6 Big Trends From Denmark’s June Design Fest
See the changes expected in kitchen design, home tech, color, furnishings and more. Animals even play a role
Nobody can tell for certain what materials will dominate, which color combinations will rule and how Danish design will look in the coming years, but the 3 Days of Design festival, held in Copenhagen this June, offered a good preview. During the festival, close to 100 companies and organizations presented their newest ideas and products, and shared their thoughts on the future of Danish design. We picked six of the most interesting and visionary trends that are certain to find their way outside Scandinavia.
“After being constantly accessible and online on numerous platforms for a few years, we now feel the need to slow down the pace and pull the plug,” says Arlien Søborg (pictured).
He predicts that this will also affect the way we design and decorate our homes in the coming years. For example, we will see “Wi-Fi disrupters” — small devices that kill the digital connection to the world outside — in more private homes.
He predicts that this will also affect the way we design and decorate our homes in the coming years. For example, we will see “Wi-Fi disrupters” — small devices that kill the digital connection to the world outside — in more private homes.
At the same time, we will learn to appreciate slow time — for example, we will commit to old-school ways of making coffee and be OK with waiting for a cup to brew. It will generally be more acceptable for things to take time, as a counter-reaction to the digital pressure and constant speed, the trend analyst predicts.
“In the 1990s, so-called ‘conversation kitchens’ [the Danish nickname for a kitchen with an island, which provides space for socializing] were extremely popular, but then the digital revolution came. Suddenly, we were too busy with a lot of other things, and only very few took their time to socialize and relax in the kitchen. But I believe we are now finally ready to embrace the social kitchen in a wholehearted way,” Arlien Søborg says.
“In the 1990s, so-called ‘conversation kitchens’ [the Danish nickname for a kitchen with an island, which provides space for socializing] were extremely popular, but then the digital revolution came. Suddenly, we were too busy with a lot of other things, and only very few took their time to socialize and relax in the kitchen. But I believe we are now finally ready to embrace the social kitchen in a wholehearted way,” Arlien Søborg says.
2. One Color — Everywhere
The longing to balance our hectic lives is also reflected in color trends. Rooms covered in only one shade are becoming more prevalent.
“The uni-colored room can become a refuge from the modern world, where we are bombarded with social media and find it hard to focus. We long for surroundings that are simple and clean,” says interior designer Tine Mouritsen, who is behind the styling of classic furniture company Erik Jørgensens’ new Home Collection Showroom. She decorated one of its rooms entirely in dark blue (pictured), one completely in white (following photo) and a third in green.
The longing to balance our hectic lives is also reflected in color trends. Rooms covered in only one shade are becoming more prevalent.
“The uni-colored room can become a refuge from the modern world, where we are bombarded with social media and find it hard to focus. We long for surroundings that are simple and clean,” says interior designer Tine Mouritsen, who is behind the styling of classic furniture company Erik Jørgensens’ new Home Collection Showroom. She decorated one of its rooms entirely in dark blue (pictured), one completely in white (following photo) and a third in green.
“The white room, especially, gives a sense of serenity and tranquillity, while the dark blue makes you feel safe and enclosed. The green room is quite botanical, with calming natural elements,” Mouritsen says.
Scandinavian style is already renowned for strict lines and a sparse palette, but uni-colored rooms and bigger areas with a single focal element are something we’ll be seeing more of in private homes over the next few years, predicts Mouritsen (pictured). “This calming color scheme also harmonizes well with the clean lines of many Danish pieces of furniture,” she says.
3. All About Sustainability
Danes have long been talking about environmentally friendly and sustainable design and furniture production, but some companies are taking the concept to a completely new level.
One of these is the new manufacturer Wehlers, where sustainability holds equal standing in the brand strategy to quality and good design. “At the start of the design process, we make sure that we will use as many recycled materials as possible. We also consider, from the very beginning, what will happen to the product when it’s no longer needed or wanted,” says Henrik Holm, co-founder and CEO of Wehlers.
