Step

Changing a light bulb. Reaching for that book. Or the coffee grinder on the top shelf in the kitchen. No home is complete without a stepladder. But usually they are just functional, dreary objects intruding on the home decor. Karl Malmvall's Step is anoth

er matter. Functional yet decorative, a standalone interior object in high gloss color. Red, black, or white. After use, why not leave it on the wall as a graphic addition?
"We have more and more stuff in our homes, electrical gadgets, kitchen applianc

es, etc. We use our apartments from the floor all the way up to the ceiling. I want to leave the stepladder readily available on the wall, instead of hiding it away in a closet."
Karl had it in him right from the beginning. His grandfather founded one

of Sweden's most famous furniture factories, and his training as a carpenter and industrial designer has earned him the Excellent Swedish Design Award four times, as well as the Red Dot Design Award. Before going freelance, he learned a lot about logisti

cs and rational production during more than a decade with IKEA in Basel, Jakarta and Älmhult. He retains a keen interest for the mechanical aspects in design, from pocket knives to garden furniture, which explains the small peg for hooking Step on to the

wall. "Just fold the ladder and hang it on the wall. It's only 50 mm thick, and always ready to be used."