Zweed

Håkan Johansson

DESIGN FROM STOCKHOLM TO THE WORLD

Zweed was founded in Stockholm by designer Håkan Johansson in 2010. Håkan’s idea was to create a high-quality furniture brand that would emphasize design and functionality inspired by ideas from discussions with clients. He noticed that customers often came to him because they couldn’t find a design solution they liked, or would suit their needs. Since then Zweed design has grown from cabinets to dining tables and much more, distributed all over the world. Our range of furniture is characterized by typical Scandinavian design, close attention to details, high-quality finish and clever functionality added ever so carefully. Feedback we’ve received says that buying a piece of furniture from Zweed is often the beginning of a relationship with a new favorite. Zweed design is just as elegant in any setting as it is functional and durable for everyday use.


Design Philosophy

EVER SINCE ZWEED WAS FOUNDED we have consistently strived to create new and truly functional furniture with a unique and clear identity that reflects our background and heritage. Smart functionality has always been at the center of our work and we find influence in everyday life and in our daily encounters. That is where we find inspiration.

At Zweed we find unique solutions that not only brings new original products to the market, but also that represents what we believe Scandinavian design is much about, so by understanding our heritage, you also understand the Zweed design philosophy

DINO CHAIR design by Håkan Johansson 2010

The term “Scandinavian design” originates from a design show that traveled the US and Canada under that name from 1954 to 1957. Promoting the “Scandinavian way of living,” it exhibited various works by Nordic designers and established the meaning of the term that continues to today: beautiful, simple, clean designs, inspired by nature and the northern climate, accessible and available to all, with an emphasis on enjoying the domestic environment.

PEEP C1

The thread running through Scandinavian design is functionalism. For hundreds of years, the need for products to just work was ingrained in the Scandinavian soul. It hadn’t been very long since this was a requirement for survival. The focus was on “need,” or function, not on decoration or beauty. In modern times functionalism has evolved into also meeting the emotional needs of people. This has given Nordic functionalism a more natural and humanistic side. But there is still more extreme approaches to functionalism, which stripps all decoration in favour of pure function.

The long winters and few hours of sunlight inspired Scandinavian designers to create bright, light, practical environments They tried to make the domestic environment as comfortable as possible with the materials at hand. These trends were picked up by neighboring countries and eventually spread all over the world. The high-quality designs live on today and are recreated continually in various fields, confirming their timelessness.