Thema 1953. Design Yngve Ekström The Thema chair was undoubtedly the piece that launched Yngve Ekström’s career as a furniture designer. It was presented to the enthusiastic interior designers at Nordiska Kompaniet (NK), Stockholm’s most fashionable department store, in 1953 and the rest is design history. Thema is an early example of Swedish flatpack furniture design that was cheap to distribute and could easily be assembled by the customers themselves. The chairs were sold as sets of four in one pack, with the tagline “Four chairs in one box”. The unconventional design with crossed legs and low clothes-hanger-like backs is named after Bach’s piano variations. The frame is made from black lacquered birch with a seat and backrest in oak or walnut.
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