For example, the top of this small table is made of discarded textiles that have been ripped into small shreds and melded through a heat treatment into a hard material similar to plywood or plasterboard.
Danes have long been talking about environmentally friendly and sustainable design and furniture production, but some companies are taking the concept to a completely new level.
One of these is the new manufacturer Wehlers, where sustainability holds equal standing in the brand strategy to quality and good design. “At the start of the design process, we make sure that we will use as many recycled materials as possible. We also consider, from the very beginning, what will happen to the product when it’s no longer needed or wanted,” says Henrik Holm, co-founder and CEO of Wehlers.
For example, the top of this small table is made of discarded textiles that have been ripped into small shreds and melded through a heat treatment into a hard material similar to plywood or plasterboard.
“The cover on our daybed is also made from recycled, pressed textiles, and most of the foam inside is recycled. The iron frame also uses recycled metal,” says Holm (pictured). All Wehlers objects are designed and made in Denmark.
However, perhaps Wehlers’ most trailblazing idea is to make a deal with distributors that encourages them to take back the furniture when buyers tire of it.
“If the retailers accept the responsibility of reclaiming the pieces, we offer both them and the customer a better price. We don’t produce anything that we can’t reuse and recycle again. That is a sustainable, circular economy from beginning to end,” Holm says.
However, perhaps Wehlers’ most trailblazing idea is to make a deal with distributors that encourages them to take back the furniture when buyers tire of it.
“If the retailers accept the responsibility of reclaiming the pieces, we offer both them and the customer a better price. We don’t produce anything that we can’t reuse and recycle again. That is a sustainable, circular economy from beginning to end,” Holm says.
4. Forget White Kitchens
White has been the standard — and by far the favorite — color choice for kitchens in Scandinavia, and especially in Denmark, for a long time. If you want to show that you’re up on the current Nordic trends, however, consider a broader color palette when you’re choosing your next kitchen. The kitchens of the future look set to be a lot more colorful, something we see at &shufl, among others. The company launched four years ago and was the first in Denmark to specialize in hacking and beautifying Ikea’s kitchens.
The firm has an attention-catching philosophy: no white! “Personally, we were tired of white kitchens that all look the same, and bored of people automatically buying white kitchens because it is the safe option,” says co-founder Kristoffer Brems.
White has been the standard — and by far the favorite — color choice for kitchens in Scandinavia, and especially in Denmark, for a long time. If you want to show that you’re up on the current Nordic trends, however, consider a broader color palette when you’re choosing your next kitchen. The kitchens of the future look set to be a lot more colorful, something we see at &shufl, among others. The company launched four years ago and was the first in Denmark to specialize in hacking and beautifying Ikea’s kitchens.
The firm has an attention-catching philosophy: no white! “Personally, we were tired of white kitchens that all look the same, and bored of people automatically buying white kitchens because it is the safe option,” says co-founder Kristoffer Brems.
Kristoffer Brems (right) addresses conference attendees in the &shufl showroom in Copenhagen.
When &shufl launched, the company had a small customer base consisting mainly of designers, graphic designers and creatives, but now that appears to be changing.
“More and more people are agreeing that kitchens don’t have to be white, and now all kinds of customers want to stand out a bit. We’re also seeing that the rest of the industry is catching on to color — even the more traditional kitchen suppliers are starting to use colors now.”
In particular, warm natural materials, like cork and wood, are becoming important parts of modern Scandinavian kitchens. “Overall the kitchens are becoming more influenced by the concept of hygge, which we’re known for in Denmark. In the past few years, hygge hasn’t really been evident in the kitchens — they’ve looked more like dental practices,” Brems says.
When &shufl launched, the company had a small customer base consisting mainly of designers, graphic designers and creatives, but now that appears to be changing.
“More and more people are agreeing that kitchens don’t have to be white, and now all kinds of customers want to stand out a bit. We’re also seeing that the rest of the industry is catching on to color — even the more traditional kitchen suppliers are starting to use colors now.”
