Dominating our Instagram feeds over the past year, Gustaf Westman is the twenty-seven-year-old Swedish architect turned furniture designer who popped up from out of nowhere.
His most covetable piece is the Curvy Mirror; a reflective surface encased in squiggles of fondant shades, pistachio, blush pink or lemon yellow. Available in two sizes, the design is an ode to the Ultrafragola, a curvaceous, illuminated mirror designed by Memphis Group founder Ettore Sottsass.
Guided by principles of accessibility, colour and fun, Gustaf Westman has us all dreaming about decorating our homes with soft shapes and candy colours.
Now there is a newer design available, the Chunky Mirror constructed in the same way as the famous wavy version - a wood frame with a semi-matte, lacquered finish. But rather than curvy wood trim that weaves around the glass, this style has a rounded frame that looks almost like a balloon.
Describing his design style as inclusive, colourful, uninhibited and playful, his collection features curvy sideboards, cups and tables all of which are made either by himself in his studio in Stockholm or in collaboration with Swedish wood handcrafters. The young designer cites a long-term admiration for Danish designers such as Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjærholm and the Memphis Group.
Becoming a furniture design sensation happened by chance. Gustaf grew up in Dalsjöfors, in the quiet Swedish countryside. After studying architecture in Gothenburg for a few years, he took a break and found an internship at an architecture firm. Wanting to develop his own portfolio projects led him to work with Daniel Redgert on the interior design of his PR office. He took several further different projects, and discovered that furniture was fun to design. Beginning to focus on creating his own furniture felt like his calling, as he found his style and a passion for working with things that inspired him, then sketching and creating small models before starting to make full-size furniture.
By Anna Bance
March 2022
The 27-year-old Swedish architect turned furniture designer has us all dreaming about decorating our homes with soft shapes and candy colours.
By
Anna Bance
·
March 2022
Anna is the co-founder of Girls Meets Dress and a contributing editor to the GWG. She expertly guides us round the most covetable online fashion.