Words: Micha van Dinther & Magnus Wittbjer

After having revamped the look of Finefood Kärlek och Mat, the fine dining restaurant in Hammarby Sjöstaden, and the successful launch of a series of industrial designs (among them the shelving system Plateau), Note Design Studio is sizzling hot. We spoke to Cristiano Pigazzini about their innovative work.

Note is run by six different individuals, all with different areas of expertise. What is your common denominator?

All of us like to talk about design, all the time and in all shapes or forms. We are not afraid of doing things that are not trendy. We know that we might fail, but we realize and accept the risks involved. This gives us freedom to do almost anything we want.

You are involved in projects from architecture to interior design, while also taking in industrial and graphic, which makes Note Design Studio difficult to define. Is this good or bad in your opinion?

We have spent a vast number of hours trying to determine who we are and how we define the studio and ourselves. We have let that go and come to the conclusion that we are really good at using that specific tool referred to as “design”. Using it the right way, we are able to create added value in whatever we do, whether it is strategy, product design or design management. I am convinced that our clients see this as an advantage.

Your latest project is the interior for Finefood Kärlek och Mat, which one might perceive as liberated from the quintessential Scandinavian design, while still employing a minimalist approach and certain queues typical for the region. Do you feel it is time to give the Nordic style a different expression?

If the Nordic style were the equivalent of post-industrialism in black and white, white tiles mimicking the interiors of a slaughterhouse or a morgue, then I would say that we need a new expression. To us, Finefood represents the new Nordic design and takes into account the fact that many of the new Danish designers such as Muuto and Norman Copenhagen incorporate colors in a sober way. We feel that Finefood is a modern and updated version of the traditional Scandinavian minimalism.

Relating to the shelving system Plateau, you mention the term noveau sophisticated – what do you mean by that?

Good question. We often associate the word “sophisticated” with something that is cultivated and often exclusive and expensive. With the word “noveau sophisticated” we formulate a design that not only solves a problem or function. Instead we add a new dimension to the traditional minimalist Scandinavian design to create something beautiful, in addition to just being functional.

What’s on the agenda in the near future?

Oh, lots of work and exciting projects, and we have several trade shows to attend in Stockholm, Cologne, Milan and Paris, to name a few. We are about to start the process for two new restaurants in Stockholm, a psychotherapist’s office in Berlin and a pop-up event in Milan during expo 2015. Other than that there is ongoing and continuous design management work and strategies for a number of other companies in the business.