In particular, warm natural materials, like cork and wood, are becoming important parts of modern Scandinavian kitchens. “Overall the kitchens are becoming more influenced by the concept of hygge, which we’re known for in Denmark. In the past few years, hygge hasn’t really been evident in the kitchens — they’ve looked more like dental practices,” Brems says.
5. Old Meets New
In recent years, we’ve seen a number of Danish design firms dig deep into their archives to revive designs from iconic names like Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl. Now the time has come to take it one step further: It’s no longer just about finding past drawings, sketches and prototypes; it’s about bringing back traditional craftsmanship.
One of the places where this is evident is at Overgaard & Dyrman. The small company and its two young founders and furniture designers specialize in utilizing old metalworking and saddle-making techniques.
In recent years, we’ve seen a number of Danish design firms dig deep into their archives to revive designs from iconic names like Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl. Now the time has come to take it one step further: It’s no longer just about finding past drawings, sketches and prototypes; it’s about bringing back traditional craftsmanship.
One of the places where this is evident is at Overgaard & Dyrman. The small company and its two young founders and furniture designers specialize in utilizing old metalworking and saddle-making techniques.
“There’s plenty of quality in the old crafts. For us, the ambition isn’t to keep an artisanal technique alive just for the sake of it; they’re simply of such high quality that we think it would be a shame not to bring them back,” says Christian Dyrman, who consulted with one of the last craftspeople in Denmark to train as a saddle maker.
Yet new technologies also have their own special qualities — the best furniture is made through a combination of old and new craftsmanship.
Yet new technologies also have their own special qualities — the best furniture is made through a combination of old and new craftsmanship.
“For example, the steel frames on our chairs can be shaped precisely using CNC [computer numerical control], but the beautiful welding can’t be done by machines. A blacksmith does that for us the old-fashioned way,” Dyrman says.
Overgaard & Dyrman is far from the only company to revive traditional techniques, and there has also been an upswing in the use of traditional materials, including leather, metal, stone and wood, as evidenced by this craftsman at the PP Møbler factory.
“We see a lot of young designers who think traditional craftsmanship is really important, and more people are using raw and recycled materials,” Dyrman says.
“We see a lot of young designers who think traditional craftsmanship is really important, and more people are using raw and recycled materials,” Dyrman says.
6. Animals
Animals are anything but a new trend in Danish design. There are old porcelain dishes decorated with seagulls and fish; Jacobsen’s Ant chair (pictured), manufactured by Fritz Hansen; the Quack jug by Maria Berntsen for Georg Jensen (following photo); and the Pelican chair by Juhl — not to mention the wooden monkeys and numerous other animals by Kay Bojesen (last photo).
Animals are anything but a new trend in Danish design. There are old porcelain dishes decorated with seagulls and fish; Jacobsen’s Ant chair (pictured), manufactured by Fritz Hansen; the Quack jug by Maria Berntsen for Georg Jensen (following photo); and the Pelican chair by Juhl — not to mention the wooden monkeys and numerous other animals by Kay Bojesen (last photo).
However, the role of animals on the Danish design scene is worth keeping an eye on in the near future. Experts at the Designmuseum Danmark have taken notice of how influential animals actually are in Danish design.
“When we were preparing an exhibition targeted at children, we discovered that the animals are not just to be found on a kids’ level; they are surprisingly dominant on all design levels,” says Christian Holmsted Olesen, head of exhibits and collections at the museum.
Though it is not yet official, Holmsted Olesen revealed to the Houzz Nordics team that animals’ role in Danish design will be the focus of an exhibition opening at the design museum next year — you heard it here first!
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Though it is not yet official, Holmsted Olesen revealed to the Houzz Nordics team that animals’ role in Danish design will be the focus of an exhibition opening at the design museum next year — you heard it here first!
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FOMO, or “fear of missing out,” has become a well-known acronym thanks to our increased presence in the digital world. With social media apps active 24/7 — and smartphones, tablets, speakers and headphones in every pocket and all corners of the home — we are addicted to digital.
But now it’s time for JOMO, or “joy of missing out,” says Mads Arlien Søborg, one of Denmark’s most experienced design and interior trend analysts and lifestyle experts.