Designer Kristine Five Melvær. Image Credit: Røros Tweed

If I learned anything in 2020, it’s that you guys are obsessed with the Syndin collection from Røros Tweed. And I can’t blame you. It was love at first sight of that Cloudberry for me. But when we are obsessed with a product, we want to make sure we are really highlighting the creator behind it, and in this case, the creator is Kristine Five Melvær. And as it turns out, her stunning work with the Syndin is but the tip of the iceberg.

The Liv vase in Cobalt for Magnor Glassworks. Image Credit: Erik Five Gunnerud

Melvær is a designer, living and working in Oslo, Norway. She holds no less than two master’s degrees in Industrial Design and Visual Communication, and her design work combines these disciplines in that it centers on how an object speaks to its user and how that use might become a deeper emotional relationship.

Just 36 years old at the time of writing, she can boast a gobsmacking portfolio of work and collaborators, spanning lighting, textile, furniture and graphic design. Among these objects are multiple collections with Røros Tweed, from Syndin, to Flette, to my beloved Åsmund Bold. 

The Flette takes its inspiration from the woven thread. Image source: Erik Five Gunnerud

And while her textile work is magnificent (don’t even get me started on her droolworthy scarves and bag collaboration with ESP and Røros Tweed), the designer seems to span product categories and materials with ease. From the Vava stackable stool, to multiple tableware collections (including the Liv vase which is absolutely perfect and I now HAVE to have). 

The Pop Outdoor furniture collection and Vava stackable stool. Melvær seems to span product categories and materials with ease. Image Credit: Erik Five Gunnerud/Anne Holmgren

One of several lighting projects, the Bloom lamp, plays with materials, shapes and detail to make an at once delicate yet bold statement. And her ongoing collaboration with Heymat even takes the oft-overlooked doormat to the next level. In an interview with the producer, Melvær explains that she is selective about her collaborators, seeking to create (in true Scandinavian form) objects of a quality that will last.  

The Bloom lamp plays with materials, shapes, and detail to make an at once delicate yet bold statement. Image Credit: Erik Five Gunnerud

The Syndin Collection in Cloudberry. Image Credit: Røros Tweed

We are not the only ones that are inspired by this timeless designer, she has won multiple awards for her work including Best Textile at the 2015 ICFF Editors Awards, and the 2014 Riedel Award for her glasswork. I expect there will be many more on the horizon. 

Blue House customers certainly gave Melvær’s work a resounding thumbs up this past year. Our top-selling items were among the Syndin collections in Cloudberry and Slate – we could barely keep these stunning pillows and throws in stock. 

I, for one, can’t decide which one is my favorite. The Cloudberry, which take its shade from the “multe,” a tart berry that is bright orange when ripe? Or perhaps the more classic Slate. Then again Flette. Ooo, or Portør! (Yup, that’s her too). Ok, maybe all of them. 

Regardless. We’re so proud to feature the work and products of this and other designers here at Blue House. These are the creators behind some of the incredible home goods we source from Scandinavia. What other designers would you like to see us feature and learn more about? Let us know in the comments below!