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Scandinavian designs made up a large part of the whole industry of home furnishings in the 20th century, and there are several stand out designers that contributed to this. Some of these names are Bruno Mathsson, Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobson, and Alvar Aalto. One of the most prominent, though, is the memorable Yngve Ekström, who was born in 1913 in the city of Hagafors, Sweden.

It is no surprise that Yngve Ekström was drawn to the business of furniture (möbler) design, as Hagafors is the city in Sweden with the longest tradition in the art, thus it was a popular pursuit to undertake. As with many Scandinavian designers, Ekström studied more than just wood crafting, but also such pursuits as art history, painting, drawing, and sculpting. Many of the elements of these different pursuits can be found in his designs.

He and his brother (Jerker) created Swedese in 1945. The company has become one of the most respected producers of modern furniture (möbler) and decor in the world. He continued to be active in the company until he passed away, leaving a career that spanned more than forty years. Swedese produced items that were elegant and artistic home pieces. Their clean lines and utilitarian construction also helped their items find plenty of use in high end offices and business applications.

The Lamino is probably Ekström's most famous design, it came into production in the 50s and is still produced, and popular, today. The Lamino chair received the accolade of being named the best Swedish chair in the Twentieth century, and was so named by a Swedish design magazine in 1999. The chair has also received the Design Innovation award from the I.M.M. in Cologne in 2003.

This chair is as esthetically appealing from the front as from the side view. An ottoman that matches is frequently purchased together with the chair. There are many different types of wood that can be used to make the frame. Also, the upholstery can be anything the consumer wishes, no matter how unusual. The Lamino chair has been popular for many years due to its simplicity of design and versatile applications. It is not uncommon to pay two to three thousand dollars for new versions of this chair. Chairs that were made earlier have been much more expensive than the newer styles.

In 1988, when Yngve Ekström passed away, he was still designing and running his company. His legend was enhanced by his ability to produce creative innovations. His designs fit in with a multitude of styles and are staples in decorating (heminredning). They look gorgeous with hardwood floors. His designs were considered innovative when they were first designed, but they are now known as furniture design classics.