Toad Connect

Ruud Ekstrand, born in 1943 in Malmö, is a prominent designer and the founder of Ruud Ekstrand Design AB. With a career marked by accolades, he has received prestigious awards, including the Forsnäs Prize in 1986 and the Golden Chair (Guldstolen) in 1992. Notably, Ekstrand has won the Swedish Design Award 14 times. Additionally, Ekstrand's influence extends beyond furniture, as he created the specialized furniture fabric Flex. He has specialized in furniture design for companies such as Dux, Iform, and Skandiform, and Ekstrand has gained recognition for works like the armchair KS 130 (Forsnäs Prize, 1986) and the sofa Piccolo (Golden Chair, 1992). Christer Norman collaborated with Ruud Ekstrand on two furniture collections in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Christer Norman is particularly known for designing the Formula series for Dux Studio Collection together with Ruud Ekstrand in 1968. This series included a lounge chair (Toad), a sofa, chairs, and tables that were presented at furniture fairs in Stockholm, Cologne, and Chicago. After a few years, Christer Norman left the design profession while Ruud Ekstrand continued his successful career with his own design studio.