PublishedJun 25, 2024 1:30 AM EDT
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Design festivals are always drowning in sofas, chairs, decor, and lighting—editors (ahem, guilty) are hunting for trends to blab about, designers and buyers are scoping out fresh stock, and the rest of us are basically just there for the vibes. Earlier this month at Copenhagen’s annual fair, 3 Days of Design, I was doing exactly that. Sure, there was gorgeous hardware and a zillion cool pendant lamps, but I kept drifting back to the showrooms where people were using products and materials in gloriously weird, unintended ways. Here are five that made me gasp a little.
I popped in early to ogle the new Dinesen apartment by celebrated architectural designer John Pawson, which had the hushed, luminous vibe of a Scandinavian chapel. On display was his latest contribution to the brand’s lineup: the Made to Order Pawson Furniture Collection. The Dining Series was originally dreamed up in 1992 but got a 2024 refresh with Dinesen Oak in the shadow gap. The Lounge Series is brand spanking new, made from solid Douglas fir in Denmark with upholstery from Kvadrat.
Showstopping as that was, the real jaw-dropper was the kitchen hiding in the back corner. It’s kitted out in Garde Hvalsøe’s Layer cabinetry, designed by Baks Arkitekter and crafted in Dinesen Layers Oak. Open it up and you’ll spot the internal solid reinforcement—which is secretly just floorboards turned sideways. The simple steel worktop takes its cues from the one in Pawson’s own kitchen. Sneaky genius.
After boating over to Refshaleøen—a former industrial site now stuffed with artist studios and even Noma Projects—I ended up on another boat parked in the harbor. That’s where I found bales of eelgrass being wrangled by Søuld, a Danish manufacturer turning seagrass into planet-friendly products. Traditionally it was used for thatched roofs on the Danish island of Laesø, but Søuld spins it into acoustic designs with a ridiculous list of perks: thermal and moisture absorption, natural renewability, fire and mold resistance, and even carbon storage. The brand’s been around Europe for a while and is finally creeping into North America via a partnership with Spinneybeck.
Kaufmann Keramik teamed up with Copenhagen-based interior design practice Studio Force Majeure to show off a selection of its newest tile. The brand has been buddy-buddy with superstar German designer Sebastian Herkner for a while, and several of his styles were on display, including a new ceramic bench that nestles snugly around fireplaces. But the real magic was how the studio deployed his shapes: the slanted Acqua as mirror edges or wall wainscoting, the Sahel room dividers masquerading as entryway walls, and the Soap as table-leg jewelry. The most intriguing move, though, was the Soap shape wrapped around a doorframe like molding—an elegant, striking alternative to wallpaper or wood trim.
This year’s ReThink exhibition is Kvadrat’s sixth go-round of its Design Projects. The 12 participating creatives were all up in sustainability’s business, pushing materials to their limits with recycled textiles, renewables, and circular resources. The international crew was compelling as a whole, but I was magnetically drawn to the Octopoda, decked out in the interiors-friendly Sport upholstery by Patricia Urquiola. Beyond the fun sea-inspired colors, Sport is the first of its kind: a recycled polyester upholstery textile woven from 100% ocean-bound plastic waste, all scooped up off coastlines and remote Thai islands. Getting to grope it in person confirmed it’s not rough at all and would actually be quite pleasant to park yourself on.
Copenhagen’s Østerbro neighborhood is leafy, quiet, chilled-out, and home to my favorite bakery (priorities). It’s also where I checked out a small-group furniture exhibition called A Calm Place, assembled by the newly minted platform and online store Objective Studies. It aims to show off the link between Danish home culture—which treats nature and natural materials like royalty—and, well, you get the gist.
Samantha Weiss-Hills is the managing editor for Domino. She edits and writes home tours and features, and she’s that friend everyone texts in a panic for glassware, sofa, and sheet recommendations. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Alex, and their beagle-corgi, Elsa, who is almost certainly cuter than your dog.
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