New designs from NORR11

I was originally planning to include the latest launches from Danish brand NORR11 in my round-up from the Stockholm Furniture Fair, but as soon as I saw the press images I knew they had to have a post of their own! Created by stylist Pernille Vest and photographer Heidi Lerkenfeldt, they were shot at the J.F. Willumsen Museum in Frederikssund, north of Copenhagen, and they’re absolutely beautiful.

Opened in 1957, the museum is dedicated to the work of sculptor, graphic artist, architect and photographer Jens Ferdinand Willumsen, who continually pushed boundaries and challenged his own skills. It’s therefore an apt location for a brand that’s become known for reinventing Scandinavian design, collaborating with innovative designers and combining past and present to produce eye-catching yet enduring pieces. Interestingly, Willumsen had no particular connection to Frederikssund, but he bequeathed his collection to the town after unsuccessful attempts to donate it to the state of Denmark and the city of Copenhagen. He also put forward a number of grandiose proposals for the building, but all proved too expensive and impractical to become a reality. Instead, the commission went to functionalist architect Tyge Hvass, whose clean lines, expansive windows and sweeping spiral staircases provide the perfect backdrop for the natural materials, rich textures and earthy colours of NORR11’s furniture and lighting.

New to the brand’s collection for 2020 are five designs created by its founder Tommy Hyldahl and young talent Kristian Sofus Hansen, who studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and the Kyoto Institute of Technology in Japan. The ‘Little Big Chair’ was conceived with comfort in mind and has the soft, embracing curves that are common to so many Nordic classics, but here they’re paired with an ingenious swivel base that’s entirely hidden from view. It comes with a choice of tactile bouclé, linen or velvet upholstery, and it can be customised to individual preferences on request.

The ‘Riff’ modular sofa won’t officially launch until autumn but it’s already available for pre-order, and I had a sneak peek in Stockholm. Upholstered in linen, it combines a minimalist, boxy shape with Art Deco-inspired fluted stitching on the back and sides, creating a distinctive and very beautiful look. What’s more, it’s extremely comfortable and can be configured in all sorts of different combinations.

Art Deco influences also feature in the ‘Deco’ lighting series, which takes its cue from the cylindrical wall lamps found in the lobbies and entrance halls of many 1930s buildings. The simplified design has sleek iron casing and a riffled glass shade that adds a shimmering quality to the light, and comes in wall, pendant and chandelier versions. Cleverly, the pendant has an adjustable steel wire that means it can be hung vertically or horizontally.

Made of cast fibre concrete, the ‘Gear’ coffee and side tables were inspired by Ancient Greek columns. Both have a simplified block-like structure and three riffled legs, creating a bold yet refined look. Each table is hand-painted, adding a unique surface texture and ensuring that no two are identical.

The final addition from Kristian Sofus Hansen and Tommy Hyldahl is the ‘Yo-Yo’ lamp family, the idea for which was sparked by the concentric circles of a yo-yo. There are two pendants, a floor lamp and a table lamp, all with a pair of opal-glass shades placed opposite each other. The top shade has a single layer of glass, ensuring the ceiling is brightly lit, while the bottom one has a double layer to create a warm and inviting atmosphere at room level. The resulting expression is elegant yet playful, and it’s offset perfectly by the industrial metal fittings.

NORR11’s other new launch is the work of Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts graduates Anna Ohmsen and Emma Bukhave Vidarsson, and it’s my personal favourite. Winner of both the FSC Design Awards and the Mad & Blog Design Awards 2018, it’s made up of a series of oak frames which can be rotated outwards, transforming from a flat two-dimensional shape into a sculptural three-dimensional one, and revealing or hiding the bulb as desired. Each frame is handmade and quality-checked before being connected together with brass fittings, and there are four different finishes to choose from: natural, smoked, dark-stained and black. I love the tactile nature of it, and there’s something so satisfying about adjusting a piece by hand in today’s fast-paced digital world.

All in all, an impressive new collection from NORR11 – and a museum to add to my must-visit list when I’m next in Copenhagen!

Photography by Heidi Lerkenfeldt for NORR11; styling by Pernille Vest