The Asplund brothers, Michael and Thomas, began developing their own line of furniture and design pieces under the name EDITION ASPLUND. They founded ASPLUND Gallery to exhibit furniture as fine art objects.
Michael Asplund, originally an art dealer, had long considered combining art and design in a business venture. In 1990, Thomas Asplund left his banking job to team up with his brother.
With their unconventional backgrounds, the duo brought fresh ideas to the industry. Seeing furniture as objects of art was a new way of thinking that quickly caught on.
Reinterpretation of Classic Nordic Design
The Asplund collection has won numerous international design awards for its reinterpretation of classic Nordic design. The furniture is functional and timeless, and its pure, simple design language is at once extremely elegant.
The Asplund brothers asked Jonas Bohlin to design the original ASPLUND Gallery in Stockholm. With its concrete floors and whitewashed walls, the gallery embodied the essence of Scandinavian light. The gallery soon became a stage for contemporary Swedish design and was widely discussed in the design world.
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Related: Swedish Furniture Design Conquers the World
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Collaboration with Swedish and international designers
In addition to Swedish designers such as Claesson Koivisto Rune, Borberg & Ridderstråle, Thomas Eriksson, and Thomas Sandell, Asplund has collaborated with international designers, including Tom Dixon, Jasper Morrison, Daniel Rybakken, Piero Lissoni, and Marc Newson.
Image: SNOW – a Swedish design classic since 1994. Designed by Thomas Sandell and Jonas Bohlin, this storage piece has become an icon of modern Scandinavian design.
One important milestone was in 1994, when the SNOW storage series began. ASPLUND would soon take over sales and distribution, and it has since become a modern design classic.
Values the quality of local production
Despite its innovative and international approach, Asplund also values traditions and the quality of local production; the majority of its collections are still manufactured in Sweden. The collection includes storage furniture, carpet, and accessories, and is designed for both the home and contract markets.
Furniture as Objects of Art, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
Feature image (top): Asplund Interior Design Shop, Östermalm, Stockholm.