New finds | October 2020

It’s time for another round-up of design finds that have caught my eye, and I have plenty of interesting launches to share with you this month. October’s selection covers pieces from the UK, Scandinavia and India, and includes stylish home accessories, minimalist wooden furniture, a sleek lighting range and a chair that’s ideal for snuggling up over autumn and winter. There’s also news regarding a couple of classics that really have stood the test of time. Enjoy!

Dinesen’s first furniture range

I’m starting with a new collection of wooden furniture and interior objects from Danish company Dinesen, which has been producing high-quality timber planks since 1898. You’ll have seen its flooring in many of the homes featured here over the years, but this is its first venture into ready-made pieces and the results are stunning. Created by niche studio Design Studies, the collection showcases the natural beauty of wood and encompasses distinctive forms inspired by the way planks are stacked on cubic spacers at Dinesen’s sawmill. There’s a table, a bench, a stool / side table and a daybed with optional upholstery, as well as stands and planks that can be combined to form anything from desks to console tables. All are available in oak and Douglas fir, with several sizes to choose from, and have a simple, timeless aesthetic. There are also ‘bricks’ made out of surplus wood left over from production, which can be used as serving boards or decorative stands, and even a home scent developed by artist and researcher Sissel Tolaas to capture the deep, calming fragrance of newly cut timber. The collection is available to order now, with prices starting at €120 for a brick and €336 for a stand.

‘Complements’ from Fredericia

Next up is ‘Complements’, a new line of smaller pieces and accessories from another Danish favourite, Fredericia. Created to sit alongside its main collection of furniture, the range encompasses shapes, materials and textures that add depth and interest to interior spaces. It features objects by several designers, among them the walnut-framed ‘Silouhette’ mirrors from OeO, the grooved travertine ‘Locus’ bowl and oxidised-brass ‘Hydro’ vase from Sofie Østerby, the leather or fabric ‘Mono’ poufs from Due & Trampedach, and side tables from Maria Bruun and Keiji Takeuchi. My favourites, though, are three pieces by Space Copenhagen: the distinctive ‘Sequoia’ pouf, which comes in sheepskin, bouclé or wool, and the whimsical-looking limestone-based ‘Fellow’ and ‘Meadow’ lamps. Like all Fredericia offerings, the new designs have been crafted to last and are as functional as they are beautiful. Some items are available now, with others due to follow later this month, and prices range from €283 to €1,879.

New designs from Kam Ce Kam

There’s also a raft of new pieces from Kam Ce Kam – one of my favourite launches from last year’s London Design Festival. Founded by Jehanara Knowles, who grew up between New Delhi and London, it blends traditional Indian crafts with a contemporary aesthetic, and everything is made from natural materials by highly skilled artisans. The latest additions have been introduced to coincide with its first anniversary and include a lounge chair, cabinet and wall shelf crafted from ash and cane, a woven-seated modular stool, and a timber-and-sandstone coffee table with a beautifully sculpted base. There are also gorgeous banana-fibre and hemp rugs and cushions from a community of women weavers in East India, along with handmade terracotta ceramics with removable cane detailing from potter Suresh Kumar. All the designs were sparked by Jehanara’s personal experiences during lockdown and celebrate the themes of nostalgia, familiarity and comfort; they also pay homage to Indian modernism, from which she draws a lot of inspiration.

Modular shelving from Carl Hansen & Son

The latest releases over at Carl Hansen & Son include a flexible storage system by Børge Mogensen, which is being put into production for the very first time. It’s one of a number of forgotten creations by the late mid-century designer which the brand has introduced over recent months, and like much of Mogensen’s work it was intended to be adapted or extended in response to changing needs. Consisting of veneered shelves, oak or walnut cabinets and a metal frame made up of cylindrical bars, it can be configured in all sorts of different ways, forming everything from low sideboards to tall bookcases. The discreet handles have been milled into the wood to ensure a seamless aesthetic, and the doors can be painted in grey, maroon, blue or green – colours selected by Mogensen himself and shown in his original 1953 drawings. The system is available in stores now, and prices start at £651 / €717 for a three-shelf combination.

The ‘Vilhelm’ sofa from By Lassen

There’s more classic design from By Lassen, which is relaunching a sofa first created by architect Flemming Lassen in 1935. Named ‘Vilhelm’ in honour of his father, it features the soft curves and embracing form that are characteristic of so many of Lassen’s pieces, including his iconic easy chair ‘The Tired Man’. What’s particularly interesting about this one are the rounded corners and button detailing, which make it as eye-catching from the back and side as it is from the front – it’s a sofa that’s as much at ease in the middle of a room as it is against a wall. It comes in a wide selection of upholstery, with a choice between soaped or smoked oak for the feet, and it’s possible to have the seat and back finished in different fabrics. At the moment ‘Vilhelm’ is only available via 10 selected retailers across Europe, but it will be rolled out more widely soon. Prices start at DKK44,999 (around €6,045 / £5,500).

The ‘Puffy’ lounge chair from HEM

Also responsible for some seriously comfy-looking seating is Swedish brand HEM, which has collaborated with British designer Faye Toogood to produce ‘Puffy’. A cocooning hug of a chair, it’s a relaxed take on typical modernist design and consists of detachable upholstery draped over a tubular steel frame. I love the contrast between the plump duvet-like cushion and the hard, angular metal, and there’s a wonderful element of playfulness about it. It’s available in powder-coated or sand-blasted finishes, with a range of leather and canvas upholstery options, and costs €1,599-2,699 depending on which you choose. It went on sale yesterday and, intriguingly, it’s just the start of a wider ‘Puffy’ collection. I can’t wait to see what else is in the pipeline…

The ‘Soleil’ pendant from Le Klint

Last but not least is Danish lighting brand Le Klint, which has launched a new pendant lamp created by Philip Bro Ludvigsen. Called ‘Soleil’ (French for ‘sun’), it’s a contemporary spin on Le Klint’s iconic hand-pleated lampshade, which was inspired by a folded paper shade made by architect P.V. Jensen-Klint in 1901 and which has been in production since 1943. Here it’s topped with aluminium and oak, producing a balanced, minimalist and textural look; the resulting form is also much slimmer than many of Le Klint’s designs and works brilliantly in a wide variety of settings. ‘Soleil’ is available in two colour combinations – ‘Silver Cloud’, which features pale aluminium and pale oak, and ‘Thunder Sky’, which pairs darker aluminium with smoked oak. Both come in 35cm and 50cm diameters, and the LED sources within can be replaced to extend their lifespan. Prices start at €883.

All images via the brands named above