7 influential Scandinavian design trends

Fritz Hansen’s Monolit chair by Cecilie Manz is a pure, comfortable design with a protective, embracing back.

Crafted from moulded plywood shells and available in two heights with various upholstery options, it features a slender profile accentuated by leather piping. Manz aimed for a reduced, sketch-like form that reads as one shape, but in two distinct parts: top and base.

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Innovation sometimes whispers rather than shouts, and Sørensen Leather’s gently hued Leisure collection introduces a groundbreaking material that broadens creative possibilities for designers and furniture makers.

Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, this leather, created in collaboration with the renowned design duo GamFratesi, is available in 14 nature-inspired colours with a robust yet soft surface that maintains a natural feel.

This development aligns with the outdoor furniture trend resembling indoor pieces and vice versa, reflecting consumers’ desire for versatile living spaces.

GamFratesi’s meticulously curated palette, inspired by their European travels, includes shades like warm terracotta and volcanic black.

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Folded lampshades remain timeless classics, with new designs reinforcing their enduring appeal. Danish heritage brand Le Klint, pioneers of hand-folded, pleated shades, introduced Celine by OEO Studio.

This solid brass and hand-folded paper lamp draws inspiration from Designmuseum Danmark’s architecture, featuring clean lines and bold geometry. 

This year, New Works celebrated a new palatial home that perfectly showcased their pleated Nebra series.

A delicate dance between tradition and contemporary dynamism, its classic design belies a transformative mechanism that allows users to flip the shade to create the desired lighting mood.

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Fanciful creativity and sustainability can coexist, as Kvadrat’s ReThink exhibition eloquently demonstrated. Twelve global designers showcased playful, imaginative creations crafted from recycled and regenerative materials; innovative designs celebrating responsible creation and community collaboration.

Curated by industry experts, the exhibition underscored the crucial message that sustainability and creativity are deeply interconnected, blending artistic vision with environmental consciousness.

Fólk Reykjavik showcased Circular Landscapes, a collection of objects by upcoming designers who transformed discarded materials into charming yet functional designs.

The Lava Glass vases by Swedish design studio Navet, whose organic flowing form felt reminiscent of molten magma, are made from 100 per cent recycled glass and produced using waste energy.

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A return to naturalism and organic forms was evident, reflecting the demand for designs that harmonise with the environment and create visual and tactile comfort.

For Audo, Norwegian designers Anderssen & Voll completed their Brasilia family with a sofa and side table. A unique blend of Scandinavian mid-century aesthetics and Brazilian modernism, their robust frames, traditional joinery and soft upholstery offer unparalleled comfort, creating a cosy, supremely inviting atmosphere.

Jaime Hayon’s Archivo shelving system for &Tradition, born from a personal project for his home, features softly rounded corners and irregularly divided shelves that add a playful elegance to storage. Designed to showcase meaningful objects, Archivo combines sturdy functionality with ornamental charm.

Merging natural appeal with modern design, the Isola coffee table by Ferm Living is handcrafted from rattan and features a gently curved shape that would serve perfectly as a refined centrepiece.

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The increased presence of Japanese brands at this year’s 3daysofdesign felt natural, given the shared values of minimalism, craftsmanship and functionality that deeply resonate with Japanese and Scandinavian design philosophies. In its second outing at 3daysofdesign, Koyori once again collaborated with GamFratesi in an immersive installation that merged traditional Japanese crafts with new furniture pieces by the latter and newly appointed designer Michael Anastassiades.

Anastassiades introduced the Makuri lounge chair and ottoman, infusing them with geometric elegance, while GamFratesi expanded its Miau line with the Miau lounge chair, enhancing comfort with a larger scale and a subtly inclined backrest. Inspired by sculptor Isamu Noguchi, the Kigo side and coffee table series celebrates organic shapes and solid wood craftsmanship. The Uribo stool, also by GamFratesi, showcases Koyori’s esteemed wood-bending techniques.

Karimoku Case, a Japanese contemporary lifestyle brand from the Karimoku stable, showcased 80 pieces at Enter the Salon,
a joint exhibition with like-minded brands. With Karimoku Case, which features collections by leading architects, Karimoku introduces its fourth category following Karimoku New Standard, Karimoku Kunst, and Ishinomaki Laboratory by Karimoku.

Enter the Salon was curated by Signe Hytte, blending design, art and poetry in a historical townhouse, with highlights including dining chairs, wall art, and Karimoku Case’s new Zelkova wood series.

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Collaborations with fashion brands are nothing new, but Copenhagen launches just hit differently, as it were. Asics took the opportunity to launch a new collaboration with Danish design brand Hay, featuring a collection of sneakers in three original colourways.

This maiden partnership combines the functionality of Asics’ Skyhand OG model with Hay’s minimalist yet colourful design signature.  The collection featured a soft pink, blue, and emerald colour palette and accent detailing, drawing inspiration from Hay’s Outline pyjamas, and is co-branded with Asics and Hay logos.

Montana Furniture announced a collaboration with renowned Danish fashion brand Mads Nørgaard, which is known for its iconic striped textiles and effortlessly chic urban designs. This partnership brought together Mads Nørgaard’s distinctive style with Montana’s celebrated Scandinavian design, underpinned by a shared passion for vibrant colours.

Central to this collaboration is Nørgaard’s signature striped textile in rich Ruby and Balsamic hues. These grace the panels of the iconic Montana Free shelving system and enhance the upholstery of the classic Kevi office chair.

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