6 Incoming Trends From the Danish Design Fair
From the rise of coloured kitchens to the revival of old crafts, these Danish ideas are sure to be seen here soon
Kasper Iversen
30 June 2017
Nobody can tell for certain what materials will dominate, which colour combinations will rule, and how Danish design will shape up in the future, but the 3 Days of Design festival, held in Copenhagen in June, offered Houzz’s editorial team a pretty good preview. During the festival close to 100 companies and organisations presented their newest philosophies 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.
1. JOMO
FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out – has become a well-known term 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 every corner of the home, we are addicted to digital.
But now it is time for JOMO – Joy Of Missing Out – says Mads Arlien Søborg, one of Denmark’s most experienced design and interior trend analysts and lifestyle experts.
FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out – has become a well-known term 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 every corner of the home, we are addicted to digital.
But now it is time for JOMO – Joy Of Missing Out – says Mads Arlien Søborg, one of Denmark’s most experienced design and interior trend analysts and lifestyle experts.
Trend analyst Mads Arlien Søborg
“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,” he says.
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 and more private homes.
“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,” he says.
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 and 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 20 minutes 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 socialising] 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 socialise 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 socialising] 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 socialise 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 colour – everywhere
The longing to counterbalance our hectic lives is also reflected in colour trends. Rooms covered in only one shade are becoming more prevalent.
“The unicoloured 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’ brand new Home Collection Showroom. She decorated one of its rooms entirely in dark blue (pictured), one completely in white (below) and a third in green.
The longing to counterbalance our hectic lives is also reflected in colour trends. Rooms covered in only one shade are becoming more prevalent.
“The unicoloured 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’ brand new Home Collection Showroom. She decorated one of its rooms entirely in dark blue (pictured), one completely in white (below) 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.
Interior designer Tine Mouritsen
Scandinavian style is already renowned for strict lines and a sparse palette, but unicolour 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, Mouritsen predicts. “This calming colour scheme also harmonises well with the clean lines of many Danish pieces of furniture,” she says.
Scandinavian style is already renowned for strict lines and a sparse palette, but unicolour 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, Mouritsen predicts. “This calming colour scheme also harmonises 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,” Holm says. All their objects are designed and made in Denmark.
However, perhaps Wehlers’ most trailblazing idea is to sign a deal with their distributors that they should 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.
Henrik Holm of Wehlers
However, perhaps Wehlers’ most trailblazing idea is to sign a deal with their distributors that they should 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.
Henrik Holm of Wehlers
4. Forget white kitchens
White has been the standard – and by far the favourite – colour choice for Scandinavian, and especially Danish, kitchens for a long time. If you want to show that you’re up to date with the current Nordic trends, however, consider a broader colour palette when you’re choosing your next kitchen. The kitchens of the future look set to be a lot more colourful, something we see at &shufl, among others. The company launched four years ago and was the first in Denmark to specialise in hacking and beautifying Ikea’s kitchens.
&shufl has an attention-catching dogma: 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 &shufl co-founder Kristoffer Brems.
White has been the standard – and by far the favourite – colour choice for Scandinavian, and especially Danish, kitchens for a long time. If you want to show that you’re up to date with the current Nordic trends, however, consider a broader colour palette when you’re choosing your next kitchen. The kitchens of the future look set to be a lot more colourful, something we see at &shufl, among others. The company launched four years ago and was the first in Denmark to specialise in hacking and beautifying Ikea’s kitchens.
&shufl has an attention-catching dogma: 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 &shufl co-founder Kristoffer Brems.
Kristoffer Brems from &shufl (right) and conference attendees in the company’s showroom in Copenhagen
When &shufl launched, the company had a small group of customers, mainly consisting of designers, graphic designers and creatives, but now that looks set to change.
“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 colour – even the more traditional kitchen suppliers are starting to use colours 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 last 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 group of customers, mainly consisting of designers, graphic designers and creatives, but now that looks set to change.
“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 colour – even the more traditional kitchen suppliers are starting to use colours 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 last 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 in 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 the small firm Overgaard & Dyrman. The company and its two young founders and furniture designers specialise in utilising old metalworking and saddle-making techniques.
In recent years we’ve seen a number of Danish design firms dig deep in 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 the small firm Overgaard & Dyrman. The company and its two young founders and furniture designers specialise in utilising 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 craftsmen in Denmark to train as a saddle maker.
Yet new technologies also have their own unique qualities – the best furniture is made through a combination of old and new craftsmanship.
Yet new technologies also have their own unique 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 are far from the only ones to revive traditional techniques, and there’s also been an upswing in the use of traditional materials, including leather, metal, stone and wood, as can be seen in this picture of a 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 in design
Animals are anything but a new trend in Danish design. There are old porcelain dinner sets decorated with seagulls and fish, Arne Jacobsen’s Ant chair (pictured above), manufactured by Fritz Hansen, the Quack jug by Maria Berntsen for Georg Jensen (in the following picture), the Pelican chair by Finn Juhl – not to mention the wooden monkeys and numerous other animals by Kay Bojesen (in the last photo).
Animals are anything but a new trend in Danish design. There are old porcelain dinner sets decorated with seagulls and fish, Arne Jacobsen’s Ant chair (pictured above), manufactured by Fritz Hansen, the Quack jug by Maria Berntsen for Georg Jensen (in the following picture), the Pelican chair by Finn Juhl – not to mention the wooden monkeys and numerous other animals by Kay Bojesen (in the last photo).
However, the role of animals on the Danish design scene is worth keeping an eye on in the time to come. 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 Houzz Nordics 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 Houzz Nordics 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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More
Read more about design trends
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Great ideas! May we also suggest one of our fireplaces?
Retailers accepting responsibility for recycling their goods sounds a fab idea and would encourage me to buy from them .
I love the disconnect part from our phones. But it's weird that I learn this from my Houzz app on my phone.