Creating harmony in a school

Known for its extra durable storage cabinets and furnishings for public settings, Swedish manufacturer Dalform has been manufacturing since 2008. Its products – including lockers, dressing room furniture and benches – are specified for schools, hospitals, gyms and other projects where there’s a need for sustainable furniture that looks good for longer.

Based in the town of Säter, Dalform blends manual craftsmanship with modern manufacturing. As well as overseeing the addition of colour and texture to the products, the in-house powder coating facility ensures waste is kept to a minimum and quality control is maximised. As a long-time collaborator, Axalta is the supplier of powder coatings on Dalform products.

Bespoke approaches

The standard palette contains a wide range of colours, with greyscale shades consistently in demand. The Dalform team also works closely with customers to create bespoke colour storage solutions, tailored to the desired levels of texture, gloss and performance for every project.

The popularity of pastel coatings in recent years has given designers an opportunity to play with the tension between soft shades and the industrial forms of the locker room. A recent education project in Sweden used colours reminiscent of the Earth Unity palette to bring harmony and ease into a school setting, which is often a frenetic, noisy environment.

Welcoming spaces

In the locker rooms, soft colours from the Alesta® AP Architectural Polyester range were used for the metal storage to create a sense of comfort and security. Dark and light greens (AE70016600020 and AE70016602120) bring fresh, calming energy. Light pink and salmon tones (AE70013301520 and AE70013301420) help to foster a sense of positivity.

Set alongside natural wood and orb-like lighting, the colours help to create engaging spaces that blend down-to-earth practicality with a reassuring sense of unity.