In collaboration with Vera & Kyte, Fram Oslo has created a new canvas in the Norwegian Forest series for the exhibition "8 Avtrykk". The series is a tribute to the forest, and in the work on the new canvas, Vera & Kyte have drawn inspiration from their own trips in the city mountains around Bergen. The stylized interpretation of nature is a typical characteristic of their work, often characterized as poetic simplicity in combination with graphic playfulness.
What kind of work do you make?
Annette Hoff: Fram Oslo was established in 2016 and is a Norwegian interior design brand, inspired by the Norwegian design heritage. In collaboration with skilled designers from Norway, we want to pay tribute to Norwegian nature and a functional lifestyle through beautiful shapes, clean materials and good function. We produce all our products in Norway through skilled local producers who are experts in their field. Fram Oslo works for a sustainable future, and 10% of the profit goes to UNICEF's work for the world's children.
Vera & Kyte: Our design studio embraces both furniture, product, interior and room design. A fundamental fascination for our surroundings is the very foundation of our work. The starting point for problems often comes from observation and experience of our immediate surroundings and our relationship to them. Curiosity about the underlying processes, the value and the thoughts behind the design of our environment increases as we delve deeper. We seek a balance and interplay between function and aesthetics that provides room for association, relationship and experience.
What is your earliest memory related to art, or to creating something?
V&K: None of us have a "first memory" as it has always been present in our surroundings. The desire to create something has followed us from the start, but has of course both increased and matured over the years.
When in life did you first learn about your field of work? What brought you there?
AH: While doing a master's degree at Copenhagen Business School, I became very aware of Danish design and their renowned history. At the same time, I became interested in Norwegian design history and delved into it through my master's thesis, which I wrote there for a Norwegian design company. Personally, I "discovered" that Norway also has a strong history in design and the furniture industry, beyond a few big brands that I knew beforehand. In comparison to the Danish one, perhaps the breadth of the Norwegian furniture industry has historically not been as good at commercializing it and creating an international foothold as the Danish furniture industry did. It was the first time I thought I wanted to work on building Norwegian design further.
V&K: This is also not easy to confirm to time or place. The interest in design has been with us for a long time, but it is clear that the annual graduation exhibitions of (as it was called at the time) the Bergen Academy of the Arts were inspiring. They were held in the Vestlandske Kunstindustrimuseum in Bergen and were a highlight when spring came.
"It is possible that it was a bit early for Norwegian design as a term, but precisely daring to be Norwegian in the field of design and showing what distinguishes us from our Scandinavian neighbors can give a dimension and differentiation that I believe today is very important."
What is the best advice you have received? Possibly the worst advice?
AH: Best: Dare to throw the Jante law out the window and bet on what you believe in yourself. (Dagny Thurmann-Moe). Worst: While I was studying in Denmark, I received a comment from my supervisor (2009) that branding oneself as Norwegian in design was "daring", that it was probably much smarter to focus on Scandinavian, which at that time was a strong and established term. It is possible that it was a bit early for Norwegian design as a term, but precisely daring to be Norwegian in the field of design and showing what distinguishes us from our Scandinavian neighbors can give a dimension and differentiation that I believe today is very important.
V&K: The "Take risks" council has been with us since we started our own design studio. Together with "Be persistent" it has been a motivating statement that we have followed with pleasure in many projects. It is also one of the pieces of advice we prefer to pass on when we are asked the question ourselves.
AH: We believe it is important to work with natural and beautiful materials that can last. We Norwegians are particularly happy to be out in nature, and we want to bring some of that feeling inside by using natural materials.
V&K: We have an open and experimental approach to design which has led us into a great diversity of projects based on different materials, techniques and professional environments. The diversity shows what for us is the most exciting thing about being a designer; to create new solutions and expressions in collaboration with specialized craftsmen, industry and other creative environments.
"We Norwegians are particularly happy to be out in nature, and we want to bring some of that feeling inside by using natural materials."
Tell us a little about your workplace!
AH: Fram Oslo is a small company that is currently run by my sister, Sunniva Hoff, and myself. Our father, who has retired from his previous job, has also been given an important role in the company. We work with Norwegian designers and Norwegian manufacturers who are experts in what they do. In a small company, you have to do many different tasks, and it is both exciting and challenging. We meet many wonderfully talented people, who are specialists in their field, and we learn a lot, especially in the development of new designs. We also have a lot of contact with our dedicated and excellent dealers, both in Norway and in the ever-growing foreign market.
V&K: It's fantastic. No two days are the same and almost every day we do what we like best.
What is the most challenging thing about being your own boss?
AH: Personally, I'm probably a tough boss on myself and I set very high demands, and it can be difficult to put work down. My sister and I have different strengths that we can rely on, and it's nice to be able to take on the tasks together.
