NEW YORK - Several Norwegian design and furniture companies will participate in the Inside Norway exhibit at ICFF, May 14-17 in New York. Lamps, modular furniture systems and recliners, both modern and retro design from the Scandinavian Design era, will be on display. Participating companies include Ope, Northern Lighting and VAD.

Inspired by the principles of functional design, timelessness and practical sustainability, the young design driven company Ope is introducing a modular dynamic furniture system that can grow and adapt with our changing needs.

The Ope system is based on a seemingly simple connector, which allows for infinite expansion and reconfiguration without the use of tools. The system is designed by two young Norwegian designers Lars Urheim and Eirik Helgesen who also are the founders of the company Ope. The furniture system is comprised of only four core component parts including two versions of panels which form boxes that can be floor- or wall-mounted in endless variation.

The key part that allows for this practical flexibility is the Ope connector. A U.S. patent-pending bracket which requires no tools for assembly and allows for a strong system with seamless lines. Ope products can be reassembled and reconfigured for changing needs.  The system is designed in Scandinavia and the panels are manufactured in the U.S. to minimize their environmental impact.

VAD is manufacturer of upholstery furniture for the private and the professional market. This year the company launches the contemporary recliner ON by Finnish designer Tapio Antilla. Elegant, slim and light the chair represents the essence of Norwegian design; less is more. VAD also brings along a Norwegian classic, the Convair chair by Oddmund Vad from 1972. The chair became a huge international success in the seventies and is now relaunched by its original manufacturer – and the designer’s family. The Convair is a true representative of the classic Scandinavian Design era, in the Norwegian way.

Oslo-based Northern Lighting creates products in collaboration with designers, tastemakers and innovators around the world. Their designs, guided by Scandinavian simplicity and the ever-changing character of the Nordic light, will be included in the INSIDENORWAY exhibition for the first time this year. They will be introducing the Birdy, Say My Name and Buddy fixtures to the American market for the first time.

The Birdy lamp was designed by Birger Dahl in 1952, in the midcentury modern style he achieved at the height of this important design. Both the table and floor lamps were awarded the highly esteemed Golden Medal at the Milan Triennale. When Northern Lighting reintroduced this design classic, care was taken to preserve the original shape and highly functional features that originally made it such a well–loved light.

The Say My Name lamp is mouth-blown Venetian glass, the design is Nordic to its very core, reflecting the sensibilities of its designers Morten & Jonas. The subtle colors in the glass reflect the hues of the Nordic night sky, the light of the fjords and the smooth surface of calm water.

The Inside Norway project is a joint venture by the Council General in New York, Innovation Norway and the Federation of Norwegian Industries – furniture and interior.