String Furniture encourages creativity in every space, room and home. Upholding the Scandinavian tradition for ingenious design, everything they create is elegant in form, instantly recognisable, and flexible in function — forever inspired by the simplicity of the original String® shelf.
The String® shelving system was born from an unlikely brief. In 1949, Swedish publisher Bonnier's noted that most Swedish homes lacked proper bookshelves — making it difficult to sell books. They launched a design competition with a clear set of criteria: the shelf had to be affordable, easy to ship, and simple to assemble. Kajsa and Nisse Strinning entered, and won.
What followed was a quiet revolution in Scandinavian interiors. Through the 1950s and 60s, String® became a fixture in Swedish homes, was installed in the offices of the UN Headquarters in New York, won a gold medal at the Milan Triennale, and became the best-selling Scandinavian furniture piece in Germany.
After a period of dormancy, the brand was relaunched in 2004 by design enthusiasts Peter Erlandsson and Pär Josefsson, who carefully revised the assortment and introduced new components while honouring the original vision. Nisse Strinning — still creative well into his later years — contributed one final design to mark the occasion: the String Pocket, a miniature shelving system that remains one of the brand's best sellers to this day.
In 2009, the String® system was classified as Applied Art under the Swedish Copyright Act — officially recognised not just as furniture, but as a work of art.
Today, 95% of String Furniture is made in Sweden from renewable, recyclable, or recycled materials. Built to last generations, it is a rare example of design that is both timeless and genuinely sustainable.
1949 - Nisse & Kajsa Strinning's contribution to Bonnier's bookshelf competition is selected as the winner among 194 entries.
1952 - String® shelves are ordered to decorate the newly built UN headquarters in NYC.
1953 - String® Plex is launched.
1954 - String® is awarded the gold medal at the Milan Triennale.
1955 - String® is exhibited at the H55 in Helsingborg - the start of the modernistic and functional Swedish design movement.
1961 - Several plagiarists are sued, The Swedish Supreme Court judges in Strings favour and the design becomes patented
1979 - String® becomes part of the Swedish National Museum's permanent collection.
1999 - Nisse Strinning is awarded The Classic Prize and receives the award Excellent Swedish Design.
2004 - String Furniture AB is founded with emphasis on environment, quality & social responsibility. String® system relaunch.
2005 - String® Pocket is launched and first shown at Form and Design Centre in Malmö.
2009 - String® is classified as Applied Art according to the Copyright Act.
2010 - The design connoisseur and journalist Rebecka Tarschy is publishing her book ”String Pocket”.
2014 - The collaboration with Anna von Schewen and Björn Dahlström results in a brand-new concept with office furniture: Works.
2016 - Works wins the German Design Award.
2017 - String® shelving system is honoured with a stamp by the Swedish Postal Service.
2018 A new assortment with galvanized products, suitable for outdoor use, is launched and is named String® Outdoor
2019 - String® turns 70 years and celebrates by letting Mats Theselius design a limited edition of 2019 String® Pocket. The shelves are made of glass and the panels are shiny in a green-blue shade to match the edges of the glass shelves.
2019 - The Swedish National Museum opens after several years of renovations. TAF architect studio, Gabriella Lenke and Mattias Ståhlbom, designs a console shelf Museum NM&.045 for the museum's bust collection and String Furniture produces it. Museum is born and becomes part of String Furnitures product portfolio.
2020 - String Furniture is awarded “Furniture Supplier of the Year”.
2020 - Winner Long Life Design Award - The Good Design Award is the largest Asian award, founded in 1957, and reflects Japanese design values and principles that aim to enrich lives, industries, and society.
2023 - String launches its Relief bedroom storage system of drawers and cupboards.
2024 - String celebrated its 75th Anniversary and so is aged very similar to Innes, as we celebrated our 75th anniversary back in 2022. We feel that it is a true testament to how good the deceptively simple design is, in that 75th after its inception is it more popular than ever and is still considered to be a modern, contemporary design. The design speaks for itself, but we feel it is the flexibility to adapt over time as your needs change that is the real key to its success. It makes it incredibly good value as you never need to replace it, just adapt it or take it with you if you move.
2025 - String replaces the Grey Finish with a new Dark Grey finish to reflect current furniture design trends. New limited versions of the Pocket String are also launched
String Designers
Kajsa & Nisse Strinning — The original creators of the String® system, whose 1949 design remains in production largely unchanged. Nisse's instinct for functional simplicity and Kajsa's eye for form produced one of the most enduring pieces in design history.
Anna von Schewen & Björn Dahlström — The architects behind the String Works assortment, designed to bring the same considered functionality to home office and workplace environments.
TAF Studio (Gabriella Lenke & Mattias Ståhlbom) — Commissioned by the Swedish Nationalmuseum to design the String Museum console shelf, launched to coincide with the museum's reopening in 2018.
String shelving is designed to be straightforward to install, with all components engineered to work together. Whether you're building a single bay or a full wall system, the logic remains the same.
For step-by-step guidance, please watch these useful video guides or download the official String installation instructions included with your order, or contact our team for advice on planning your configuration. You can also use our String Configurator to plan your layout before you buy.
Yes — we offer a curated selection of String bundles designed around specific rooms and uses, taking the guesswork out of building your system. Whether you're furnishing a bedroom, planning a kitchen, organising a hallway, or creating a home office, our pre-configured bundles bring together the panels, shelves, and components you need in one straightforward package. Each bundle can be further customised with your choice of finish. Browse our String bundles or speak to our team if you'd like a bespoke recommendation.
How much weight can String shelving hold?
It depends on the system:
String System (wooden shelves) — To avoid flex, we recommend a maximum of 15 kg evenly spread on 78 cm wide shelves, and 25 kg on 58 cm wide shelves.
String Pocket — Up to 25 kg evenly spread across one shelf.
Pira — Each shelf carries up to 50 kg thanks to its sheet-steel construction with an integral ridge, with up to 350 kg per section. A floor-standing centrepiece as structurally impressive as it is beautiful.
Always follow the installation guidelines provided with your order.
Are String systems wall or floor mounted?
Both — depending on the product. The String® System and String Pocket are wall-mounted (String System can also be wall-floor moiunted). Pira is a floor-wall or ceiling-floor-mounted system that requires no wall fixings, making it ideal as a room divider or statement centrepiece. String Outdoor is either freestanding or wall mounted.
Can I mix old and new String components?
In most cases, yes — the core system dimensions have remained consistent since 1949, making it one of the few furniture systems where vintage and contemporary components are genuinely interchangeable.
What finishes are available?
String offers a wide range of lacquered and powder-coated finishes across shelves, panels, and cabinets. Browse the full range on our String collection page.
Do you offer design consultations?
Yes — our team is happy to help you plan your String system. Get in touch or visit us in our Hessle showroom.
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String Pocket Shelving From £160.00 /White / WhiteDark Grey / Dark GreyBlack Stained Ash / BlackAsh / WhiteOak / WhiteDark Oak / Dark BrownWalnut / BlackMore options4 in stock
String System Wooden Shelves (x3) From £121.00 /Beige LacqueredWhite LacqueredDark Grey LacqueredBlack Stained AshAsh (Clear Lacquer)Oak (Clear Lacquer)Walnut (Clear Lacquer)Dark OakMore options4 in stock
