Furniture of the Year

For the 21st year in a row, Swedish interior design magazine Sköna hem is giving out the Årets Möbel award – the Furniture of the Year prize. The winner is chosen by the magazine from among a small group of four to five finalist pieces, and has become one of Sweden’s most prestigious – and awaited – awards for the furniture and interior design industry.

This year, the winner is Gustav Person’s table “Spänna” (which means stretch), announced earlier today. The award will be given out at a ceremony later in May.

“The prize is the oldest of its kind in Sweden today as far as I know,” says Dan Gordan, an editor at Sköna hem who has been involved with the prize since its inception, first as a writer and later as jury member. “While all sorts of interior design magazines give out prizes left and right, we have a qualified jury and award the prize to only one piece of furniture, with the winner receiving a sum of SEK 30,000.”

The prize definitely has a life far beyond the magazine. For example, when the Swedish government declared 2005 “a year for design,” the magazine created an exhibit, Årets Möbel, which appeared at eight museums touring throughout Sweden. And for last year’s 20th anniversary, Sköna hem threw a massive party in the courtyard of the National Museum in Stockholm.

“Through the prize, we show that Sköna hem is a serious player to the furniture and interior design industry,” says Gordan. “And our readers understand this of course, they see that their magazine makes a difference outside their living rooms.”

As for this year’s prizewinning table, the jury wrote: “A table for furniture lovers, a design with poetic appeal. Furniture-maker Gustav Person’s master’s project for the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design was a test of joining, where with the help of poetry he added something extra to the design process. The table is held together through the power of the wood itself, there is no need for glue or screws.”

Interested in owning your own Spänna? It’s available from furniture company Källemo.