design studios tend to work in one or two disciplines, focusing on the type of product or work. In contrast FUWL focus on the process behind the work and we are therefore not bound to one or two disciplines but can work with all. Disregarding the type of product or project, the point of attack is always the same for us.


ProsthesHanger.jpg
Prosthes Hanger, Vujj, 2008. Photo, Retouch: Niklas Alm, Sofia Cederström


Swedish or Scandinavian furniture design has a strong profile. It´s quite characteristic perhaps. How could you explain such scenario from about the last 2 decades? Could be great pay attention to the schools and drop some tips for those who now are thinking to follow this road?

We are hopelessly influenced by our strong design heritage of course, but at the same time we are utterly tired of it. The result is some kind of tweaked functionalism. This is perhaps what shows in a lot of young Scandinavian designers work today.

We all met up at Kalmar University and the industrial design programme in 2002. The school was brand new, we were the first to attend it and we could focus on what we wanted to work with in the future. During school we found that we shared the same ideas about design. The school is focused on the theoretical side to design which of course has influenced our way of thinking about design.


VASA_02.jpg
VASA bollard, Zero, 2006.


What was your 1st collection/design.? Tell me a bit from that point of view which aspects has improve in your routine of work.

Our first product together was the VASA bollard for Swedish lighting manufacturer Zero. We had an idea about lighting the surroundings instead of the pedestrian. The process has not actually changed that much since then, we had a pretty clear idea about how we wanted to work, and our first project was no exception. But of course you learn more and more along the way and perhaps we would have done certain details differently today.


CordLamp.jpg
Cord Lamp, Design House Stockholm, 2008. Photo: Anton Sucksdorff


Is it any kind of influence, philosophy or aim that synthesizes the soul of FUWL?

The Bendable Interior Objects series designed in 2005 is one of our favourites as it combines the things we like about good design; innovation, interaction, sustainability and the love for a great concept.


stools_for_HeddenTemple.jpg
Stools for Hedden Temple exhibition, 2007


I would like to get deeper on the different collections.

2009
Ogle, Atelje Lyktan
Man-size Mekano, concept, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMYKnJ7X-RE
Boat Life, Sagaform
Designgalleriet interior
Hotel collection, Rodeo, Mitab
Work lamp, Design House Stockholm

2008
Constructive concept, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufu6KdwEieE
Button upholstery, Mitab
Cord Lamp, Design House Stockholm
Cup of love - Red Cross project, Red Cross
DesignNu Trophy, DesignNu
Highway table, Mitab
Kocksgatan interior, Kocksgatan 17
Prosthes, Vujj
Press Room Interior, Stockholmsmassan
S. Markspelle stand, Svensson Markspelle
Shogun robe, Pelle Vävare

2007
Bendable Interior Objects, BIO, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUq8B5W0ZKQ
Group of Trees, Materia
Highway,Mitab
JellyFriends, UNO Design

2006
Axcent collection - Cockpit, Jules, Noir, Axcent
Vasa bollard


What is the studio currently working with?

Summertime is product design time. We are working on several new projects including a lounge chair, a pendant lamp, a tea light holder and a dining table.


Designgalleriet.jpg
Designgalleriet interor design, 2009. Photo: Jonas Lindström


Are you aware of the influence of Sweden or “Swedishness” abroad? (beyond IKEA and H&M)

We are aware, perhaps we even tend to over dramatize the Swedish influence, the Stockholm furniture fair is by all means an international fair nowadays, but if you look at the international design scene, very few Scandinavian names are present at the top segment. IKEA and H&M are of course major ambassadors for Swedish design, but are they are only reflecting Swedish design to some extent. There are more to it that doesn't show.


Which markets are under your opinion the most interesting?

Without a doubt the emerging markets and the soon to come. Asia, specifically China will be exciting to follow in the tracks of Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang.


Manufactures. “Made in Sweden” is not that important that design in Sweden?

It's becoming more and more important. Especially manufacturing that requires high technology.


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Kocksgatan interior design, 2008. Photo: Jonas Lindstrom


Is FUWL more focused on home interior, professional-office or is it nothing about that when is time to face a new design?

Both sectors are a challenge. Office furniture tend to have larger budgets, but are more conventional in it's designs. Home products can manage a more creative design but are not expected to live as long, hence a smaller developing budget. We work with both and try to deliver new and fresh ideas and design regardless of the sector.


Have you work as architecture studio too?

Yes, we work with interior architecture.


Form Us With Love
Address: S:T Eriksgatan 106, 113 31 Stockholm
Tel: +46 (0) 8 21 80 02
info@formuswithlove.se
http://www.formuswithlove.se


Text: Victor Moreno

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