Contact
Louise Hederström Design AB
Regementsgatan 72
SE-217 51 Malmo
Sweden
+46 70 467 43 03
Louise Hederström is a furniture designer based in Malmö. After graduating in 1998 from Beckmans School of Design in Stockholm, she now has an extensive business as a designer. Her clients include some of the most respected manufacturing companies in Scandinavian design, such as Offecct, Skagerak and Maze. Louise regularly participates in exhibitions in Sweden and abroad and has also repeatedly been an instructor for various design education programmes. She also works together with upholsterer Carina Grefmar under the brand Grefmar+Hederström and they are represented by the gallery Hostler Burrows in New York.
Interview with Ingrid Sommar
You work on your own unique projects, interior design commissions, plus assignments for leading Scandinavian furniture manufacturers. Which do you like best, artistic freedom or clear directives?
– Both! My working methods inspire and help each other to evolve. To some extent, I have always worked intrinsically, taking responsibility for the entire process from conception to the finished product. If you have a strong idea, it’s frustrating to sit back and wait until the right manufacturer comes along. It’s often better to proceed on your own.
Your unique projects, like “Ticka Project” and the carpet “Understory”, convey a clear organic feel, was this conscious?
– I grew up on a farm in the Scanian countryside in Southern Sweden and my carpets are deeply rooted in childhood memories from the surrounding nature. The carpets “represent” one particular meadow I loved as a child and how it gradually merged with the surrounding forest. Today, the nature has changed, the previously wild meadows have been heavily cultivated which has had a negative impact on the natural biodiversity. So, in the back of my mind there was also a commitment to how we manage our natural resources, something that has always been important to me.
In addition, the neighbouring forest inspired the wall-hung “Ticka” seats, which are similar to mushrooms in appearance. For the “Ticka Project”, the process of working alongside furniture upholsterer Carina Grefmar was as important as the concept itself. Our joint decision to use scraps of leather played a big role in the end result. Today we work under the Grefmar + Hederström brand.
Was the “Ticka Project” your international breakthrough?
– Yes, Maria Granström from Bukowskis liked our “Ticka” exhibition at the Form / Design Center in Malmö and showed it to Hostler Burrows in Manhattan in New York who took on our work. The gallery focuses on both Scandinavian vintage design and contemporary crafts. Working with Hostler Burrows has given us great exposure. For example, our work was shown at Design Miami and Design Miami in Basel – both major trade fairs. During the Autumn of 2019, Hostler Burrows opened a new gallery in Los Angeles and we are proud to be exhibited there too.
How do you combine this with your commercial assignments? Do you find the contrast big?
– No, I don’t think so. On the contrary, it’s wonderfully rewarding to be part of my clients’ various projects. Often, it is about long-term season by season collaborations. In addition to nature, I am also inspired by visiting factories and familiarising myself with the various manufacturing materials and different techniques. In addition, I now work exclusively with high profile businesses, both in terms of design and sustainability. A holistic approach is vital at every stage of the process. I like clients who invest long term, which means respect for my work. I always seek out innovative designs which combine form with function. It is important to design and create products which are practical yet attractive and can withstand the test of time.
