Essem Design Ab
Essem Design AB is a family-owned Swedish design company that designs and sells modular hallway furniture (hat racks, shoe racks, hooks, benches, mirrors) via direct e-commerce and 100+ resellers across 20+ countries, manufactured at its Anderstorp facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1937
- HeadquartersAnderstorp, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Essem Design Ab does
Essem Design AB is a Swedish design company that designs, manufactures, and sells hallway and entryway furniture — hat racks, shoe racks, hook strips, coat stands, benches, mirrors, and related accessories — anchored by three product families: Nostalgi (designed by Roger Persson), Classic (originally by Gunnar Bolin, expanded by Kauppi & Kauppi), and Tamburin (by Andreas Klippinge). Products are made from recycled aluminum, steel, and wood using die-casting, powder coating, and precision engineering at the company's artisan production facility in Anderstorp, Sweden, and are designed around modular, wall-mounted rail systems that allow repositioning of hooks and shelves with fewer wall penetrations.
The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer e-commerce runs through regional sites of essem.se serving Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, with prices ranging from roughly 100 SEK for small accessories to over 7,000 SEK for benches and coat stands, and free EU shipping above EUR 300. The second leg is wholesale via a network of more than 100 resellers — including Nordic Nest, Royal Design, Boozt, Designtorget, and Swedish Pro retailers (Ahlsell, Beijer Byggmaterial, AJ Produkter) — which distributes into over 20 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. A third leg is project/contract sales for offices, hotels, schools, and real estate developers, supplemented by a 2024-launched Classic Reloved restoration service that refurbishes 50-year-old Classic hat racks and claims a 71% lifecycle CO2 reduction per shelf.
The company is privately held by the Bladh family: Robert Bladh serves as CEO and Frida Bladh handles finance, with the business tracing its origins to Gunnar Bolin's 1937 foundry and re-established under the Essem Design name through a 2002 spin-off. With approximately 19 employees, it functions as a niche premium design brand whose differentiation rests on heritage, designer collaborations, modular product architecture, and a circularity narrative rather than scale or technology.
Essem Design Ab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Essem Design Ab
- Legal name
- Essem Design AB
- Website
- https://essem.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1937
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Essem Design AB is a family-owned Swedish design company that designs and sells modular hallway furniture (hat racks, shoe racks, hooks, benches, mirrors) via direct e-commerce and 100+ resellers across 20+ countries, manufactured at its Anderstorp facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Essem Design Ab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hallway Furniture and Entryway Accessories
- NAICS
- Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing (3379)
- SIC
- Household Furniture (2510), Retail-Furniture Stores (5712)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Entryway & Hallway Furniture Retail (Console Tables, Benches, Coat Racks, Shoe Cabinets) (CRAIAAAF)
Keywords
Where Essem Design Ab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Anderstorp
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Essem Design Ab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: The company sells directly to consumers through their own webshop (essem.se) across multiple EU country sites. Customers can purchase products individually with pricing in local currencies (SEK, EUR).
- Wholesale/Reseller Distribution: Essem supplies products to hundreds of resellers globally including physical retailers, online stores, and contract suppliers. Products are sold at wholesale pricing to these channel partners.
- Project Sales (B2B/Contract): The company supplies hallway furniture solutions for public spaces, offices, hotels, schools, and construction projects. The Classic Reloved restoration service targets real estate companies and large project customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessories (hooks, screws, shoehorns) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hat racks, shoe racks, hook strips |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Benches and coat stands |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wall rail systems and accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | EU E-commerce Delivery |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Essem Design Ab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Essem Design designs, manufactures, and sells hallway furniture and entryway accessories including hat racks, shoe racks, hook strips, coat stands, hall mirrors, benches, and hangers. Products are made from recycled aluminum, steel, and wood using die-casting and powder coating at the company's facility in Anderstorp, Sweden, and sold directly to consumers and through a global network of resellers and contract suppliers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Nostalgi Family: Hallway furniture family featuring hat racks, shoe racks, benches, and accessories designed by Roger Persson.
- Classic Family
- Tamburin Family
Products and services
- Nostalgi Family Hallway furniture family featuring hat racks, shoe racks, benches, and accessories designed by Roger Persson, sold through the company's e-commerce webshop and resellers.
- Classic Family Classic collection based on 1950s design by Gunnar Bolin and expanded by Kauppi & Kauppi, offering hat racks, shoe racks, coat stands, hall mirrors, and hooks for residential and contract settings.
- Tamburin Family Functional shoe rack family designed by Andreas Klippinge, sold as a standalone product line for hallway organization.
