Swedish Wall Unit in Ash and Metal by Kajsa & Nils Nisse Strinning for String, 1950s

About This Piece

Vintage Design

Original String Shelving System:

2 ash wood shelves. (Length 58 cm. Depth 30 cm.)
2 metal ladders. (Length 76 cm. Depth 28 cm)
1 metal shelf. (Width 60 cm. Depth 35 cm)

Dimensions as assembled: height 100 cm. Width 80 cm. Depth 20 cm.

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Creator	Kajsa & Nils "Nisse" Strinning
Manufacturer	String
Design Period	1950 to 1959
Year
Production Period	1950 to 1959
Country of Manufacture	Sweden
Identifying Marks	This piece has been attributed based on archival documentation, such as vintage catalogs, designer records, or other literature sources
Style	Mid-Century, Scandinavian Modern, Design Classics
Detailed Condition	Very Good — This vintage/antique item has no defects, but it may show slight traces of use.
Restoration and Damage Details	Light wear consistent with age and use, Patina consistent with age and use, Minor scratches, Abrasions
Product Code	RDW-1922842
Materials	Metal, Ash
Color	Black, tan
Width	59 cm 59 cm
Depth	28 cm 28 cm
Height	76 cm 76 cm

Shipping & Delivery

Ships from	Germany
Returns	Returns accepted within fourteen days of delivery, except for Made-to-order items

Sustainability

Carbon Neutral	For every purchase made, Pamono offsets 100% of estimated carbon emissions from global shipping.
Vintage	Choosing vintage and antique furniture reduces your carbon footprint by cutting down on waste and reduces demand for new materials and extends the life of the products we use.

Delivery Details

Delivery will be completed by a parcel service such as UPS, DHL, or FedEx.
You will receive a tracking number to monitor the status of your shipment.
Delivery will take place between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

*Important Note

Please examine the packaging upon delivery. In the event that there are visible signs of damaged packaging, please indicate the problem on the Delivery Note, take pictures, and—if the item inside shows damages—contact us within 48 hours of delivery. A signed delivery receipt without notations regarding damaged packaging represents your acceptance of the completed order in perfect condition.

About the Creator

Kajsa & Nils "Nisse" Strinning

Swedish architect-designer Nils "Nisse" Strinning (1917-2006) is best known for his minimalist and cost-effective String Bookshelf System and his versatile designs in plastic.

Born in Kramfors in 1917, Strinning studied architecture at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (KTH) from 1940 until 1947. As a student, he—along with the Swedish engineer Arne Lydmar—conceived a way of coating steel wire with plastic. Using this method, Strinning designed the Elfa Dish Rack (1946), which found worldwide success decades later. Today, the dish rack is produced by the Swedish storage company of the same name.

In 1949, Strinning and his wife Kajsa, also sometimes written as Katja (b.1922 in Svanholm) designed a bookshelf for a contest initiated by Bonnier, Sweden’s largest publishing house. The super-simple design consisted of two plastic-coated metal wire “ladders” and three shelves. Among the 194 designs submitted from around the world, the String Bookshelf was chosen as the winner. An immediate success—as contemporary today as it was almost 70 years ago—String is an affordable, lightweight, easy-to-transport, and flexible system that expands to accommodate growing book collections. One of Scandinavia's most iconic designs, it has received more than 15 prestigious national and international awards, including the Gold Medal at Milan’s Triennale in 1954, and was acquisitioned into the Swedish National Museum's design collection in 1979.

In 1952, Strinning founded both String Design AB and Swedish Design AB. The following year, String Plex was launched, along with a standalone shelving system, which Strinning is rumored to never have liked. In 1955, the String Shelf was exhibited at the H55 Helsingborg Exhibition. Easily reproduced, it was subjected to flagrant copywriting. In 1961, Sweden’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of Strinning, and the shelf was patented.

Over the course of his career, Strinning and his wife designed a variety of plastic objects, such as the Vispi Bowl (1951), as well as other free-standing and wall-mounted shelves in various sizes, including the Kam Bookshelf (1968), which received the Excellent Swedish Design Award from Svensk Form in 1993.

Strinning passed away in 2006. His firm String Design AB has since moved headquarters to Malmö and continues to launch new products, including the String Office Range (2015), which received the German Design Award in 2016.

Images courtesy of String