Highlights of 3 Days of Design 2023 | Hotel Normann

Happy Monday everyone! I’m starting the week by sharing another favourite from 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, and it’s an exhibition that’s due to remain open for another few months for those who didn’t get to visit during the festival. Called ‘Hotel Normann’, it sees the city-centre HQ of Normann Copenhagen transformed into an immersive showcase that resembles a real-life hotel, and it’s brimming with interiors inspiration.

Normann Copenhagen is known for timeless, functional design with a hint of playfulness, and that’s evident throughout the exhibition. Arranged over three floors, it comes complete with a reception area, various lounges, eight bedrooms, a cafe and even a nightclub, all created to demonstrate how the brand’s furniture, lighting and accessories can be combined to suit different styles and settings. There are some 30 new additions on show alongside the existing collection, and the resulting mix encompasses striking modern shapes, inventive materials and unexpected details. It’s all offset beautifully by the coffered concrete ceiling and angular windows of the building, a former printing press that dates back to 1936.

Every space is decorated differently – some are dark and cocooning, others bright and airy. I was particularly drawn to Room 103 with its smart burgundy accents, the fresh mint-green tones of Room 204, and sophisticated Room 201, which pairs elegant neutrals with eccentric pieces such as a stocky, almost childlike floor lamp and the organically shaped ‘Sculp’ coffee tables.

I also loved the minimalist, off-white Room 202, which showcases two fabulous new additions designed by Simon Legald. Named after and inspired by the shape of burrata cheese, the characterful ‘Burra’ chair has a plump seat and an accentuated back and arm rest that almost appears as if it’s reaching out to hug the body. It comes in lounge, swivel and dining-chair versions, and the latter looks fantastic against the sculptural ‘Bue’ table, whose triangular base is softened by rounded edges. Together with the existing ‘Rib’ sideboard, they form a wonderful blend of clean lines and curves that manages to strike the ideal balance between pared-back and eye-catching.

Also by Simon Legald and featuring in all of the bedrooms is ‘Notch’, Normann Copenhagen’s first-ever bed frame. It’s made from solid-pine planks that are held together with notched joints, adding an interesting element of detail to an otherwise simple design. It’s the kind of thing that fits seamlessly into all sorts of different rooms, and the wood will develop a stunning patina over time.

Other notable new pieces that caught my eye as I wandered around the exhibition included the ‘Plank’ bookcase, again made from solid pine. Its honest expression makes it extremely adaptable and there are low, medium and high versions, meaning it can be used as a shelving unit, a room divider, a sideboard, a console table and more. Just as versatile is the customisable ‘Dit’ side table, with an array of leg and top options that can be paired in 60 different combinations, and the ‘Hide’ storage pouf, whose PET felt fabric is made from post-consumer plastic bottles.

All in all, ‘Hotel Normann’ is the kind of exhibition that’s guaranteed to have you coming away with new ideas – perhaps an interesting way to use shapes and textures, a colour combination you hadn’t previously considered, or a specific piece that will finish off a certain room perfectly. If you haven’t already visited and you find yourself in Copenhagen over the next few months, I’d highly recommend stopping by!

‘Hotel Normann’ will remain open throughout summer and autumn at Niels Hemmingsens Gade 12, 1153 Copenhagen (weekdays 10am-6pm, Saturdays 10am-4pm).

Images two-six courtesy of Normann Copenhagen; all other photography by Abi Dare