Nordic Inspiration – My picks from Top Drawer

I suppose it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if I told you that I came back from my recent trip to Top Drawer full of inspiration and ideas for the new season ahead.

While my time in London may have been short, it did gave me the chance to discover more amazing brands as well as catch up with some of my long-standing Nordic favourites.

Held at Olympia London over three exciting days, Top Drawer brings together more than 1,500 exhibitors from across the globe twice a year. Covering everything from design-led homewares, lifestyle products, gifts and stationery; on display were the latest Spring/Summer trade releases alongside a full programme of talks from leading industry experts.

Trends to look out for this season 

From what I personally saw at this event, as well as on Instagram from IMM Cologne, and from flicking through the new catalogues that have been landing on my doorstep this week, there are several key trends to look out for this season.

Firstly colour. Thankfully for me grey, and the new beige, are still being used as THE neutral backdrop. This Spring/Summer however they are both accented with a gorgeously dark rose-hip pink, a rich sandy yellow and retro-feeling teal green.

With regards to materials there is still an exciting mix of rattan, bamboo and marble. Soft furnishings are washed out, fringed and thankfully, for the large part, sustainable.

Shapes, patterns and finishes are still heavily inspired by nature, but the organic forms we’ve grown to love now have a brutalist, raw quality about them. This was especially evident in the ceramics and dinnerware ranges I saw.

Discovering something new 

Like anyone I love that feeling of discovering something new. From first time exhibitors to long-standing brands making a return to the UK, here are a few of my favourites:

Himla 

The dining, bath and bedroom products from Swedish linen company Himla were not only beautiful to look at but beautifully produced too. I especially liked the Hannelin Throw, with a different colourway used on the front and back making it even more striking. I will certainly be further investing their curtains, blinds and lampshades over the next few weeks.

Brita Sweden 

Talking of striking textiles, I was also smitten by the rugs from Brita Sweden. This family run business based in Stockholm, is the perfect design fit for my minimalistic style.

Their Brielle rugs for example are also made from plastic ribbon and can be used both indoors and outdoors. You can pop them in the washing machine and they can even be recycled if you ever want to replace them. All in all they are a totally guilt-free purchase.

VIVA Scandinavia 

While the Nords are renowned for the amount of coffee they consume daily, it was the carefully hand-made tea-ware from VIVA Scandinavia that really stood out for me.

Effortlessly cool with a clean look and colour palette only a Danish brand could produce, I totally fell in love with every single product.

It was also great to rediscover several brands I’d seen on holiday in Copenhagen last year too; including the delicious Paia Copenhagen soy candles (I bought the sea salt and sage from the Danish Architecture Centre this Christmas), the fab Have A Look glasse,s and the very popular Shangies sandals by Stilov which were defiantly THE footwear of choice in the August heat.

My firm favourites 

It was also super exciting to see a number of my firm favourites exhibiting too, brands that each season I dream about adding more pieces from to my home. These included:

Broste Copenhagen 

With a collection dedicated to celebrating strong colours, clever shapes and the feeling of a never-ending summer sunlight, this ever-popular and longstanding Danish brand, showcased some amazing new sofas, geometric mirrors and fab two-tone glassware.

Stelton and RIG-TIG 

As sister brands, the shared Stelton and RIG-TIG stand looked fantastic, and was filled with exciting gems that made my heart skip a few beats.

I especially loved the gorgeous new colour of the classic Stelton EM77 vacuum jug, the bread box and coffee grinder added to the Emma series, and the sweet new Bingo children’s tableware. RIG-TIG continue to inspire with the Drink-It water bottle as well as with the striking mid-century style Pour-It carafe and jug.

Lindform 

Found in the very best design and lifestyle stores, hotels and restaurants across the world, Lindform is a must-have brand for any Nordic lifestyle lover. For Spring/Summer they have once again created pieces that will thoroughly stand the test of time, especially those in a beautiful mineral green.

All images via the brands named above.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin