It's April, thank goodness and already(?!) at the same time. The magnolia trees are blooming, the birds are chirpetty-chirping and the sun is warming up for summer here in London. Meanwhile, in Milano, there is something else turning up the heat at the moment..

Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2015, also know as Milan Furniture Fair is kicking off in only a few days (14.-19. April). Being the biggest and most influential trade fair of its kind, the temperature is set to rise as designers from all corners of the world come together to showcase the past year's ideas and designs.

Part-taking in all of this is of course a bunch of Scandis as well, one of them being the oh-so-worshipped Danish NORM ARCHITECTS with their new collection for Ex.T - simple and minimal bathroom furniture:

Inspired by the 1920s and 30s Art Nouveau and Art Deco, the 'Stand' bathtub and basin are a reinterpretation of the lightweight and elegant cast iron details that was characteristic of the Victorian era. Combined with the purist and soft geometry of the tub itself, that again takes its inspiration from the sumptuous classic bathtub with lion feet, the two elements balance each other out creating a sense of lightness and elegance. It just cannot go more perfect minimal than this!

There is no doubt that 'Less is More' in NORM's world and that the 'Stand' collection is very much in line with their style trait, soft minimalism. But minimalist design is never a straightforward process as one goes through round after round of elimination in order to achieve the simplest of forms, as described best by Jonas and Kasper, the founders of NORM ARCHITECTS:

“From the very beginning our goal was to create design objects that were beautiful and sculptural yet at the same time light and airy, in an industry sector, bathroom furnishings, which often tends to be dominated by visually heavy furnishing elements. In line with our minimalist philosophy, we tried to reinterpret the Modernist style of the 1920s and 30s, stripping it of its decorative excesses to reach the point where there is nothing more to add or take away in order to make the product better.”

Part of the new collection for Ex.T is also the 'FELT' modular wall unit. Felt in Danish meaning field or area which in this case refers to the open spaces created by the frames of the various shelves. The unit can function both as storage or just as a graphic 3-dimensional element on your wall.

More temperature-rising Scandi design in Milano will follow. But in the meantime, want some more NORM? Here you go:

www.normcph.com | www.facebook.com/normarchitects | www.instagram.com/norm

Images courtesy of Norm Architects

THE HEAT IS ON //NORM ARCHITECTS