KAJSA AND NISSE STRINNING

THE DESIGN COUPLE BEHIND STRING. A SYSTEM

THAT CAN BE ENDLESSLY REINVENTED

Nisse Strinning was an architect and an inventor. He had

an eye for spotting people’s needs and the imagination to

find solutions to their problems. The hassles of everyday

life that went unnoticed by other designers captivated

Nisse. His wife and partner Kajsa ensured the ideas

were explored, refined, and documented in construction

drawings. Through their career the Strinnings created

things that made life well designed, easier, and more

practical. Their belief that form should always follow

function explains why many of their creations are

considered iconic today.

In 1949 the Bonnier publishing company and their

popular Bonnier Folk Library series announced a

competition to design a bookshelf. The competition rules

stated that the bookshelf should be affordable, easy to

ship and suitable to most Swedish homes. The compe-

tition provided a creative incentive for Kajsa and Nisse;

the String shelf won and became an instant success.

In parallel, the Strinnings continued to develop the idea,

and soon String became a complete system with an array

of functional elements and accessories.

More than seventy years later, String remains one of

Sweden’s biggest selling and most loved designs, as well

as being internationally acclaimed. Today the system

consists of more pieces than ever. It can be configured

to suit living rooms, kitchens, or bathrooms, and is

just as much at home in a mansion as in a studio flat.

Colours and materials are based on a palette, updated

yearly with new options, further increasing the number

of configurations. We’ve recently added the possibility

of using your String System outdoors, all year round.

Because the system’s measurements haven’t chang-

ed since 1949, older elements fit with the brand-new

ones. All the possible combinations make it fun to try

out different ideas. The second-hand market constantly

seems to hunger for the String shelf of any age, colour,

or material.

String is still made in Sweden, adhering to high-quality

standards and sustainability requirements. Nisse and

Kajsa Strinning continued to invent new furniture until

Nisse passed away in 2006. Many of these designs

were a great success, although none of them were as

appreciated as String

String is based on only three parts,

the wall panel, the shelf and the metal fitting.

Ingenious simplicity, born in 1949.

KAJSA & NISSE STRINNING 9