V&K: Fortunately, there are two of us, and it can be an advantage if you get a little too absorbed in the work. It is incredibly important to have a good sparring partner who can bring a new perspective to the work and challenge when necessary to find the right solutions. Our working method and close collaboration have developed organically over the years and sharpened into a dynamic way of working that strengthens the articulation of our expression and our ideas.
What motivates you?
AH: It is motivating to see a design concept develop from an idea to a finished product. We are lucky to work with manufacturers who are experts in what they do. Together with the designers, we develop new, great applied art.
V&K: Other enterprising people, it can be both within their own professional field, nearby professional groups such as art, architecture, film and the like, or completely different professional areas, but where the commitment and drive are prominent.
AH: Being out in nature is inspiring and relaxing. There we get some distance from what we are working with and there we find inspiration. After a longer ski trip or a lunchtime run, you may have found a solution or a new way of looking at a challenge.
V&K: We are so lucky that we have a panoramic view of the city fjord and on a good day we can almost see all the way to England. Small breaks where you can get your mind on something else can give room for new ideas and inspiration. There is an eternal boat, harbor and bird life right outside our windows that is constantly changing. By having a coffee on the windowsill or a walk out along the quay, we see everything from cormorants looking for their morning meal, a new boat being towed into the dock or maybe someone is lucky enough to pull up a cod on the quay. The studio is located in a large cultural center, so if the wildlife or harbor life is not available, we can always look into the workshops and studios for some inspiration or a little chat.
"The nice blue light is often seen in the forest, in the winter in the quiet hours and in the summer with the clear blue sky."
Tell us a little about the items you are exhibiting in this year's exhibition.
AH: We are exhibiting Norwegian Forest Damask Cloth where Vera & Kyte have interpreted the Norwegian forest through beautiful, tactile patterns. The baby needle tablecloth is an extension of the Norwegian Forest Damask tablecloth series, and this time the designers have continued the beautiful baby needle pattern from the kitchen towel collection into a beautiful tablecloth. The cloth is also being launched in a new beautiful shade of blue which symbolizes a color often found in nature. The nice blue light is often seen in the forest, in winter in the quiet hours and in summer with the clear blue sky. Norwegian Forest's organic pattern is an exciting backdrop to any bed linen, in everyday life as well as for special occasions. The delicate textile is woven in 50% linen and 50% cotton. The cloth is woven at Grinakervev in Hadeland.
V&K: For "8 Prints" we have designed a new damask cloth with a stylized motif from Norwegian nature. With the new addition, we also want to give a gentle invitation to experiment with alternative colors to the classic white tablecloth.
How did the collaboration get started?"With the new addition, we also want to give a gentle call to experiment with alternative colors to the classic white tablecloth."
AH: We have known Vera & Kyte for several years, and we initiated a collaboration in 2017. The first series we launched together was Norwegian Forest kitchen towels, which were launched in 2018.
V&K: We came into contact with Annette Hoff from Fram Oslo a few years ago. The collaboration started with a coffee and a pleasant conversation in our studio, and since then we have worked together on various projects.
"The stylized interpretation of nature can be characterized as typical of our work, which is often characterized by a poetic simplicity together with a graphic playfulness."
What kind of imprint or representation of yourselves have you left in the works for this exhibition?
AH: We want to create products that are built on good craft techniques, and the new tablecloth is a new example of applied art from Fram Oslo. Vera & Kyte have created a beautiful, timeless motif, and in collaboration with Grinakervev, the result is a great quality cloth that can be a delicate backdrop for everyday as well as festive occasions.
V&K: As a designer, it is almost inevitable to leave a signature or a trace of yourself in your objects. For us, it is important that the product matches the values and design language our partner wants to convey, while at the same time having a strong character of its own. In our work with Norwegian Forest, we have drawn inspiration from our own trips in the city mountains around Bergen. The stylized interpretation of nature can be characterized as typical for our work, which is often characterized by a poetic simplicity together with a graphic playfulness.
"As a designer, it is almost inevitable to leave a signature or a trace of oneself in one's objects."
About Fram Oslo and Vera & Kyte
Fram Oslo, a Scandinavian furniture and interior design brand with a Norwegian signature. In collaboration with a number of renowned designers, Fram Oslo wants to offer modern and sustainable quality products that users will be able to enjoy for generations. Fram Oslo builds on the Scandinavian design heritage, and in particular what is characteristic of Norway and Norwegian design. Nature is reflected through forms, natural materials and good function.
Vera & Kyte is a Bergen-based design studio established by Vera Kleppe and Åshild Kyte. The design duo deliberately challenges the boundaries between furniture, interior products and interior architecture to create new connections between them. Vera & Kyte have a curiosity to explore new materials in all projects they are involved in, and with an analytical approach they want to transform curiosity into products that engage. Vera & Kyte combine art with design, and through their work they hope to share their genuine enthusiasm for design.
