The “Scandinavian South” design style invests the trends of the French market of furniture
4 min read
At this occasion, the german player Freifrau just presented its new collection of furniture and accessories following this colorful trend, at the patio of the bright parisian Hoxton Hotel, with the support of Pernille Christiansen PR agency, and would also answer to our questions about their demarche through this vibe (photo credits: Alex Plato).
The design brand &tradition announces the return of Little Petra, a creation originally from Viggo Boesen. Originally launched in 1938, Little Petra immediately won unanimous acclaim at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers Guild Exhibition, winning numerous awards at various exhibitions in New York and Berlin. This is one of the first creations of the architect Viggo Boesen, who turned to the typical aesthetic of Danish design in 1930, then called Funkis “functionalist” style. This movement distinguished himself by a softer approach and a more organic aesthetic that challenged the minimalist approach of the Bauhaus, and lead undoubtedly to the “Scandinavian South” style, with its tons of a beige woolen coating, inspired by the Astrakan fur. This limited edition chair has a real strong resistance, proven by the Martindale 40.000, is notably available at the Silvera store.
About “Scandinavian South” tribe… According to Anja Bisgaard Gaede from the danish SPOTT trend office, this motion brings together many trends in a whole package of a warm outdoor experience, also cultivating folklore traditions, those being very important in Scandinavia, while cultivating the ancestral minimalistic and geometrical Scandinavian styles in design, but with warmer shades, decorative details and softer materials. This Scandinavian South is the result of a long maturation to express a new way of life, contrasting with the cold of the long winters and an increasing aspiration for much warmth and “cocooning”, made possible thanks to cold pastels, straight lines andhard materials such as wood. At the same we see new artists and designers emerging from the south and advocating for a southern style. Again, according to Anja Bisgaard Gaede, “we see names like Spanish Jaime Hayon, Italian Studiopepe, Spanish Patricia Urquiola and French Philippe Nigro, who in recent years have made themselves notice on the international design scene.
These designers are faithfull to their southern roots and manage to add a warm and welcoming touch to everything they create”.
This motion heat is also visible in the materials with the using of clay, ceramics, porcelain and tiles. It also demonstrates more detail in cotton lace and subtle tone on tone patterns on wool and weave. The trend also brings fabrics back into the home, such as dining chairs with upholstered seats (in the new nordic-style the dining chairs are often made of wood without any upholstery).
Freifrau has two predominant ambitions, the environment as well as femininity. Could you explain? 
– What design trends have you observed these past years? And how has Freifrau managed to embrace them? 
– Will there be, like in the agri-food sector, traceability in the use of raw materials? and the use of new technologies such as nano-technologies?
