Remember The Jötuns
It may seem counter-intuitive to intersperse luxury furnishings with minimalist Scandinavian home concepts but when it comes to Nordic interiors, design veterans find great versatility and reign of expression.
Originally written by Andre Frois for The Millenary Post Issue 15
The Second World War left the Baltic nations with a carte blanche. “After World War II, Denmark combined the idea of beautifying simple items with its tradition and craft, in a new industrialised trend,” recounts Luca Zucchet, General Manager of W. Atelier’s furniture divison, of the rebirth opportunities that the destruction of Scandinavia’s physical legacy presented. “The Danish were able to incorporate newly adopted materials and industrial processes into a modern yet comfortable and homely aesthetic product.”
Among the war-torn European States, Northern Europe emerged at the forefront of interior design because its ideas were as practical as they were innovative, while easy to adopt.
“Cosiness and comfort are the advantages of having a Scandinavian-style home. The use of natural materials as well as the simplicity, linearity, functionality, modernity and elegance of a Scandinavian-style home contributes to the benefits of having one,” the proud Dane elaborates. “Consumers started to appreciate original Scandinavian interior styles because of the craftsmanship and high-quality materials used. The Scandinavian philosophy contributed the success of overall Scandinavian interior styles.”
Cupertino desk by BoConcept
Hans Sandgren Jakobsen II, a designer who most notably collaborated with furniture retailer Porada recently, shares his recollections that echo Zucchet’s, commenting, “the first arrival was in the 50s and 60s – in that period, Scandinavian design was very popular in the world. The second arrival started 10 years ago, during which the Scandinavian lifestyle has increased in popularity in the world because of the need for clear and simple design furniture, which is well-crafted and can last for generations.”
However, designer label Louis Poulsen’s Head of Training and Development, Ulla Riemer, points out that the seeds had already been sown prior to the Second World War. The clean slate birthed from the razing of housing and architecture became the platform upon which Scandinavian interior design would be showcased and lauded. “It started in the 1930s when Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen and other popular architects broke through,” elucidated Riemer when we caught up with her at her swanky new point of sales in Singapore, MACSK, along Mohamed Sultan Road. “I guess people got tired of the very heavy, dark and overfilled homes with lots of furniture. They realised that less can do it and that it’s actually pleasant to have fewer, but nicer and timeless things. People are now willing to pay more for quality and have started to appreciate the beauty of saving to buy something that they really like and that they can have for the rest of their life – without getting tired of it – because it is timeless. More space, more air, pleasant human lighting, no glare, nice atmosphere, and you don’t need to buy new stuff every two to three years,” she reiterates of the disarmament and serenity that Nordic design facilitates and that Zucchet highlighted.
“We would have to explain it in a word ‘hygge’. The Danish word hygge, pronounced ‘hooga’, roughly translates to cosiness. Hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. There’s nothing more hygge than being comfortable at home, discussing the big and small things in life,” explains David Anderberg, a critical member of the BoConcept team for over seven years.
“I think since the winters are so long in Scandinavia and the sun is not shining as much as we would like, we have created an interior style which gives us a feeling of the light and warmth that we lack in the weather,” theorises Line Gao of the Danish design collective HAY, which has been holding high-profile pop-ups in institutions like the National Design Centre (NDC) in Singapore. HAY designs are currently displayed and retailed at kapok at the NDC. “Straightforward and intuitive design that is simple, minimalistic and functional without too many un-necessities. We prioritise quality, functionality and most of all, comfort.”
Gao discloses that one of the Scandinavia-mania’s biggest advantages is how opulent vintage furniture pieces can look entirely at home in a contemporary setting, describing, “because of the timelessness of this design style, old classic pieces that are still popular today, which is best demonstrated by Danish designs from the 1950s and 60s, can still be seen being incorporated into the interior trend today, more than 60 years later.”
Meda Wall System by BoConcept
“Lots of Scandinavian products have common factors such as clean line, high quality materials, great ergonomics and are called ‘timeless’, which made them so popular during the 50s because they were truly revolutionary in terms of technicality and function, not only from the design point of view,” Zucchet sheds light on the idea of inclusivity. “It’s not accidental that this philosophy is a consequence of the way of life of the Nordic people.”
“Spoil yourself with a few glamorous details,” advises Anderberg on adding sophistication to this unassuming design concept, whose foremost impressions of Scandic design are metallic sheens, brass and its complementing shades, multi-functionality, transformability, hidden storage, and most recently, the incorporation of ports for appliances and mobile devices. “A tone-in-tone colour scheme is lifted to a high, classy style with a few selected shiny surfaces, objects and exquisite textiles. The trick is not to overdo it, but just to give it a bit of sparkle with metallic-thread rugs, gold cushions, a copper lamp or a silvery sculpture.”
“Since the style is minimalistic as mentioned before, it gives less space for luxurious add-ons in terms of embellishments,” Gao adds. “Nevertheless, it still allows the designer to choose more luxurious materials for the products, thus providing a more elegant look. Also, the style gives a lot of room for accessorising.”
Alba side table by BoConcept
“You can mix an heirloom with classic Scandinavian and modern Scandinavian furniture,” comments Jakobsen, whose creations are available in Singapore through Marquis@QSquare, tips deep-pocketed lovers of northern design to intersperse paintings, statement pieces and objets d’art throughout one’s Scandinavian-themed abode, Riemer feels that inserting lavish elements into the Scandinavian interior environment requires discernment and restraint, but is achievable.
“Not by using a lot of gold, bling-bling and crystals. That is really regarded as bad taste! You can use a number of iconic lamps like the Artichoke, add some furniture designed by the greats like Arne Jacobsen or Poul Kjærholm or Finn Juhl,” shares the industry veteran, who observes that the new sub-trend within Scandinavian furnishing is “privacy furniture”, where sofas and armchairs are built to close out the outside world. “Pick items with a different twist – people who know about design will know that these are the right things – which are in their own way luxurious. The saying that ‘less is more’ is still right!”
Scandinavian-style house designed by HAY
Filed under: Lifestyle, Style & Accessories, Wisdom
