SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL, STUBBORN, AND FEARLESS
ELSA STACKELBERG WAS THE COUNTESS WHO LOVED TO DANCE,
PLAY, AND SURROUND HERSELF WITH BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
HER CREATIVITY TOOK ON DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS
THROUGHOUT HER LIFE, AND WHEN PRINCE BERTIL
DISCOVERED HER OUTDOOR FURNITURE AT THE NORRKÖPING EXHIBITION, NOW64, IT MARKED THE BEGINNING OF
THE COMPANY FRI FORM AND OF ELSA AS A FURNITURE DESIGNER.
ELSA STACKELBERG'S
LIFE IS AN EXCITING
AND VIBRANT STORY
WHICH BEGINS IN OSLO IN 1929. SHE GREW UP IN A LOWER-MIDDLE-CLASS HOME AS THE ONLY CHILD AND EARLY ON GOT USED TO PLAYING ALONE AND DEVELOPING HER IMAGINATION. BUT THE HAPPY AND SECURE CHILDHOOD IN NORWAY CAME TO AN ABRUPT END WHEN THE WAR CAME.
Elsa and her mother had to flee across the border to Sweden.
Eventually, she was boarded with a family in Uppsala,
where she attended school and largely had to fend for herself.
But the war ended, and the family was reunited in Oslo.
Elsa enrolled at Konstfack and was primarily interested in fashion,
but with her marriage to Doctor Kit Colfach, she became, like many other women of this time, a housewife.
The year was 1950 when the family moved to Västervik, where Kit had gotten a job as a chief physician at the hospital, but the role of housewife didn’t suit Elsa in the long run. Her creativity needed an outlet, and she began making jewelry.
Now Elsa had truly caught the creative bug. She created an Easter rooster, “Hönebjer,” and managed to persuade NK to carry it, resulting in them displaying the rooster in all their windows along Hamngatan before Easter. She also designed a skirt for the exclusive fashion house Märthaskolan, which became very popular among the well-dressed women of the time.
Now it was 1960, and Elsa remarried Count Benny Stackelberg, who lived at Stensnäs Manor, where he ran a farm. After a few years, it was closed down, and instead, they began producing prefabricated single-family homes. One such house was to be exhibited at the Norrköping Exhibition, NU64, but something was missing to place on the house's veranda. Elsa then designed the lounge chair 31, which marked the start of her new career as a furniture designer. At the exhibition, Prince Bertil was one of the visitors, and the only thing that caught his eye was the lounge chair. He wondered where one could buy it, and Elsa replied that it would be fine to take that example. She could make more, and that’s exactly what she and Benny did.The prefabricated houses were abandoned, the production of outdoor furniture took over, and Fri Form was established.
WHILE ELSA DREW, BENNY BUILT UP THE FACTORY
THAT MANUFACTURED THE FURNITURE.
HE WAS TECHNICALLY INCLINED, AND WITH
THE HELP OF THE FARM’S BLACKSMITH,
NEW MACHINES WERE MADE TO SIMPLIFY
PRODUCTION.
The money they earned was initially used to restore the manor to its former glory.Elsa was in charge and made sure the renovation work was done to her liking.
At the same time, Fri Form thrived. The company had 5–6 permanent employees, but during the winter months, 15–20 people worked in production, most of them local farmers.When spring arrived, it was time for them to return to farming. That’s when the hectic period began, as the products needed to be delivered to all retailers in Sweden and internationally.
During the summer, Elsa worked on designing new furniture,
and many long discussions were held about the possibility of producing her ideas.Could certain details be changed to simplify production?
Most of the time, it turned out the way Elsa wanted.
She had a strong opinion about what was beautiful and aesthetic;
otherwise, it was not worth it. The choice of materials was important; everything had to be of the highest quality.When purchasing timber and fabrics, great care was taken, and only suppliers with the best materials were engaged.
So it was time for sales. Elsa and Benny packed their car and set off on a long trip across Europe, meeting all their retailers and taking orders.
Beautiful Elsa was an excellent salesperson for her products,
and the trips also became something of their vacations. They visited exhibitions, museums, interior design stores, and gained inspiration for new products and models.
CLASSIC OUTDOOR FURNITURE
GUSTAF GUSTAFSSON PRESERVES THE LEGACY
CLEAN LINES, NO FRILLS.
THE CLASSIC AND ELEGANT OUTDOOR FURNITURE IS AS IF MADE FOR A MANOR HOUSE.
THEY BRING A WHIFF OF THE GOOD LIFE,
WHICH IS THE COLORFUL COUNTESS STACKELBERG'S LEGACY TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.
In the early nineties, the company was taken over by the Gustafsson family, and the operations were moved to Halmstad.Today, the company is led by Gustaf Gustafsson; his passion is to preserve and refine Elsa's iconic design language for many generations to come.