- Wall Rail Systems (Classic, Nostalgi, Anna) Flexible wall-mounted rail systems (Classic, Nostalgi, Anna) that allow adjustable product placement with fewer wall holes; products can be repositioned using washers. Modular components including middle brackets, bars, anchor hooks, and the Vinkel Connector enable extension around corners and up walls.
- Classic Reloved Restoration Program Circular-economy restoration service that takes back, restores and resells 50-year-old Classic hat racks instead of discarding them; designed for real estate companies, large project customers, and sustainability-focused buyers seeking reduced lifecycle CO2 impact.
- Classic 2025 Family Expansion by Kauppi & Kauppi 2025 expansion of the Classic collection by Kauppi & Kauppi, adding a freestanding Classic coat stand, a Classic mirror with extra hooks for keychains, Classic hooks (small, big, and strip), and a Classic coat hanger, produced locally in southern Sweden in multiple colors, lengths, and versions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 71% reduction in lifecycle CO2 emissions through Classic Reloved restoration (3.4 kg vs 12 kg CO2 eq per shelf)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Essem Design Ab
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Essem Design Ab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Essem Design Ab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Circle AgencyminorCircle Agency serves as sales representative for Essem Design in Norway, covering architect, contract, and retail segments.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Essem Design Ab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- HAY: Large Danish contemporary design brand offering a broad furniture portfolio including coat racks and entryway accessories. Broader scope than Essem but overlapping Scandinavian design customer base and premium positioning.
- Normann Copenhagen: Danish design brand producing furniture and home accessories including hooks, racks, and storage. Overlapping customer base in Scandinavian design retail and contract channels.
- Muuto: Scandinavian design company with a broad furniture and accessories portfolio including coat stands. Competes for the same design-conscious contract and consumer buyers as Essem Design.
Direct peers
- HOUE: Danish design company producing coat racks, benches, and hallway furniture with a Scandinavian design ethos. Directly comparable niche and customer base to Essem Design's hallway-focused lineup.
- Woud: Danish design brand offering coat racks, benches, and entryway storage with comparable Scandinavian minimalism. Overlapping product lines and customer base in the Nordic design segment.
- Menu: Scandinavian design brand (merged with Skagerak) producing coat racks, shelving, and storage for residential interiors. Similar premium design positioning and contract/hospitality channel exposure.
- Skagerak: Danish furniture brand (by Fritz Hansen) offering coat racks, benches, and entryway accessories rooted in Scandinavian design heritage. Highly comparable product category, premium positioning, and design-led brand identity.
- By Lassen: Danish design brand producing coat hooks, racks, and small entryway furniture. Competes head-to-head with Essem in the Scandinavian coat rack / hallway storage niche.
- Maze Interior: Swedish company producing hallway storage, coat racks, and shoe racks with comparable Scandinavian aesthetic. Directly overlapping product niche with Essem Design.
Emerging players
- Mater: Scandinavian sustainable design brand producing benches, coat racks, and storage with circular economy credentials. Comparable sustainability positioning to Essem's Classic Reloved program.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Essem Design Ab social profiles
Digital presenceEssem Design Ab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Essem Design Ab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Essem Design Ab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Essem Design Ab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Essem Design Ab
What does Essem Design Ab do?
Essem Design designs, manufactures, and sells hallway furniture and entryway accessories including hat racks, shoe racks, hook strips, coat stands, hall mirrors, benches, and hangers. Products are made from recycled aluminum, steel, and wood using die-casting and powder coating at the company's facility in Anderstorp, Sweden, and sold directly to consumers and through a global network of resellers and contract suppliers.
Is Essem Design Ab a public or private company?
Essem Design Ab is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Essem Design Ab founded?
Essem Design Ab was founded in 1937. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Essem Design Ab based?
Essem Design Ab is headquartered in Anderstorp, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Essem Design Ab make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale/Reseller Distribution and project Sales (B2B/Contract).
Who are Essem Design Ab's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are HAY, Normann Copenhagen and Muuto. Direct peers are HOUE, Woud, Menu, Skagerak, By Lassen and Maze Interior. Mater is listed as an emerging player.
Does Essem Design Ab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Essem Design Ab.
What industry is Essem Design Ab in?
Essem Design Ab's product category is Hallway Furniture and Entryway Accessories. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAIAAAF, Entryway & Hallway Furniture Retail (Console Tables, Benches, Coat Racks, Shoe Cabinets). Its NAICS code is 3379 and its SIC code is 2510.