In a historic moment of prosperity and well-being, i.e. the 1950s, in the panorama of home furnishings — which since the post-war period had been increasingly inclined to furnishings that combined comfort and functionality — a new player appeared on the market. It became a source of imitation, competition, as well as inspiration for Made in Italy and international design: we are talking about Scandinavian design which, with its charm, evocative of cold landscapes, warm and enveloping houses, light woods and relaxing tones, has originated simple lines furnishings and objects: functional first of all, accessible and within everyone's reach, but elegant at the same time. A pragmatic elegance, that brings within itself dignity and quality, inspired by the shapes and materials offered by the local nature.

The minimalist and democratic ideals supported by Scandinavian design, a definition which generally indicates the production of furniture and decorative arts from Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway, have been part of the Northern European creative and design DNA since the early 20th c., even if it is mainly the 50s that represented the Golden Age of this movement, which in this decade reached its maximum expression and notoriety beyond the borders of the national market, also thanks to prestigious international exhibitions, including the three editions of the 1950s Triennale, who were particularly inclined to divulge the innovative Nordic approach and its primary value: to create beautiful things that improve everyday life.

Said Austrian designer Josef Frank (1885 - 1967), one of the "founders" of modern and democratic Swedish design, forerunner of low-cost Ikea household items and for a long time (from the 30s to the 50s), artistic director at famous Swedish brand, Svenskt Tenn: «A house must not be a mere efficient machine, but must offer comfort, rest and intimacy. Soothing the eye, stimulating the soul».

Let's dwell upon this concept by focusing on the sober elegance that can be found in the ergonomic lines, inspired by the forms of nature, which characterize the Artek range of furniture, lamps and fabrics, (Artek is the archetypal name of the art-technology union), founded in 1935 by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. The first pieces of the production, made of birch wood, took up the furnishings that Aalto had designed in 1928 for the Paimio Sanatorium, with the iconic Paimio armchair at the head, today a cult of trendy contemporary furniture, a combination of comfortable seating (its sinuous line accompanies the movement of the human body), and practicality: the structure in curved plywood and laminated wood made it, being a hospital piece of furniture, particularly easy to sanitize.

Aalto, master par excellence of the modern Scandinavian style, established fruitful collaborations with leading Finnish companies, such as glassmaker Iittala which, in the 50s, consolidated important partnerships with some of the most successful Finnish designers, headed by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarpaneva, laying the foundations of a unique style, articulated on glass objects that are not only practical and functional, but also beautiful to look at and pleasant to use in everyday life.

The watchword is therefore innovation. Think of Danish company Louis Poulsen, which in 1958 launched the revolutionary PH Snowball lamp designed by Poul Henningsen: built with a system of different lampshades, it eliminates visual glare and diffuses a soft light. Sticking to Denmark, wood is the protagonist in the production of one of the spearheads of Danish design, Carl Hansen and Søn, now led by its third generation: it was precisely during the 50s that the company intercepted the talent of an innovative generation of designers, led by Hans J. Wegner, Jacob Kjaer and Finn Juhl, who designed practical and elegant furnishings, with a focus on chairs and armchairs: on of them is the elegant Wishbone Chair designed by Wegner (the Y chair), a 1949 project in which the backrest and armrest merge into a single piece. Functionality goes hand in hand with attention to detail: in fact, more than 100 steps are required to make each Wishbone, most of which are done by hand! Among the bestsellers of another prestigious Danish design brand, Fritz Hansen, we should mention the enveloping Swan swivel chair, designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 to be the apotheosis of ergonomic design: there is no straight line in the seating structure.

In Norway, excluding examples of striking successes such as that of Stokke, the company that procuded among others the Tripp Trapp extendable chair designed by Peter Opsvik in 1972, there is an opportunity to rediscover smaller production realities and less-known designers, which offer a interesting repertoire that will sound familiar to the more expert collectors: among them is Rastad & Relling, a furniture production founded in 1943 by a group of architects and designers, also known for its collaboration with Norwegian designer Gustav Bahus, author, among various projects, of the Bambi chair made of cane and leather, as well as practical sideboards featuring panels worked in geometric patterns. In the 50s, Rastad & Relling was commissioned to design furniture for the redesign of the Norwegian Parliament.

All the realities we have mentioned are still active and present on the vintage market with their 20th c. examples... but there are still hundreds of Scandinavian designers and companies that deserve to be described. Don't miss the next appointment that intOndo will dedicate to this field of the vintage market!