I have yet another inspiring exhibition from Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design to share with you today: ‘Enter the Salon’. A showcase of the magic that can happen when contemporary design and traditional craftsmanship combine, it brought together seven different brands and studios from around the world within the walls of private members’ club The Conary.
The exhibition was curated by Danish designer Signe Hytte, who was given free reign to transform the club’s interiors for the festival. Taking her cue from the 19th-century salons where intellectuals and creatives would share ideas, she reimagined them as the residence of a poet who hosts regular artistic gatherings. The result was a series of elegantly styled rooms spread over two floors and, like all my favourite spaces at 3 Days of Design, it had the feel of a real, lived-in home.
The ground floor consisted of a minimalist open-plan reception area and dining space and was distinctly Japanese in mood, with neutral colours and natural materials bathed in soft light from a large roof lantern above. The furniture was from Karimoku Case, a joint venture by Japanese manufacturer Karimoku, Copenhagen-based Norm Architects and Tokyo studio Keiji Ashizawa whose pieces I’ve featured in blog posts several times over the years. I loved the mix of clean-lined wood (lighter oak in the front section, darker smoked oak at the back) and sumptuously curved upholstery, and the striking cone-shaped paper pendant light, created in collaboration with 220-year-old Kyoto lantern maker Kojima Shouten. There were also some beautiful stoneware vases and decorative Travertine accessories from Porto-based Origin Made, founded by designer Gabriel Tan and his wife Cherie Er with the aim of preserving centuries-old Iberian crafts.
The first floor had a more private feel, with Hytte including lots of little details – a pair of glasses here, an open notebook there – that were suggestive of the supposed occupant. It was centred around an intimate living room, whose beige panelled walls, plush sofa, cocooning green lounge chairs and earthy reddish-brown accents created a calming yet gently opulent mood. Again, my eye was drawn straight to the pendant light – an undulating swirl of semi-sheer fabric, designed by Dylan Davis and Jean Lee of bi-coastal US outfit Ladies & Gentlemen Studio and inspired by sunlight filtering through cloud formations. Other stand-outs for me here were by Origin Made, including a series of vases crafted using the dying Portuguese art of barro preto, where pieces are fired in an underground pit for a charred effect, and sculptural objects handwoven from fishing line and rattan by Spanish basketmaker Idoia Cuesta.
Double doors led from the living room to a study, complete with stacks of papers and letters. Here, a pared-back Karimoku Case desk and chair were backed by an open shelving unit housing assorted curios, books and leather storage boxes from Danish company August Sandgren. On the opposite wall was another stunning piece from Origin Made, this time designed by Norm Architects – a trio of corten-steel vases which offset block-like minimalist forms with beautifully patinated surfaces.
The bedroom beyond returned to the Japan-inspired aesthetics of the downstairs space, with an upholstered bed from Swedish brand Carpe Diem, a pair of simple marble-topped Karimoku Case side tables, and cushions and throws by third-generation textile-weavers Silkebord Uldspinderi. The table lamps were by Japanese firm Ambientec, which creates sleek and highly durable portable designs using LED technology, and one wall was adorned with an illuminated tapestry-like collage of silk panels from Ladies & Gentlemen Studio.
The final space open for visitors to explore was a glass-roofed atrium at the centre of The Conary, which Hytte turned into a courtyard-like gathering place. The walls were lined with billowing curtains, and cocooning Karimoku Case chairs and sofas were arranged in clusters, providing the perfect spot to sit and linger for a while.
Much like the salons which inspired it, the exhibition was a testament to the power of creativity and collaboration, and I was struck by how Hytte used styling to tell a story. I was also very taken by the way the participating brands and studios – some familiar, some new – merged past with present to craft beautiful pieces with timeless appeal. For me, it was everything good design should be.
Images seven and 29 by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen; image 20 by Sofie Staunsager. All other photography by Abi Dare
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