Scandinavian chic: the legendary Sika-Design
Distinguished, avant-garde, luxurious, beautiful, legendary and iconic: these adjectives are all perfect to describe Sika-Design's furniture. Sika-Design has been around for decades, but only recently did they rapatriate to Denmark some of the most iconic Danish furniture that have been created in the 20th century.
First step to success: the people behind the designs
We love Sika-Design's latest acquisitions in rattan furniture – not just because of the quality of the products, but because we are in awe with the many talented furniture designers that are behind the legendary furniture now offered by the brand: Nanna and Jorgen Ditzel, Viggo Boessen, Franco Albini, Arne Jacobsen, Robert Wengler... These designers were producing styles of furniture way before their time and the longevity of the designs show a timeless quality which is akin to many of the famous Scandinavian applied art designs across most disciplines. It's also the reason we think Scandinavian design is so popular at the moment!
Robert Wengler
This German national perfected the craftsmanship of wicker, to become one of the best, if not the best wicker maker in Denmark – Wengler was even appointed official wicker maker to the Crown by King Christian X of Denmark in 1914! He perfected his use of rattan with pioneering techniques, helping make rattan furniture what it is today.
Nanna and Jorgen Ditzel
Nanna Ditzel managed to make a name for herself in the 1950s, when furniture manufacture and design were predominantly a male activity. Breaking the mould, Nanna gave a feminine touch to her creations, with innovative, soft shapes and styles. She met her future husband Jorgen while they were studying to become furniture designers, and together they created a design studio. At her husband's parting in 1961, she left Copenhagen for London to continue her advancing career.
Arne Jacobsen
While still studying to become an architect (and undeniably one of the greatest in Denmark), Arne Jacobsen won a silver design for his “Paris Chair”, his very first piece of furniture, at the Paris Art Déco Fair in 1925. He also became famous for his contribution to the “Funkis Style” in architecture, a type of functional architecture which takes into account the future use of a building when designing it.
Viggo Boesen
Originally trained as an architect, Viggo Boesen discovered a passion and talent for creating rattan furniture, contributing to the Danish Golden age of design. A believer in “Funkis style”, like Arne Jacobsen, he introduced a new type of functional villas in Denmark.
Franco Albini
Franco Albini is another architect who had a (successful) go at furniture design, for our greatest pleasure. A neo-rationalist architect and designer, he combined modernism with Italian craftsmanship and artisanship to create unique pieces.
Second step to success: bringing ideas to life
The Egg Chair
The Egg Chair is a hanging cocoon made of rattan and designed in 1959 by Nanna and Jorgen Ditzel. Until recently, it was manufactured by Pierantonio Bonacina, before Sika-Design managed to bring the Danish chair back to its ‘birth country’. It is undoubtedly one of the most iconic pieces of furniture that exists, and we are delighted to say that an outdoor version does in fact exist! The Hanging Egg Chair is timeless, and if you've ever tried to create something in rattan, you will appreciate the craftsmanship behind its flawless round shape even more.
The Fox Chair
The Fox Chair is the creation of Viggo Boesen, which won the Danish Wicker-Maker Guild competition in 1936. What makes this lounge chair unique, apart from its rounded, stylish design, is its status as Boesen's first masterpiece. Although the classic design will remain untouched, Sika-Design has introduced a brand new material to create their Fox chairs: the Alu-rattan, which combines an aluminium frame with a thick layer of fibre, to create low-maintenance, highly resistant and weatherproof furniture.
The FA65 stool
Being named after its designer, Franco Albini (FA), and by its diameter (65cm), the FA65 Ottoman may not have the most inspiring name, but the lack of imagination in its nomination is clearly overtaken by the creativity shown in this piece. The FA65 stool has a smaller sibling, the FA55, however since we can't show every piece of furniture in every size and colour, we have decided to feature the FA65 – the bigger, the better! This eco-friendly rattan seat is timeless and its round shape makes this ottoman particularly eye-catching. Just like the Fox Chair, the modern version of the FA65 (and 55) ottoman is made of Alu-rattan, allowing you to use it outdoors without worrying about weather conditions.
If you're looking for high-quality, natural-looking furniture, then rattan furniture could be just what you need, and we are happy to announce that our Barnes showroom will very soon feature the Egg chair in Natural colour, the Fox chair in Mint (also available in Blue), and the FA65 stool in Mint. Feel free to call us to check if our latest Sika-Design furniture has arrived and come see it for yourself if you're near London!
- 27th February 2015
