About Us Virtanen Antiques was established by Kent and Sharen Virtanen in 1986. Kent was born in Stockholm, Sweden and has Finnish parents. His fluency in both languages and knowledge of these countries has enabled him to access rare and beautiful pieces, specialising in Biedermeier, Art Deco, and 20th Century Furniture. Originally starting the business in Perth Western Australia, Virtanen Antiques relocated to Melbourne in 2002. We are very proud of the long term relationships we develop with our clients, many of whom started collecting with us when we started Virtanen Antiques. We now have clients from all over Australia and overseas. We exhibit twice a year at the Great Sydney Antiques Fairs at Fox studios, as well as having new shipment openings in our Melbourne showrooms. We also hire pieces for Advertising, Filming and Home sale settings. The wonderful thing about Swedish Art deco furniture is that it blends seamlessly into many settings, being traditional or modern. Elegant lines and quality of design and workmanship are the international hallmarks of Swedish Art Deco. It has a rich and fascinating history , the 1920's saw the first designs beginning to evolve, but the 1930's was the time when "Swedish Modern" was presented to the rest of the world through the Stockholm Exhibition Swedish design continued to gain increasing International acclaim and admiration at the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industrials in Paris in 1925 and the Swedish Design Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York in 1927. Sweden produced an amazing depth of incredibly talented designers, all with their own original ideas. Many of them not only produced furniture, but were also architects responsible for some of Swedens iconic buildings. The strict Biedermeier period was from 1815 -1848, however it continued throughout Northern Europe for many more years. Bieremeier was not named for a monarch, but for a social change in European society, after the fall of Napoleon, the middleclass prospered, they shunned the extravagent, highly decorated Empire style and as a result the simple elegent and functinal style of Biedermeier was born. Bieder meaning simple and Meier being a common surname. Biedermeier spread throughout Northern Europe, having adapted its own style in each region, the pieces made in Austria and South Germany are quite different to those from Berlin. The Scandinavian pieces now being the most desirable, popular for their blondwood birch timbers and stunningly simple design. The Biedermeier style has exerted a virtually continuous influence upon architects and designers since its rediscovery at the end of the nineteenth century. During this period, the furniture came back into fashion throughout Germany, Austria and Scandinavia, as a consequence, conciderable quantities of fine quality Biedermeier revival furniture was made. This continued into the early years of the twentieth century, when it began to have great influence on Art Deco. Biedermeier's subtle appeal lies in its simplicity, which is so easily combined with both Art Deco and contempory furniture, creating a relaxed mood and informal atmosphere, unlike many antique styles, which demand a more formal setting. SCANDINAVIA is the home of 20th Century design and has given us iconic pieces such as The Egg Chair by Danish designer Arne Jackobson. We are all familiar with Danish design, but that is only part of the 20th Century Scandinavian picture. Finland and Sweden also produced world recognised designers such as Eliel Sarranen, Alvo Alto and Tapio Wirkalla and from Sweden the great Bruno Mathsson as well as Axel Larsson and Kerstin Holmquist. All these designers had great influence on the way Scandinavian design evolved between the 1920's and 1960's. The pieces we offer are sourced from all these regions all reflect the great culture of Scandinavian style and quality.