Form Chair: Black-Lacquered Oak

“When Jan and I look at new designs for Normann Copenhagen, we take a very intuitive approach to the products,” according to cofounder Poul Madsen. “A picture can say much more than words and if we are both struck by what we see, we are interested.” Jan Andersen and Poul Madsen teamed up to create the Normann Copenhagen with a vision to shake up the contemporary design field. Now known the world over, they collaborate with new names and established talents from their native Denmark as well as internationally.

The company puts a premium on challenging conventional thinking in collections of tabletop products, lighting and furniture—with bold design strokes, innovative materials and a deft enjoyment of color. “We like products that have an original idea and a simple design, although we do not tie ourselves to a particular line,” Poul adds. “For us, the important thing is that the projects we get involved in bring something new into the world of design.”

“Honesty with Nordic simplicity” is how the young but prolific Danish designer Simon Legald describes his style.  This recent graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts already has an impressive roster of projects large and small-scale. All told, they exhibit a fine combination of craftsmanship and industrially influenced design. “Honesty is what makes a product understandable and is what describes the product’s functionality,” he says. “If you understand the product, it doesn’t need any explanation.”

Part of that honesty is the Copenhagen-based Simon’s habit of honoring the structural aspects and impressive techniques in his designs by revealing them visually in the final product. “I try not to add any unnecessary details,” he explains. “I work with simplicity by highlighting the necessities instead of hiding them.”