Estrid Ericson began laminating textiles on trays back in the 1950s. Today, Svenskt Tenn's exclusive trays are available in a variety of laminated fabrics, including Josef Frank's Catleya.

Catleya is an orchid that grows in the rainforests of South America. This decorative print’s “pointillistic” frames contain flower medallions depicting lilies, bluebells, cattleya, roses, carnations and pansies in a mix of colours. The Catleya print was designed in the mid-1930s.

Designer

Josef Frank/Svenskt Tenn

Svenskt Tenn developed this design using Josef Frank's print.

Josef Frank grew up in Vienna and studied architecture at Technische Hochschule (the Vienna University of Technology) in 1903 – 1908. In the 1920s he designed housing estates and large residential blocks built around common courtyards in a Vienna with severe housing shortages. In 1925, he founded the Haus & Garten interior firm together with architect colleague Oskar Wlach. Svenskt Tenn hired Josef Frank in 1934 and just a few years later he and Estrid Ericson made their international breakthrough. Although he was already 50 when he left the burgeoning Nazism in Vienna for Sweden, Frank is considered one of Sweden’s most important designers. Read More