Art & Design

Fredrik Karlsson: The Man Who Can Find You a Jean Prouvé

From swinging irons on the fairway to designing the Off/White store in Milan, ex-golfer Fredrik Karlsson’s path into interiors stemmed from a drive to hunt down the exquisite

“I am totally driven by the hunt,” says interior designer and antique dealer Fredrik Karlsson, who began collecting 10 years ago, when his innate love for interiors trumped an early ambition for golf. Not the most natural of segues, Karlsson embarked on a career as a personal trainer while seeking out and trading in furniture, artwork and objects “with strong personality and heritage” – anything from a primitive milking stool to a covetable piece by Jean Prouvé – to become the foundations for his Stockholm-based studio Galerie North.

“I source internationally – scrolling through auctions and secondhand sites, and building a network – but am particularly drawn to pieces from France, from the 1930s to 1960s, made at a time when designers worked by hand with local materials, and built pieces to last. They came up with classic and innovative designs that weren’t necessarily classed as luxury then, but are today, because they are timeless, and I have a lot of respect for that,” says Karlsson of the period that inspires him. The result is a thoughtfully-curated collection that focuses on the timelessness of natural textures and sturdy, sculptural shapes. “I’m not a fan of trends, at least not how they’re defined today. I think if you’re too trendy, you will lose personality and not always make the smartest move. I like a sense of timelessness and I strive to live my life that way.” 

Fritz Hansen Easy Chair

@fredrikkarlssoninteriors // Instagram

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A commercial project in Stockholm

@fredrikkarlssoninteriors // Instagram

“I source internationally – scrolling through auctions and secondhand sites, and building a network – but am particularly drawn to pieces from France, from the 1930s to 1960s, made at a time when designers worked by hand with local materials, and built pieces to last. They came up with classic and innovative designs that weren’t necessarily classed as luxury then, but are today, because they are timeless, and I have a lot of respect for that,” says Karlsson of the period that inspires him. The result is a thoughtfully-curated collection, that focuses on the timelessness of natural textures and sturdy, sculptural shapes. “I’m not a fan of trends, at least not how they’re defined today. I think if you’re too trendy, you will lose personality and not always make the smartest move. I like a sense of timelessness and I strive to live my life that way.” 

What really sets Karlsson apart as a designer though, is the way that he incorporates these pieces into interior projects, combining his Scandinavian penchant for airy minimalism with the depth and character of his antique finds, and to harmonious effect. “I like to place pieces in an environment that they weren’t originally created for. When you put the two together, something happens. It’s different and unexpected, and I think, if it speaks to me, hopefully it will speak to someone else.”

And it does. In an industry dominated by women, 31-year-old Karlsson has carved out an aesthetic that’s amassed an army of followers on Instagram, enamoured by Karlsson’s own home renovations that are documented with integrity. “Plus, I suppose I don’t have the typical look of an interior designer,” laughs Karlsson. “Without Instagram, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do today.” 

Creative collaborations are an avenue of interest for Karlsson, who partnered with the late Virgil Abloh and is working with Stockholm-based artist Mimmi Blomqvist to create a series of ceramics. She had the knowledge on how to make and produce these objects and we designed the looks together. Then I handle the sales and marketing through Galerie North,” says Karlsson of the process. “It was fun – a really good experience.” 

With such beauty passing Karlsson’s eye, it’s a wonder how he ever lets anything go. But aside from family heirlooms, and a collection of Jeanneret furniture and vintage movie lamps, he has become well versed in the art of sentimentality. “Sometimes it’s with a tear in my eye that I see things go, but give it a few days, or even an hour, and I’m onto the next hunt. It’s a non-stop rotation.” A conscious approach to the pursuit of a modern luxury.

Ed Ruscha book

@fredrikkarlssoninteriors // Instagram

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