Désirée is a collection of outdoor furniture designed in 1954 by Yngve Ekström, designer and founder of the Swedish brand Swedese. This elegant series evokes the 1950s, when the aim of designers and architects was to blur the line between the interior and exterior of a home, incorporating elements from one into the other. Ekström was inspired by a dish rack, a common element in the kitchen that can easily withstand large amounts of water, to create the Désirée collection.
The materials used for this series are particularly resistant to bad weather: anti-corrosion treated steel, white paint specially designed for outdoor use, laminated table top, cushion with waterproof fabric. Désirée tables and chairs easily find their place in a garden or on a terrace.
Désirée chairs
Frame anticorrosive treated steel – white epoxy lacquer for outdoor use
Cushion removable seat cushion – high resilience foam – upholstered with water repellent textile
Dimensions L63 x P58 x H89 cm – seat height 47 cm
Désirée chair, bright cushion
Désirée chair, dark cushion
Désirée tables
Frame anticorrosive treated steel – white epoxy lacquer for outdoor use
Table top white compact laminate for outdoor use
Height 47 cm
Désirée Small table – Ø64 cm
Désirée Large table – Ø110 cm
Yngve Ekström
Beautiful, simple, comfortable – and loved. When a Swedish interiors magazine asked its readers to vote for "a piece of furniture from the 20th century", they chose the Lamino armchair designed by Yngve Ekström, the founder of the Swedish company Swedese. "Having designed a good chair may not be a bad life,” he had said many years before. But his legacy is far greater than the Lamino. Yngve Ekström had his own personal style, which allows much of his furniture to be preserved and kept in production.
Ekström was born in 1913 in Småland, where the oldest furniture factory in the country was located. His father died young and Ekström started working in the factory when he was 13 years old. His talent with woodworking and his diverse experience gave him a keen eye for materials and construction.
Like Alvar Aalto, Bruno Mathsson, Arne Jacobsen and Poul Kjaerholm, Yngve Ekström was part of the post-war modern movement that made the concept of "modern Scandinavian" world famous. His furniture is presented in numerous permanent collections, notably at the Victoria & Albert Museum, in London.