Each year for 3 Days of Design, as the sunshine brings the city to life, Copenhagen’s best design brands open their doors to the press and visitors. One of my favourite visits of the trip was to &tradition‘s new premises in the heart of the city, housed in a classical old building overlooking the lush greenery of The King’s Garden. And as the Danish company opens a new showroom here in London, I thought it was a good time to run through some of their new furniture launches for 2018.
&tradition is a brand with one foot in the past and one in the future. They respect their heritage and preserve forgotten designs, while opening up the collection to new designers to reinvent traditions and create the classics – or ‘future collectibles’ of tomorrow.
In Copenhagen, &tradition designed their showroom around the concept of collecting, creating the ‘Home of a Collector’. They described it as ‘curated classics in a contemporary context, where there’s atmosphere, energy and emotion’. Their designs have soul and a meaning behind each of them, making for a unique, eclectic collection of shapes, textures and materials.
‘Collecting is our passion, our obsession. It’s everywhere you look in our new showroom, a unique and complete experience designed to come alive. Merge the past and the present in designs with stories yet to be told.’
These aren’t actually images of the Copenhagen space, but beautiful new shots from the brand for 2018, captured in the raw, architectural spaces of a stunning home and studio in Antwerp. So let’s run though the new designs in more detail…
Little Petra by Viggo Boesen
First designed in 1938 and reintroduced today by &tradition, Little Petra is charming little armchair with a cosy, inviting look. It was conceived by Viggo Boesen, a lesser-known Danish architect, who helped popularise the funkis style – an approach that offered a softer, more organic alternative to the clean lines and minimalism of the Bauhaus. The chair is named after Boesen’s petite mother-in-law – sitting low to the ground, it’s gently curved back embraces the sitter.
In the 1930s, Boesen partnered with cabinetmakers A. J. Iversen to create made-to-order versions of the chair for private clients. Roughly only about 30 pieces were ever made, but each one is ever so slightly different, giving &tradition the challenge of creating the perfect shape and comfort for their new reissue. Little Petra is now available in three different upholstered fabrics, with white oiled oak or dark walnut legs.
‘Little Petra is a real find from the archives of Danish design,’ says Martin Kornbek Hansen, &tradition’s CEO, ‘Although not very well known by the public at large, Boesen’s work contributed to the overall Danish aesthetics back in the 1930s. We’re so pleased to honour his original concept, adding a new page to the history books.’
The Moor by All the way to Paris
&tradition has introduced new colour ways for The Moor rugs by All the way to Paris. Inspired by the lush countryside that surrounded their native Nordic homes, the new colours include Green Pine, Blue Midnight and Yellow Field. The velvety texture is perfect on trend, while some of the hand-knotted designs have the corners cut off that reference previous gemstones. A wonderfully rich canvas for your furniture and favourite objects.
Mezcla series by Jaime Hayon
A long-time collaborator with &tradition, Spanish designer Jaime Hayon has created a new table series that mixes together various high-end materials and plays with texture. Drawing on classic geometric shapes – the circle, oval and cylinder – each component has a different texture and finish, contrasting richly veined wood with polished brass, and shiny chrome with brightly coloured bases.
‘The Spanish word for “mixture” is Mezcla,’ explains Hayon. ‘For me it captures the essence of different people coming together and diverse design elements together – in a series of tables where the materials, shapes and colours could meet and greet, so to speak.’
Pavilion counter and bar stools by Anderssen & Voll
In contrast, Anderssen & Voll’s Pavilion series has a much lighter, graceful expression, where fluid curves combine a wood veneer seat and back with steel tube legs. The design is inspired by the Langelinie Pavilion overlooking Copenhagen’s waterfront promenade, previously home to the Royal Danish Yacht Club and rebuilt in the 1950s in homage to the modernist movement.
‘Tube chairs had their start in early modernism, but they were usually constructed at fixed angles. We wanted to explore a more open construction, a freer form of expression,’ says Anderssen & Voll.
Pavilion Lounge chair by Anderssen & Voll
Likewise, the Pavilion lounge chair has a smooth, curved wood veneer seat and back, joined by steel tubes that form the armrests and legs of the design. It has an elegant, relaxed look and feel about it, with a wide, welcoming seat and low position.
Says Anderssen & Voll: ‘With the Pavilion lounge chair, we found a way to partner bent tubing with bent plywood so the impression is a continuous rhythm of lines and curves.’
Formakami table lamp by Jaime Hayon
Jaime Hayon’s contemporary twist on the traditional Asian lantern has become hugely popular and now a table lamp has been added to the collection. The Formakami lamp is delicate and familiar, yet smart and modern, with influences from Scandinavia and Japan. Bulbous shapes in ivory white rice paper and joined together with black detailing. Simple and timeless.
Flowerpot by Verner Panton
Originally designed in 1968, the retro Flowerpot lamp has been updated by &tradition in new colours. The timeless VP2 pendant lamp – two semi-circles hung by a delicate cord – now comes in dark green, deep red, grey beige, mustard, matt light grey, matt black and matt white. While the VP3, a table lamp version of the Flowerpot, mounted on a slender stem with a matching semi-circular base, has been released in matt white and mustard.
Says Martin Korbek Hansen, &tradition’s CEO: ‘For us, Verner Panton was a pioneer in terms of design and colour, a visionary whose legacy lives on. His Flowerpot series is so simple, streamlined and pure, it lends itself to any setting anywhere in the world. Past, present and future.’
Palette Side table and Lounge table by Jaime Hayon
Two new sizes have been added to Jaime Hayon’s Palette series – a tall side table and a large lounge table. Inspired by Alexander Calder’s kinetic sculptures, the multi-tiered tables combine shapes, surfaces and materials to create a dynamic look. Elegant and luxurious, they come in a choice of lacquered walnut veneer or black ash with black Nero Marquina marble. The larger version and desk now has the option of a satin polished brass surface too.
‘Tables are where people connect with each other,’ explains Hayon. ‘By creating a mix of diverse elements in the table itself, it’s my way of inviting an array of ideas and emotions to be shared together. And with the large lounge version, we open up the opportunity for more expansive spaces and experiences.
All stunning pieces don’t you think? They all have a beautiful element of understated luxury to them, I think it’s all about those rich materials and texture combinations. Could you see any of these designs in your own home?
All images courtesy &tradition
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