One major component of the 20th century home furnishings industry was Scandinavian design. While that movement featured many noteworthy figures, including Bruno Mathsson, Hans Wegner, Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen, perhaps one of the most memorable is Yngve Ekström, who was born in Hagafors, Smaland, Sweden in 1913.

Yngve Ekström was a young Scandinavian man in Hagafors, a city in Sweden with the longest history of furniture (möbler) making. He was drawn into that very popular and well regarded historical business as well. Like many in the town, he applied his own style to his work. He studied wood crafting and design along with courses in art history, drawing, and sculpture allowing him to incorporate stylistic elements he learned in those classes into his work.

In 1945 he and his bother Jerker founded Swedese, one of the most respected makers of modern furnishings in the world. He remained active in the company until his death, a career of more than forty years. Products from Swedese included elegant artistic pieces for the home, but the clean profiles and utilitarian construction also made their wares popular in upscale offices and business applications.

Possibly Ekström's most famous piece was the Lamino chair, first produced in the 1950's and still in production and popular now. The Lamino chair was actually named the best Swedish chair of the Twentieth Century by a Swedish design magazine in 1999 and received another significant award, the Design Innovation, by the I.M.M. in Cologne in 2003.

Sometimes sold with a matching ottoman (Lamino med pall), this chair has very attractive curves when seen from the side or front. Made in a variety of wood framework, the upholstery can also be picked from a myriad of desires and tastes. From woven cloth, all the way to sheepskin. Selling in the two to three thousand dollar range on new models, sometimes more on the older models, the simple elegant looks and durability have long contributed to the chairs popularity.

At the head of his company until his death in 1988, Yngve Ekström continued to produce many legendary ideas. His style is very versatile and long lasting and ideas which were radical at first are now the main stays of good design, complimenting all kinds of decorating options and looking especially good with wooden floors.