Mackapär
Ulrika is a young very creative woman and mother. Together with
her husband they run
a very interesting project where they have
relaunched the famous triplex lamp first
designed in 1919 and rapidly
popular for its modernist look and superior function.
In this
interview she shows and talks us about her lifestyle, her passions,
and her project.
Pictures: Ulrika Text: Lottilou
Two or three words about you...
My name is Ulrika, I am 32, and I am married to Robert, 32. We
have two boys, Axel, two years old, and Olle, three months ... And
Malte, the dog, six years old.
Despite the fact that I am currently staying home with the kids, I
work as a sales engineer. I also work in the business I own with my
husband, Mackapär, wich is a small creative design and engineering
business where we mostly relaunch the Triplex Lamp, designed almost
100 years ago by the same man who invented the adjustable screw
spanner. My husband works full-time in Mackapär and my role in the
company is to make the design, styling, photography, layouts, sales
and marketing ... of it.
Where do you live?
We live in a functional newly built two storey white house with a
yellow door, in a small town in the south of Sweden.
How would you define your interior style?
It's a mix of new, old, designed and thrift pieces. I think my
style has been changing a lot over the years. We've been moving
around a lot and we normally never stayed more than three years in
each place. That's why our decoration style has been also varying
according to the places we have been living in. I believe that it is
important that houses or apartments match with the interior style.
The basis of our house is white, with touches of black and grey
and oak flooring. There is a pink wall in the hallway and a yellow
front door. The rest of the colors come from accessories, and kid's
stuff!
My feelings about colors are changing all the time. I love colors,
but I get tired of them if they are used in too many places. I think
it is so much easier to use a monochrome color palette where
basically everything matches. The space I'm most happy with the
result is the kids' room, it is, however the most colorful one. I
think that tells me something.
Do you have any designer icon at
home?
We've got the Eames DSR
dining chairs. I dreamt about them for years before we finally bought
them. We have two old and worn Karin lounge chairs by Bruno
Mathson, bought really cheap at a local auction. And, two Sjuan
chairs by Arne Jacobsen, from a big flea market in Copenhagen.
They were orange, but we painted them black.
Do you have any favourite item?
It's not really an item, but I love our wallpaper; Cow parsley by
Cole & Son in the living-room, and Kaspar by Sandberg
in the kid's room. I'm very eager to wallpaper a feature wall in the
kitchen as well, I already know exactly which wallpaper I want. It
will probably be there one of these days when my husband comes back
home, that's how it usually happens, ha ha! I'm so glad he trusts my
taste and that he lets me do what I want!
Do you have any favourite creative activity that you like to
do?
I love photography. I used to have a black and white developer
studio in a big closet. I really enjoyed all the moments in there,
all alone in the dark!
I have different phases regarding creative activities. I
completely get into something for a while and then get tired of it
and try something new ... I've been into knitting and crocheting, oil
painting, sewing, modeling clay and so on. Right now I'm crazy about
making pomp poms from tissue paper. They are so pretty, and bring
just the right amount of color to our place.
When did you start with your lamp's
project?
It was probably between three and five years ago, depending on
when you start counting. The project started with much research to
identify the owners of the rights of the lamps, and then had to
convince them to sell them to us. It took a long time to do that.
And, next the design and prototype phase started, it was also a lot
of work. In 2012 we were finally ready to release the lamp.
Is your workshop in your house?
It has been in our garage until now. Presently, we are moving to a
newly restored and much bigger place ... a real workshop. The next
lamp will be adjusted there.
How would you describe your creation?
The Triplex Lamp is our version of the old design piece, a re-born
version that is adopted to today's manufacturing methods and uses. It
is locally produced and put together in our own workshop. It is not a
mass product, but unique piece with high quality meant to follow the
user for a long time through different uses and homes.
How do you like to surround yourself
at home?
With my boys of course! And, preferably with good food and good
friends, cooking all together.
I want our home to be personal, playful, warm and cozy.
Do you have any favourite perfume?
Daisy by Marc Jacobs and Chance by Chanel.
Contact info
http://mackapar.blogspot.com.es/
http://www.triplexlamp.se/