SAHCO 2026 COLLECTION: LINGER

Introducing LINGER, the Sahco 2026 collection of upholstery and drapes, a celebration of the delicacy of light, illusion, and reality, highlighted by structure and surface. The fourth collection under creative director Bengt Thornefors is an inflection point, reflecting on Sahco’s rich history and the path forward. It inscribes beauty and elegance through restraint and an interweaving of original ideas and processes.

References span Bettina Rheims’ hard-edged femininity, Mark Borthwick’s birds in flight and luminous water, Eva Schlegel’s installations of lead, Yun Lee’s intimate public private spaces and built environments, and the cloudy skies of Davide Sorrenti’s polaroids. The outcome: material presence, spatial impact, sensuality and tactility. A collection of textiles that gives form to the mood of their surroundings.

“We drew on a lot of photographic references and created a mood around light on surfaces becoming structure. Mood can be different things, but we ended up with these structures that take on a certain character as upholstery or as curtains,” says Bengt Thornefors.

Lurex birds take flight on diaphanous organza; ridged lines of matt cotton liquify into organic waves; the dissolved elegance of a transparent twill with a delicate fishbone spine effect; ruptures and surfaces analogous to eel skins; a tailored jacquard evoking the effects of light reflected on water. And a Sahco check.

Having had a long fascination with Scottish tartans, Thornefors is excited to launch Firo, a play on tartan and heavy tweed infused with shimmery yarns, upending traditions and applying Sahco’s finesse and codes to a classic textile.

“Scottish tartans are an obsession of mine from way back. With Firo we present a check in a Sahco way, made by Innvik in Norway, where the weaving and yarns they use are different from Scottish mills. If you look closely, you can see these shimmery polyester yarns on the surface. They’re beautiful; when you see Firo on furniture, you will see this shine in the yarn even more clearly,” explains Thornefors.

This collection is marked by a disciplined and discerning approach to colour, both in the new textiles and in the reinterpretation of Sahco classics – Silkwood, Safire, Powder – through their palette. Lustrous black and snow white bookend a spectrum of greys and creamy off-whites, while army and pistachio greens bring uniformity. Deeply saturated purple and navy are defining. Post-it note or pearlescent pinks positively glow. A splash of red adds luxe glamour.

“This season we are breathing a bit, no flowers. A period of calm, like when you grow something and the garden needs to rest. Prioritising meaning and purpose. Being remembered rather than noticed. We are into this journey of a more defining elegance, transcending masculine or feminine, tailored and considered with a self-assured sensuality,” says Thornefors.

The collection will be launched in Paris during Deco-Off in January. The scenography evokes a certain grandeur and romance, combined with the energy and individuality of Berlin in the early 2000s, a personal recollection of Thornefors. Distinctive sculptural metal furniture by Swedish designer Jonas Bohlin from the 1980s-90s is reimagined in Sahco upholstery and palette.

Press day: Wednesday 14 January, 10am – 5pm

Location: 17 Rue du Mail, 75002 Paris, France

NOTES FOR THE EDITORS

ABOUT BENGT THORNEFORS

Swedish born, Bengt Thornefors was a senior designer at Acne Studios in Stockholm for nine years, from 2003 to 2011. In 2012, he became Senior Designer & Artistic Consultant for YSL Saint Laurent, during the tenure of Hedi Slimane as Creative Director. Thornefors founded Magniberg with Nina Norgren, a florist and graphic designer, in 2016. Magniberg takes its directions outside of the boundaries of sexes; it is a meeting between expressions of the modern world, playing on contrasts, breaking rules and classical norms.

Thornefors became Creative Director of Sahco in January 2022.

​ABOUT SAHCO

For almost 200 years, Sahco has defined exquisite taste and superior quality in the world of interiors. Combining classic design and innovation, the elegant upholstery textiles and draperies of the Sahco collection have captured the hearts of a discerning international audience. Their rich textures and refined details can be found in many beautiful homes worldwide. Sahco has been owned by Kvadrat since 2018. Under Creative Director Bengt Thornefors, it is at the forefront of the industry, setting new standards and defining an interior landscape of rich textures and striking design for today and the future.