Although the long days of summer are just now starting to get shorter in Budapest, in northern Europe the midsummer season means weeks of almost-constant daylight. This half-year of day and half-year of night (paired with a bleak climate) elevates interior design to a prominent position in Scandinavian culture, and their refined aesthetic innovations are emulated around the world. The Nordic predominance of soft pastels, natural influences, and modest shapes have inspired many Magyar designers, as well – here are our five favorites that specialize in Scandinavian style.
Speaking of white nights, we must mention the statuesque hanging fixtures by adamlamp that build on a stunning light-shadow effect. The lamps are designed with digital technology and made of basic geometrical shapes, sometimes hundreds of them. At first glance, they are statement pieces that are modest, but dominant. In addition to the prevailing white and metallic parts, they display patterns that could be best described as contemporary lacework. The Hexa Light, for instance, consists of 320 hexagonal pieces of white plastic. The grand Sun Chandelier is made up of triangles; it is coated with white on the outside, and hand-gilded on the inside.
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Stores: online, Innoshop, vilavu,
Prices: Hexa Light: 38,000 HUF, Flora Light: 57,000 - 67,000 HUF, Cloud Light: 168,000 HUF, Sun Chandelier: 475,000 - 516,000 HUF
The proximity of nature is definitely a mood enhancer. Don’t despair if you don’t happen to have a balcony: the Plantum series by Judit Boros, Beáta Csortán, and Tímea Tőkési can smuggle green into any space. Their flower containers can be placed on the windowsill or in the corner of your room: you can have a perfect herb garden in your kitchen window, or use a larger plant as a space divider. The Plantus plant containers are constituted of variable metal frames and wooden boxes of various sizes, which can house a complete system of potted plants. Its modest shape and natural color allows the plant to take center stage, and, naturally, it is usable for both indoor and outdoor use.
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Prices: 25,000 - 35,000 HUF
The works of Péter Toronyi are familiar to faithful readers of
We Love Budapest: he is one of the most talented Magyar designers, and he has earned numerous international design awards. He designed lamps, a spice grinder, a heater for homeless people, and now he came out with a compact 2-in-1 coffee grinder and coffee maker that works without electricity. Péter usually works with modest shapes, respecting function above everything else. Baristum is simple and smart, it fits nicely in the hand, and looks great on your kitchen counter. So, how does it work? Throw a capful of coffee beans into the Baristum, add sugar if you like, and shake it for a minute so the steel ball grinds the beans into powder. Pour hot water and/or milk over it, shake it up again, and drink away. Shaken, but stirring.
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Baristum is not available commercially yet.
Nóri is originally an architect, and she believes that a building is only complete if its interior spaces and objects all contribute to a uniformly harmonious picture. Hence, Nóri Vida also designs furniture and household items; each season, she rolls out a piece that is a functional must-have. She designs statuesque chairs, intriguing dining sets that are dishwasher-compatible, and an infinitely practical and spectacular clothes-hanger series complete with trouser, tie, and skirt hangers. The Lunaria valet stand is her freshest, customizable product, finished only a few weeks ago.
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Stores: furniture for custom order, concrete dinner set at Mono Art & Design
Prices: dinner set: 23 - 57 EUR, clothes hangers: 26 EUR, valet stand: by request
The character of KAZA Concrete is defined by its muted pastels, delicate and sometimes complex patterns, and textures that are magnetic to the touch. The exclusive Magyar brand has been manufacturing its coverings for walls and floors in Szentendre. The special, 3D concrete surfaces of growing international recognition are designed in cooperation with both Hungarian and foreign designers, like Zsanett Kincses, Mercédesz Nagy, and Codolagni Design Studio. It is a matter of taste whether one chooses a simple, minimalist decor, or an organic-looking family of tiles, but we we think that Florentin fits the summer months best, adding a huge flowery garden to your apartment.
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Store: Decorfloor
Prices: between 196 and 289 EUR per square meter
