AREA is a New York-based company that makes really nice bedding and home accessories. Swedish founder Anki Spets started AREA in 1990 to continue the Scandinavian tradition of good design for everyday. We like original designs, natural fibers, and long-lasting beauty and comfort. The products are designed to complement one another, creating continuity and endless design possibilities. As an independent company that constantly strives for excellence, we work hard to ensure both a quality product and quality service.
ABOUT ANKI SPETS
ANKI SPETS was born in Sweden, she completed her design education at Beckmans school of design in Stockholm where she worked in fashion, designing both clothing and shoes. SPETS realized that though she loved working with fabrics, the pace, focus on trend and novelty in the fashion industry went against her beliefs and ambitions to create products with a longer life span.
In the late 1980's, ANKI moved to New York City, where she noticed a void of relaxed, sophisticated modern style in the American home industry. The now commonly known term "modern bedding" did not exist when ANKI brought her Scandinavian design perspective to the marketplace. Clearly a new way of thinking about bedding was born with AREA's start in 1990.
ANKI's style, with its natural origins in the Scandinavian design tradition, evolved over time and got a dose of Italian influence - a love of everything olive green and a belief that all seams can be beautiful. Travels around the world in search of the best fabrics and manufacturers during her fashion work in the mid-eighties were an important educational foundation. The 30 years of AREA and New York living has deepened her understanding for what works in people's homes and has matured the style and concept of AREA. Throughout the company runs a relaxed approach to design and the trends that go with it.
"I have no interest in telling people how their homes should look. I am very interested though, in making great products that are easy to live with and that people will not regret spending money on."
DESIGN HISTORY
Since 1990 Anki Spets and AREA have consistently produced appealing products for different “areas” of the home — but mostly the bedroom. Over time, the designs have generally evolved from bold to subtle — but can also move between the two extremes within a single collection. Today the company is well established and draws great support and momentum from a growing functional-design consciousness.
2021 is our 30 year anniversary. Read other stories about AREA history in previous blog posts, more to come this year.
"My understanding of what people want and how they use the products has deepened over the years. This has yielded a development of aesthetics - an ongoing refinement and discovery - and a wider variety. I'm still intrigued by patterns in blown-up scales - they're challenging and, perhaps counter-intuitively, require greater accuracy and attention to detail."
