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Smiling now? If you know the Swedish couple’s work, you can’t really help yourself.
Bengt Lindberg and Lotta Glave are a design team admired for their playful and practical home and personal accessories. Their respect for Swedish folk traditions, their lively sense of humor, and the strength of their personal and professional partnership is evident in their work.
How Bengt & Lotta Began
Bengt’s cow led the way; a cast iron candle holder to be precise. The cow was followed by a sheep, a horse and a moose. Fun fact: the moose (North America) or elk (Eurasia) alces alces, is the largest extant species of the deer family. These original candle holders are still in production. Now, the moose and her friends can also be found in blankets, socks, serving trays, etc.
An angel brought Lotta into the business. Bengt asked Lotta to draw an angel for a candle holder design. Lotta’s Angels began populating Christmas ornaments and textiles. Currently, Lotta is the team’s primary designer. She credits her Austrian grandmother and growing up in a fun-filled home with ongoing artistic inspiration. Bengt and Lotta designs are distinctive, playful and quirky. If design can be big-hearted, theirs is.
The animals and people portrayed seem to get along just fine. Creatures that were initially designed to stand alone are now creating exuberant pyramids. None of them seem weighted down. They seem to say, “If you need a lift, we’ll happily provide.” So too with the woman giving the man a lift in this candle holder.
In my mind, their design reflects the Swedish commitment to fairness, family, and gender equality. You see why I am smiling!
These steel candle holders are a small sampling of Bengt and Lotta’s growing line of home and personal accessories. Stop by our Gift Shop to see Bengt and Lotta’s whimsical designs on trays, blankets and more.
