Responses were tremendous to the design competition launched by Aftenposten two weeks ago in connection with a special edition of the A-magasinet about design on Friday.
More than 100,000 checked the jury’s top 100 list, where readers could vote for their 30 favourites.
During a joint design event arranged by A-magasinet and Design and Architecture Norway (DOGA) on Thursday evening, Peter Opsvik and his iconic children’s chair were announced the winner. The chair received twice as many votes as the second on the list, namely Ulstein Shipbuilding Yard’s X-Bow boat design.
Thor Bjørklund’s cheese slicer came in third.
You never throw away a Tripp Trapp.
“There are a number of reasons why the Tripp Trapp is so popular: there is considerable familiarity with the chair, the number of units sold is high, it’s often passed down from generation to generation and it is of excellent quality. You never throw away a Tripp Trapp. It has included young children in dinner conversation for generations and can be used during various growth stages,” says Anita Krohn Traaseth, CEO of Innovation Norway and a member of the jury.
Photo: Peter Opsvik
More than nine million of Peter Opsvik’s Tripp Trapp chairs have been sold around the world. But its success was not preordained. Furniture dealers were initially not interested in it.
“With the exception of Husfliden (handicrafts shop), which bought two chairs, no furniture dealers showed any interest in the product,” says Opsvik.