Material Whirl

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The 1940s, floral-inspired fabrics of Josef Frank are as much a home-design icon as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair or an Arne Jacobsen dining table — but they don't come cheap. So here's a tip for those who want to enjoy some of the Austrian architect and designer's beautiful patterns without paying top dollar: head for the remnants chest at Stockholm's Svenkst Tenn (www.svenskttenn.se), the grand dame of Swedish home-furnishings stores. Frank was a co-founder of the store and concocted 160 patterns for it, of which 40 are still in production.

Off-cuts of many of these end up in Svenkst Tenn's overflowing remnants chest. None of the pieces are large enough to upholster anything chunky — so forget about revamping that sofa — but they are big enough to make pillows, sew a skirt, or even cover the seats on a set of dining-room chairs. Attention fabric lovers on a budget: this is one time you'll enjoy cutting your coat (or napkins or lampshades) to suit your cloth.