DesignTrade 2014: Some Highlights From Copenhagen

I am back from Copenhagen where I spent two design and fun filled days at the DesignTrade show. I met up with great Scandinavian blogger friends such as Nina, Linda and Pella and we explored the show together.

The focus this time was on the upcoming spring/summer 2014 collections so we could see the inevitable colour injections in many collections such as the new collection of Broste Copenhagen with new blues and yellows, colourful home textiles from Oyoy or ceramics from Kähler Design. The latter has also launched a new collection of coffee sets for lovers of slow drip coffee (like me) – I particularly loved this discovery! One of my new favorites, Skandinavisk, was also exhibiting and presented the new range of scented candles and debuted its line extension to breakfast sets – for the ultimate ‘hygge’ moment you now have also pretty happy coffee mugs and plates with Scandinavian words and motives. Speaking of ceramics, I also liked the new range of Anne Black ceramics with organic shapes and blue hues.

Moreover I discovered a few new brands to me, most of them Scandinavian of course.  I liked the natural and luxurious home textiles from Aiayu featuring subtle, Scandinavian colours. I was intrigued by the great range of furniture and home accessories of Muubs that uses reclaimed teak wood from Indonesia and combines it with raw materials such as concrete. Another new discovery is the very young Danish brand Aperie with beautiful leather products for the home office – sustainably produced in Bolivia. 

My illustration loving eye was also caught by the new Danish brand ‘I Love My Type’ – affirmative and uplifting mottos are featured on posters in various typographies creating a very modern, cool and urban feel. Another fabulous find: the new tray by designer Christina Liljenberg Halstrøm for Design Nation: the combination of metal with wood, a very simple, pure, almost Japanese design and soft colour shades make this not only a tray but a real design piece. Thumbs up!

To make my Copenhagen experience even perfect, I stayed in the fab Bella Sky Hotel – my room on the 19^th floor overlooked the entire Copenhagen region and the North Sea on the horizon with a dramatic ceiling to floor window. Needless to say that the room was equipped with fine Danish design such as a Hay chair and Arne Jacobsen lamps. 

Oh and I couldn’t help but use the opportunity to dip my toes into the Copenhagen sales and shop a bit – great addresses if you are in Copenhagen are the concept stores Black and Playtype, the homewares store Dora, Samsøe & Samsøe for Scandinavian fashion, and Granola for a coffee and lunch break. 

Hope you enjoyed my little design excursion to Copenhagen. Happy week, friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic, two product shots by Aperie

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