#17 Tolvekarna
#17 Tolvekarna

TOLVEKARNA

A summer's day on the terrace in the 1970s.

Svenskt Tenn’s founder, Estrid Ericson, was able to find relaxation at her summer house 'Tolvekarna' (The Twelve Oaks) on Tyresö, situated just outside of Stockholm. There she created her own private paradise, a natural parallel to the ideals she expressed at her store at Strandvägen 5.

The trendsetter, businesswoman and designer led a life in harmony with her company. Her professional and personal life were intertwined during her more than 50 years at Svenskt Tenn.

In contact with the abundance of nature surrounding 'Tolvekarna', Ericson´s fascination with form in all its shapes flourished freely. The summer house and its interiors convey how her taste and perception of architecture and garden design changed fundamentally after the collaboration with Josef Frank. The idea of the living home as something continuously changing and never as a finished product was a cornerstone of Estrid Ericson and Josef Frank’s interior design philosophy.

Mirakel, Josef Frank, 1920s.
Crayfish party photoshoot in the 50s.
Picknick at 'Tolvekarna', 1952.
Aristidia, Josef Frank, 1920s.
The living room with a view across the water.
Primavera, Josef Frank, 1920s.
Curtains in Primavera fabric.