The beginning of the year always means the beginning of the trade fairs in the interiors industry – whether you’re sourcing armchairs, carpets or candleholders, there’s a fair for you to visit!
Ralph, my husband and business partner, and I decided to visit northmodern in Copenhagen as part of our search for new stock for the spring. We visited northmodern last year as well, and were really impressed with the level of exhibitors, many of whom are brand new or up-and-coming designers and makers, which is really important to us. It was also a chance to catch up with existing suppliers.
We arrived in Copenhagen Thursday afternoon, which meant we didn’t have time to visit the show that same day, so instead we took the afternoon and evening off. Staying right in the centre of Copenhagen made this all the more enjoyable – but that’s for a different post!
A short Metro ride takes you straight to Bella Center, which is home to many great exhibitions, events and fairs, as well as having a fantastic hotel attached to it – AC Bella Sky is a real landmark, with its twisted structure looking completely different depending which angle you see it from.
northmodern itself though is really quite special! As soon as we came through the doors, we were bombarded with impressions everywhere we looked. A smooth layout and different sections made it easy to navigate, and we spent a really exciting day in design heaven!
George Jensen had a huge instalment right at the entrance of the show, showcasing their fabulous table ware and other products, with the theme of ‘nature’ being apparent throughout – right down to the beams seemingly coming out of the earth inside the hall!
In the Room section it was all about lighting, seating and furniture. Beautiful silhouettes and exceptional craftsmanship is the bedrock of Scandinavian design, and it was evident everywhere we looked.
The next section, Slow Living, contained all those little (and not-so-little) things that make a house into a home – starting off with the most amazing foosball table I have ever seen – even my petrol head, non-football-fan husband was in awe of this one!
Things only got better hereafter, with everything from fabulous rugs to magazine holders to soft furnishings to (of course!!) candle holders…..so many candle holders, in every possible material, shape and size!
The School and Talent section of any show is always a really interesting place – seeing the brilliant concepts and ideas presented is very inspiring and it’s so exciting to see the direction in which the next generation of designers and makers is heading. Check out these amazing chairs below, custom-made by Amanda Lilholt!
We made some great connections with some great people, and I can’t wait to show you all the new items coming into the shop very soon!
Helena x
