Sunday, Oct. 30, 2005
The 1940s, floral-inspired fabrics of Josef Frank are as much a home-design icon as Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair, or an Arne Jacobsen dining table—but they don't come cheap. So here's a tip for those who want to enjoy some of the Austrian architect and designer's beautiful patterns without paying top dollar: head for the remnants chest at Stockholm's Svenkst Tenn (
www.svenskttenn.se), the grand dame of Swedish home-furnishings stores. Frank was a co-founder of the store and concocted 160 patterns for it, of which 40 are still in production. Off-cuts of many of these end up in Svenkst Tenn's overflowing remnants chest. None of the pieces are large enough to upholster anything chunky—so forget about revamping that sofa—but they are big enough to make pillows, sew a skirt, or even recover the seats on a set of dining-room chairs. Attention fabric lovers on a budget: this is one time you don't have to cut your coat (or napkins or lampshades) to suit your cloth.
- Sue Strachan
- Material Whirl
