About the Designer
Nisse Strinning
The Architect couple Nisse Strinning (1917-2006) and Kajsa Strinning (1922-2017) debuted as designers with a humble plate rack using steel wire, a technique that would be refined over the years. In 1949, they created a Scandinavian design classic when the String® shelf won the Bonnier Folk Library competition. A few years later, in 1954, String® earned them their first international design prize, a gold medal at the Milan Triennial. As recently as 2020, String® was awarded the Long Life Design award in Japan. Nisse Strinning kept on working until his death in 2006 at the age of 89. His last design was String® Pocket, which was launched by String Furniture in 2005.
Nisse Strinning was an architect and an inventor. He had an eye for spotting people’s needs and the imagination to find solutions to their problems. The hassles of everyday life that went unnoticed by other designers were captivating challenges for Nisse. He was also impatient. Few of his projects would have been realised without his partner and wife Kajsa. She ensured the ideas were deeply explored, refined and documented in construction drawings. Her role was by no means less important than her husband’s. Through their career the Strinnings designed things that made life easier, less messy and more practical, including plate racks, wire trays, and trash bag holders. Their belief that form should always follow function explains why many of their creations are considered iconic today.
