The journey to the chair

"But the fact that there has always been an opportunity to replace, change and experiment has also been a luxurious aspect of what we have done."

Ten years ago, we started the vintage shop Dusty Deco in a small room on Gärdet in Stockholm, with selected eclectic designer furniture, accessories and art that attracted buyers from all over the world. The journey started small. In addition to our regular jobs in fashion, we went to flea markets and bought furniture and decorative objects for our apartment. Our home and attic storage quickly became overcrowded. We adopted the motto 'one thing in, one thing out' and soon realised that there was a market for second-hand vintage items.

The first buying trip was to the United States with a focus on industrial items such as rusty cans and signs. Since then, the style of Dusty Deco has gradually evolved, resulting in two stores on Södermalm in Stockholm, a smaller store on Östermalm and finally we opened the doors in an old 600 square metre garage at Brahegatan 21. There we curated carefully selected design classics, visually expressive furniture and contemporary art. We created a living room that we loved.

We have travelled and bought vintage items all over the world, not only finding amazing things and seeing fascinating places, but also meeting so many exciting people. It is probably the travelling and the meetings more than anything else that have motivated us and made us grow. For us, it has been one long journey of life where we have never given in to our basic idea of only buying things we love. The stores have been an extension of how we want our home to be. Unfortunately, homes have felt the pinch. It has happened, quite a few times to be honest, that one of us has come home and wondered where the dining table has gone...? eh, it's been sold...! But the fact that it has always been possible to replace, change and try things out has also been a luxurious aspect of what we have done.

We are passionate about buying homes that we can renovate and put our stamp on. Each home has had something unique that has characterised the interior, and thus the interiors have differed in the various homes, growing organically with constantly new approaches. The dream has been to be able to change and we have invested the surplus in the company and new exciting projects. We now live in Palma, Mallorca, where three years ago we bought an old dilapidated carpentry workshop. At the time there was no electricity or water, but we saw the potential in the premises with beautiful windows and a magnificent garden where we eventually plan to build a swimming pool. We saw great opportunities to create something magical - so we went for it. While we're renovating, we're renting a hippie-inspired house that the family absolutely loves, as well as the whole cosy life on the island.

"But perhaps the best part is that it is manufactured by O.H. Sjögren in Tranås, one of Sweden's oldest furniture manufacturing companies."

At the turn of 2019, we closed down the store operations to take the next step, which promises to be the most exciting and transformative yet. In collaboration with Nordiska Galleriet, we produce our own furniture, carpets and interior details. It is modern furniture of the highest quality, but at the same time classic with the feeling and charisma inherited from the most characterful and unique vintage furniture we have handled over the years. Some have already been seen in a first collection, now several will be launched during autumn/winter 2020.

We are particularly fond of the Arco Chair ourselves. The armchair has evolved, we didn't know from the beginning that it would be like this. In our first collection, there was a lot of focus on wood and the V-shape, so for the second one we thought it would be more rounded. We've always liked arches, like on a classic Spanish or French big balcony. So the ball was rolling. The result is a slightly bulky Italian 80s in the spirit of the Memphis Group, but with a modern feel. We can't quite put our finger on it. But perhaps the best part is that it is made by O.H. Sjögren in Tranås, one of Sweden's oldest furniture manufacturing companies, which makes all the upholstery for Carl Malmsten and Svenskt Tenn. This is a collaboration that we are extremely happy about. The company was founded in 1902 by Oskar Herbert Sjögren and has been run by the Sjögren family ever since. Production is now, as then, according to the principles of craftsmanship. It really is furniture of the highest quality.

Another favourite in the new collection is the Double Kiss Rug. We wanted to find an unexpected pattern on a classic Moroccan beni ourain rug and came back to a photo of Dennis Hopper on a graffiti wall that we often have on our mood boards. It felt like an exciting meeting. It makes you happy. The carpet is handmade by hand in Morocco, where the Atlas Mountains are home to a special sheep known for its wool with shorter fibres than regular wool, making it more durable. For hundreds of years, mountain tribes have harvested the wool to create the best rugs in the world.

Products featured in post

Console Table

Dusty Deco