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My personal 3days diary
Finally back in my favorite city: Copenhagen. Copenhagen is always relaxed and always wonderful. And it was the same this September - especially because I was a participant in the design tour the Berlin PR agency Impulse by Communication . Today I would like to take you with me to my discoveries (you have already been able to follow me on Instagram) and also let you take a look behind the scenes of such an event. I always like to say in advance that this is a blog and reflects my very personal impressions and thoughts, which will hopefully offer you new impulses and inspiration.
Irresistible: discover interior design together with others in the wonderful setting of Copenhagen
On the press tour
I'm always a little nervous when I'm invited somewhere - you usually meet a lot of people you don't know yet. But this time I was so happy to get to know at least part of the team around Tanja Demmerath, the founder of Impulse by Communication, and of course to meet Tanja again, who I had known personally since Lumikello was still in its infancy. The agency had now invited journalists, bloggers and influencers to Copenhagen to discover the latest trends from some of the brands represented by the agency and ultimately to share the most beautiful impressions of this trip with you. You might think: great, invited and commuting from showroom to showroom, having a nice meal and chatting.... But such an event - if it is designed the way Impulse does - is so much more than just visiting well-known companies . The exchange between the design travelers, i.e. between journalists who work for printed or digital magazines and influencers whose main focus is on conveying content via Instagram, is extremely valuable. It helps to create understanding for the work of one or the other and to think about where we are moving - perhaps together. Ultimately, we are united by a common passion, namely that of interior and design. Ultimately, an event like this makes the reporting diverse and colorful and I was very happy that I was one of those who was able to tell you, dear readers, about this special trip - with the Lumikello glasses on my nose.
On the road in Copenhagen
Quality and an eco-label: Start at Montana Furniture
We started with one of my own customers, because I have been working for Montana Furniture for more than two years now. When it comes to sustainability, Montana is at the forefront, as the company is the first Danish label to be awarded the EU Ecolabel for its particular environmental friendliness throughout the entire production process - from raw material extraction, manufacturing, sales and disposal. And another aspect makes the modular furniture particularly sustainable: all furniture comes with a 5 to 10 year guarantee and many of them accompany their owners for decades. With just a few additions you can give a shelf or cupboard a completely new look.
Always very entertaining: owner Joakim Lassen talks about his family business Montana
Innovative: Collaboration with A Circular Design Studio. Panton Wire cover plates made from recycled plastic will soon be available
In general, choosing long-lasting furniture made with great craftsmanship is always a good choice - it will accompany you for many years If tastes or needs change, it can be sold again without much loss in value. In Denmark, for example, there are now companies that specialize in refurbishing Montana furniture. You can even have them repainted there, which I think makes you bolder when choosing a color.
Excellent craftsmanship and new impulses at Brdr. Kruger
We were able to experience this wonderful craftsmanship at Brdr. Admire Kruger . Anyone who has ever looked closely at how incredibly precise the transitions are made between two attached wooden parts in an armchair or felt the warm, flattering surface of perfectly finished, oiled wood knows what I mean. The company is now in its fifth generation producing furniture in the best Danish craftsmanship tradition and is taking a big step towards modernity - for example through collaboration with well-known designers such as OEO Studio or David Thulstrup. My favorite? Oh, I could just take anything, because the furniture is much less rustic than I honestly expected and I could very well imagine a red “F Chair” with fantastic wickerwork finding its way into our kitchen. I was also impressed by the small, collapsible cart with trays in several colors. This was designed by the now 90-year-old Hans Bølling - who knew how to tell us honored and wonderful stories with his presence, in the truest sense of the word.
Tanja Demmerath in conversation with Hans Bølling.
My favorite: the red “F-Chair”
Constant effort and conscious use of resources
And we continue: at Ferm LIVING a huge tent awaits us in a historical setting; a dreamlike setting and unexpectedly open insights. We had the great pleasure of meeting the founder Trine Andersen herself, who showed us around the showroom and the company headquarters. I was impressed by her natural warmth and, above all, her openness. ferm LIVING has grown incredibly quickly and is primarily a producer of beautiful things. In connection with ecological aspects, Trine Andersen does not speak of sustainability but rather of “conscious use” of resources. I am pleased that there is deliberately no “greenwashing” or window dressing here, because that is quite in vogue at the moment. But the company is moving forward and is actually producing more and more products ecologically. And then the decision lies in the hands of the consumer, as always.
A real highlight: glamping at ferm LIVING.
