Hem's Stockholm headquarters. Photo: Courtesy of Hem
A few years ago I caught wind of an up-and-coming Swedish company. At the time, Hem, a Stockholm -based (originally Berlin-based) furnishings brand whose name comes from the Swedish word for "home," was an upstart underdog competing with many more established players in Scandinavia and beyond. Since then the company, founded and helmed by Petrus Palmér, a creative who's had his hand in many Swedish design companies, has grown to offer an inventory of some 300 products in 34 countries.
“What’s the most used item at your desk?
I don’t have a desk since we don’t have fixed places at the office, so obviously my MacBook and iPhone. But I do have a notebook that I use frequently. I’ve used the same model for a very long time: a large, black Moleskine with a soft cover.”
It's worked with designers such as Max Lamb, Luca Nichetto, Nendo, Philippe Malouin, and GamFratesi to create functional modern furniture, and it has been called the "Everlane of decor" for its dedication to creating high-quality, moderately priced, original designs. Perhaps its best asset outside of its products is its attractive, user-friendly website, which places it squarely into the digital age. In 2016 the company was bought by Ormand AG, the private investment firm that also owns Vitra. This year Palmér and his team launched a dedicated e-commerce site for architects, designers, and trade and commercial customers. The service provides a seamless roadmap for scaling a once niche-market Swedish company, setting Hem up to be the next IKEA. AD caught up with Palmér to talk about his habits, learnings, and the future of the furniture industry.