String Furniture is a leading Swedish brand of modular shelving systems. It all began in 1949 with an ideas competition for bookshelves held by the Bonnier publishing house. The designer couple Kajsa and Nisse Strinning won it with String System, a project that perfectly embodied the competition goals of functionality, economy, ease of transport and assembly. The success of the extraordinarily versatile modular bookcase system was immediate. The Strinning couple decided to found String Design AB, later Swedish Design AB, in 1952. The Scandinavian bookshelves appeared at the new UN headquarters in New York, and awards and recognitions followed, including the gold medal at the Milan Triennale. Numerous imitations flourished, and after several copyright lawsuits, the Strinnings were granted a patent in 1961. Notwithstanding its iconic status and popularity for over twenty years, the iconic bookcase went out of production. On the brink of bankruptcy, the company was taken over in 2004 by Pär Josefsson and Peter Erlandsson. Firm believers in Scandinavian design, the two businessmen founded String Furniture in close collaboration with the Strinning family to relaunch the String System. Changes were limited to adding more up-to-date features, new colours and finishes without altering the product's original philosophy. All String Furniture products are made in Sweden.
String System, one product and infinite furnishing solutions
String System is a functional and versatile modular shelving system that allows endless configurations. Characterised by its extreme simplicity and essentiality, it is elegant and discreet. String is composed of a series of steel grid uprights, to which various elements can be added, including shelves, containers and hooks of various types. The uprights are available in floor and wall versions in different heights with depths of 30 and 20 cm. There are 7 finishes from galvanised steel or painted in white, grey, beige, brown and black; the Plexiglas version was introduced in 1954. The choice of elements, available in widths of 58 and 78 cm, extends from lockers to different types of shelves and storage units, with finishes ranging from colours coordinated with the uprights to veneers in 4 woods. In addition to bookcases, String System can be used for other furnishing solutions like desks (thanks to the folding table), sideboards, bedside tables, coat racks outfitted with hooks and hangers, bathroom furniture, etc. Its versatility and flexibility make the String System suitable for all rooms in the home. With the new perforated metal panels and shelves, the galvanised steel version can even be used outdoors for terraces and gardens.
String Pocket, the miniature system for small spaces
String Pocket is the brainchild of Nisse Strinning developed in the aftermath of the company's takeover by its new owners in 2005. Designers Anna von Schewen and Björn Dahlström created the project in 2020, introducing new finishes and elements. String Pocket is a miniature version of the original system, limited to the wall-mounted model. String Pocket consists of two uprights and three shelves, available in widths of 58 and 78 cm, with a height of 50 cm and a depth of 15 cm. The more trendy colours Sage and Blush have been added to the primary colour and finish chart. Countless compositions can be created by using several elements in height and width. Thanks to its reduced depth, difficult-to-use space can now become functional.
Works and Museum, solutions for offices and public spaces
The String Furniture catalogue has been enriched with new collections that expand the original system with additional functionality. The Works collection for offices and home workspaces, designed in 2014 by Anna von Schewen and Björn Dahlström, was awarded the IF German Design Award. The collection includes desks on trestles, a storage unit on wheels, a two-door cabinet and a sound-absorbing panel in table-top and floor-standing versions. The Museum collection originates from the Nationalmuseum redevelopment project conceived by Gabriella Lenke and Mattias Ståhlbom of the TAF architecture firm. Part of the collection is the Museum aluminium shelf NM&.045, designed to display artworks in the museum café and restaurant, the multifunctional height-adjustable Museum™ Sidetable and a candle holder.
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