Ulla Ericson-Åström

Designer Collaboration

Ulla Ericson-Åström (1922–2002) was a pioneering Swedish textile designer whose work helped shape modern Scandinavian pattern design.

Working across fashion and interiors, she developed a distinctive visual language rooted in nature — where organic movement meets structured composition. Her patterns were often ahead of their time, defined by a confident balance of rhythm, density, and clarity.

Collaborating with leading textile producers, she contributed to a shift towards more contemporary, artist-driven design. Today, her work continues to resonate through its material sensitivity and enduring relevance in interior spaces.

Original sketch of the rug “Virvel" by Ulla Ericson-Åström

Named after the Swedish word for “swirl,” the design captures a sense of movement shaped through material rather than imposed pattern. An unruly pile, where wool and linen threads extend and shift across the surface, creates a tactile expression that changes with light, perspective, and use.

Virvel originates from a wall-to-wall rug designed by Ulla Ericson-Åström for Kasthall. The design was rediscovered in the Kasthall archives and reintroduced as part of the collection.

In Virvel, structure and spontaneity exist side by side. The pattern is not fixed but emerges through the construction itself — a reflection of Ericson-Åström’s ability to balance control and freedom within textile form.

Crafted in Kinna, Sweden, where Kasthall brings together industrial precision and human skill under one roof, Virvel translates an archival idea into a contemporary context. It is a rug that invites interaction — a surface that evolves over time, carrying both material integrity and a sense of quiet movement.

View Virvel