Thomas Bernstrand studied interior architecture and furniture design at the London based Irchbald School of design 1988-1989, Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm 1994-1999, the Danish Design School in 1996, and at the Royal Institute of Art 2005-2006. In 1999 he founded his own design studio Thomas Bernstrand & Co that mainly works with furniture design and light fittings for public spaces and offices.
For the art project Geoscope in 1996, a technology base concept with peepholes connected different cities in the world, Bernstrand received a lot of attention. Bernstrand’s graduation project from Konstfack in 1999 was the hanging ceiling lamp Do Swing made for the Dutch company Droog Design. The lamps two handles was designed to literally swing from. Bernstrand also designed the stair shaped park bench Wembley for Nola.
On the chair Mayflower (2003) for Klaessons/Materia, Bernstrand worked together with Lars Pettersson. The two of them had both separately gotten a commission from the producer but noticed when comparing their sketches that the design was similar and decided to work together. The result was Mayflower, clearly made in the modern stealth-trend with a sharp geometric shape made of injection molded plastic.
In 2005 Bernstrand was rewarded the Årets Möbel Prize for the kitchen table Uddabo designed for IKEA. Bernstrand has been exhibited at Colette in Paris, Museum of Modern Art in New York, Craft Council in London and Biennale Design in Saint-Etienne.
In 2010 Thomas Bernstrand received the Bruno Mathsson Prize and was in 2010 nominated to Stora Designpriset (Eng. The Big Design Award) for the magazine stand Subway, design to the company Materia. In 2020 Bernstrand received the Form Award - Designer of the Year together with Stefan Borselius, for the module furniture Bob and Bobby for Blå Station. Bernstrand also works for clients such as Horreds, Nola, Muuto and Swedese.
