Expert tips at Möbelmässan: how to distinguish good furniture from bad.
When a new piece of furniture is launched, almost all the focus is on aesthetics. The functional aspects are easily forgotten. -Yet they are just as important. For example, would you buy a car just because it looks good – regardless of its handling and technical capabilities? The question is posed by interior designer and author Frida Ramstedt, who gives practical advice to visitors to the Möbelmässan, the Gothenburg Furniture Fair
Foto: Svensk udstillings- og kongrescenter Gothia Towers AB
Frida Ramstedt runs Trendenser, the leading Nordic blog on interior design, and has published three best-selling books on the subject.
Frida will take the stage in a panel discussion and a lecture on furniture at Möbelmässan, the Gothenburg Furniture Fair, which takes place on 12-14 September at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden.
- In the lecture, I’ll give you some tips and practical advice to help you understand which models suit your body and your home – whether you’re buying new or used furniture, or just want to make the most of what you already have, she says.
- These days we often know more about the chairs we think look good than the ones we think are comfortable. But what is really important to look for when evaluating a piece of furniture and comparing it to others? What details distinguish good quality from bad?
Unconscious consumers
She will take the stage to discuss what’s important to consider when decorating a home, regardless of style.
This will cover basic measurements, rules of thumb and important furniture-related knowledge.
Plus, what to look for when buying furniture so that you learn to distinguish quality from quantity.
In the research for her latest book, “The Furnishing Handbook”, she immersed herself in the research conducted by the Furniture Institute over five decades.
– The Furniture Institute and furniture architect Erik Berglund designed furniture tests that are still used today. But consumers are often completely unaware of the knowledge they acquired, she says.
I would never buy such a car!
Frida Ramstedt’s mission is to convey knowledge about important details in furniture design based on quality, function and comfort.
- It’s easy to skip the functional aspects and focus on the appearance and aesthetic attributes of an interior. Most of today’s interior design journalism is structured around this approach.
Putting all the emphasis on aesthetic value can be misleading, she says – and then makes a striking comparison:
-Imagine if all new cars were described only by their appearance, i.e. the colour or material they were made of or the designer who sketched them. And nothing about the car’s handling characteristics or technical capabilities? We would never accept that.
- But in the interior design industry, furniture is almost exclusively reviewed by the eye – never by the body.
That’s where I want to make a difference and contribute something new.