CV
Work
2001– Louise Hederström Design, Malmö, Sweden
2008–10 Lecturer at Product design Malmö University, Sweden
2003–09 Teacher at Lund School of Art and Design, Sweden
2000–01 Teacher at Beckmans School of Design, Stockholm, Sweden
1999–00 Product designer at Björn Dahlström Design, Stockholm, Sweden
1998–99 Assistant at IKEA Design department, Älmhult, Sweden
1998 Design assistant at Matz Borgström Design, Stockholm, Sweden
Education
1995–98 Beckmans School of Design, Stockholm, Sweden
1994–95 Lund School of Art, Lund, Sweden
1993–94 Art History, University of Lund, Sweden
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS, AWARDS AND GRANTS
2019 Konsten att ta tillvara, Grefmar+Hederström, Sörmlands museum, Nyköping, Sweden
2019 Utvalt, Grefmar+Hederström, Kulturcentrum Ronneby, Sweden
2018 Utvalt, Grefmar+Hederström, Form/Design Center Malmö, Sweden
2018 Design Miami/Basel, Grefmar+Hederström, Hostler Burrows, Basel, Schweiz
2018 Next level craft, Grefmar+Hederström, Borås, Sweden
2018 Understory, Form/Design Center Malmö, Sweden
2018 Understory, Designgalleriet, Stockholm, Sweden
2017 Next level craft, Grefmar+Hederström, Institut Suédois, Paris, France
2017 Design Miami, Grefmar+Hederström, Hostler Burrows, Miami, USA
2017 Hostler Burrows, Grefmar+Hederström, New York, USA
2017 Young Swedish Design, Grefmar+Hederström, What happened next? Stockholm, Sweden
2017 Ticka project, Grefmar+Hederström, Form/Design Center Malmö, Sweden
2017 Next level craft, with Carina Grefmar, Institut Suédois, Paris, France
2017 The Swedish Arts Grants Committee one year working grant
2016 Welcome to Weden, with Carina Grefmar, London, Tokyo
2016 The new map, with Carina Grefmar, Form/Design Center Malmö, Vandalorum Värnamo, National museum Stockholm
2015 FETISHISM, Obsessions in Fashion & Design,
Li Edelkoort/Trapholt, Kolding, Dennmark
2014 Tailor nominated for Furniture of the Year, Sköna Hem
2013 Holder of Region Skåne Design Grant for Layer pouf
2013 Malmö by proxy, Ventura Lambrate, Milan, Italy
2012 Ecodesign Habitare, Helsinki, Finland
2011 Ah Vaddå-då? Malmö!, Form Design Center, Malmö, Sweden
2011 Ecodesign Habitare, Helsinki, Finland
2011 Swedish Love Story, Superstudio, Milan, Italy
2010 Ecodesign Habitare, Helsinki, Finland
2009 Design Design Design, Form Design Center, Malmö, Sweden
2009 Winner of Beefeater Design Award, Sweden
2008 Musée des Manufactures de Dentelles, France
2007 A Dream Come True, Salone Satellite, Milan, Italy
2007 Slöjden tar form, Form Design Center, Malmö, Sweden
2006 Taot N Thea, Extremely White, Amsterdam, Holland
2006 Salone Satellite, Milan, Italy
2006 Galleri Pascale Cottard, Stockholm
2005 Möbelmössan, Wetterling Gallery, Stockholm
2005 Allrum, Helsingborg, Sweden, Paris, France
2005 Galleri Pascale Cottard, Stockholm, Sweden
2004 Designed in Sweden, London, GB, New York and Los Angeles, USA
2004 100% Design, London, GB
2004 Salone Satellite, Milan, Italy
2003 PS Kids, IKEA of Sweden, Form Design Center, Malmö, Sweden
2003 Break, furniture exhibition, Palazzo Isimbardi, Milano, Italy
2002 Holder of Estrid Ericsson Scholarship, Sweden
2002 Agata design exhibition, Art Fair, Stockholm, Sweden
2002 Getlow, furniture exhibition, Stockholm Furniture Fair, Sweden
2001 Lighted, exhibition at Svensk Form, Stockholm, Sweden
2000 Frizzon, design exhibition, Centre Culturel Suedois, Paris, France
1999 Holder of Åhlens Scholarship for Young Designers, Sweden
1999 Young Swedish Design Award, TCB lamp
1998 Young Swedish Design Award, Klaff folding chair
1998 Holder of IKEA Working Scholarship, Älmhult, Sweden
Collaborating producers
Bsweden, David design, Eurobib, Grefmar+Hederström, House Styling, Karl Andersson & Söner, Maze Interior, Nola, Offecct, Skagerak, Skandiform and Torkelson.