Trine Andersen, founder of ferm LIVING, speaks openly about sustainability and her company philosophy
view in the future
The impression remains similar from SOFACOMPANY , whose chief designer Line Nevers Krabbenhøft we meet in the Designmuseum. Sofacompany presents the completely sustainable and ecologically manufactured “Wilson” sofa, which will come onto the market in early 2022. And beyond that there was a collection of cushions made in the social workshop "She Works", which employs refugee women. I felt like I was among colleagues, as the cushions are sewn from waste materials from the textile industry and are only available in limited editions. These are great approaches from the “big” companies. It's worth taking a closer look.
a small look at the Wilson sofa, which will be available from 2022.
The design highlight of this trip
The absolute discovery of this trip for me was the company ATBO . The designs of the furniture are just as forward-looking and innovative as their manufacturing process. They are handcrafted in Denmark in the best tradition of craftsmanship. I was thrilled that the production processes were optimized so that they worked very resource-efficiently and, for example, used waste materials from production to heat the rooms.
Iconic: the Cocoon Lounge Chair from ATBO
I was very excited about the ATBO showroom because, in addition to the great furniture, you could also discover a lot of art and design like this table setting.
Practical and beautiful
And then it went to a truly sustainable product that is extremely durable and also colorful and practical. Heymat from Norway produces almost indestructible industrial standard floor mats that really excite me; We've been testing for a few weeks now. It was great to get to know the founders Sonja Djønne and Thoralf Lian, who previously ran a small mat business specializing in the rental and cleaning of industrial mats and took the idea further. I find it exciting.
The beautiful, practical mats from Heymat in our home...
... and in the showroom in Copenhagen.
The crowning conclusion: Enjoy with all your senses in “The Audo”
And the evening was also full of discoveries: we were invited to dinner in a very special place. The Audo is a showroom, concept store, hotel, restaurant and club all in one. Incredibly high quality, comfortable and furnished to flatter all the senses, you have to feel this place rather than see it. The main actors are the companies by Lassen and Menu .
My favorite from Menu: the “Offset Loose Cover” sofa by Norm Architects
By Lassen in particular was a rediscovery for me; We learned a lot about the incredibly interesting design and company history, which is primarily the story of the brothers Fleming and Mogens Lassen - both architects and close friends of their schoolmate Arne Jacobsen. Mogens is the cubist who invented the well-known candlesticks; Flemming Lassen is the creator of organic sofas and armchairs. The stories about these two are so exciting. Please feel free to read on here . And now I have to confess something: I was the sheepskin one I got a little tired of armchairs - probably because they had become so modern that many cheap copies flooded the furnishing world. But after sitting in an original armchair in Copenhagen and feeling the incomparable warmth and comfort of the sheepskin covers (which are also incredibly robust), I kept thinking about whether one of our rooms could be made fur cover-compatible.
Tanja Demmerath knows how to inspire: here she captivates us with the story of the Lassen brothers.
Summary:
- Investing in quality always pays off and is ultimately more sustainable than short-lived disposable furniture.
- Many well-known companies work very sustainably without constantly making this a priority. It's worth taking a look behind the scenes.
- It is important to look closely at those who produce more cheaply and on a mass scale, because they are also setting out and offering products whose manufacturing process has been optimized.
- Even non-sustainably produced, long-lasting furniture can be a good alternative if it can be enjoyed for many years.
- Copenhagen is always worth a visit. Double for the 3days of design.
More sustainable consumption can, for example, also mean investing in great, original products that you will not only enjoy for a long time but that are also real “it pieces” that, when used sparingly, make an interior distinctive. A great hand-blown vase or a classic lamp that costs maybe a euro more; a work of art or a unique textile piece becomes a highlight. This is like a great bag that turns simple jeans and a white blouse into a fashionable outfit. For example, I love it when flea market furniture is upgraded with (possibly more expensive) unique pieces. Looking around for alternatives can be so much fun, especially when setting it up. There are endless possibilities - it's the mix that counts. Ultimately, it is also the case that conscious consumption helps to preserve crafts and traditions that are no longer available to buy from furniture giants in the no longer green field.
However, I would like to expressly point out - as I have done so often - that I am certainly not a role model for a particularly sustainable lifestyle and I don't want to make this a point for my label Lumikello either - there is a lot of room for improvement everywhere. For me it's about thinking together with you and exploring new paths. For example, we are about to purchase a new sofa and I am currently thinking a lot about the question of what suits us and is compatible with my ecological conscience and my standards of quality and aesthetics. But more on that elsewhere.
I hope you enjoyed this little look behind the scenes. I will continue to report on my Instagram feed and share one or two facts with you. You will also find the photos of my little private tour through Copenhagen there, because I was able to discover many other beautiful things for you.
Please leave me a comment if you liked this report.
PHOTOS:
Uta Gleiser for Impulse by Communication
Eva Kaiser
