David Ericsson | ScandinavianDesign.com

David Ericsson’s newest chair, V.DE.07, grew out of an Artist in Residence project back at his own alma mater, Malmsten in Stockholm — a deliberately simple Swedish pine construction, part of a series exploring what the project called “wrong construction in the right place.”

From Småland to Malmsten

Ericsson grew up in Småland and studied art, design and architecture before graduating in furniture design from Carl Malmsten in Stockholm in 2010. He now runs his own studio in the city and teaches at his former school — a return that shaped V.DE.07 directly.

Madonna and early recognition

His breakthrough piece, the Madonna chair for Gärsnäs, “struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky” at the Stockholm Furniture Fair before winning Elle Decoration’s Furniture of the Year, Årets Rum’s furniture prize, and a Residence magazine award — three accolades for one chair in a single year.

A quiet sense of humour, and a design philosophy

Ericsson describes his own approach as built on “extensive historical knowledge” paired with “a quiet sense of humour,” and argues that the most sustainable form of consumption is often simply not consuming — favouring repair, renovation and second-hand markets alongside new production. That thinking runs through P.Y.R., a piece for Blå Station built around a pointed question: whether a genuinely simple, well-made design deserves the same protection from copying as a complex one.

A wide range of manufacturers

Alongside Blå Station and Gärsnäs, Ericsson designs regularly for Atelier Sandemar — including the Moon glass cabinet, the Noom sideboard and the Sand and Pepp chairs — plus pieces for Verk, Bebo Objects, Källemo, Gemla and, most recently, the Vev dining chair for Northern. More of his work is on view at davidericsson.se.