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I just returned from a trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, and couldn't be more filled with inspiration! The Scandinavians certainly know what they're doing when it comes to kitchen design (just you wait—their ideas will trickle stateside soon), and I always come back with a wonderfully renewed perspective. This time, I went for the very best of reasons—to visit family (my parents were born in Copenhagen and most of my family lives in or near the capital) and look for wonderful new products for Scandinavian Made, the company my daughter and I own.
Scandinavia is at the forefront of design, so whenever I visit, I make it a point to tour kitchen and furniture showrooms and breathe in all the creative innovation. I simply can’t step one foot in front of the other in this wonderful city without seeing truly incredible design all around me! (And my overflowing library of digital photos proves it.) Here are some of the cool trends I spotted on this trip:
Trend # 1: Refreshed Mid-Century [photo above]
Classic Mid-Century Modern is alive and well and more exciting than ever with a few 21st-century updates. I saw lots of lovely, tightly woven fabrics on 1960s-inspired chairs in modern colors and with innovative woodworking details. I love this chair for the breakfast room that I discovered at Hay House.
Trend # 2: Wider Planks...Bigger Style
Photo by: Susan Serra
The wide planks that stand as a hallmark of Scandinavian wood flooring have grown. I spotted very wide (and very long) planks, and loved them for the seamless, modern look they offer while still holding all the warmth and texture of their narrower, shorter ancestors. I visited the Dinesen showroom to see this stunning look firsthand. The light-toned flooring illustrates the perfect note for today’s Scandinavian design trend: natural, clean, softly textured with a feeling of casual elegance.
Trend # 3: White and Wood Together
Photo by: Susan Serra
Many of the kitchen showrooms I visited displayed white or light cabinetry and natural wood finishes together. Quintessentially Scandinavian, these two elements work in perfect concert visually and tactically, adding a sort of organic and textured look. I was told white is clearly king in the kitchen in this part of the world, just as it is for us in the United States. This exciting kitchen is by Multiform.
Trend # 4: Concealed Appliances
Photo by: Susan Serra
The homes are smaller in Scandinavia, and many homeowners add a tall wall of storage and concealed appliances behind the kitchen island. This design concept maximizes storage and efficiency and helps improve the flow throughout the space. It offers easy access to items behind its closed doors, in line with a universal design philosophy. Note the tall doors which conceal the ovens in this kitchen by Boform.
Trend # 5: Vintage Fabrics
Photo by: Susan Serra
It was such a pleasure to see repurposed vintage fabrics used in a variety of ways. Rugs that would add charm to the breakfast room or kitchen were pieced together from vintage fabrics for a lovely, quilt-like look. I also noticed vintage fabrics on ottomans, chairs for the breakfast table, and linens.
Parting Thoughts
Photo by: Susan Serra
I will leave you with this perfect example of today’s Copenhagen—the thoroughly modern Royal Copenhagen Café. It sits inside the flagship store of Royal Copenhagen, the purveyor of hand-painted porcelain to Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark since 1775. It has a happy Scandinavian look and all the classic elements of Mid-Century design blended with today’s innovations. Now that I’m over the jetlag, I'm ready to go back!
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