IN CONVERSATION WITH DESIGN STUDIES
If you ever stepped foot into Design Studies’ studio, you would understand why they were our first choice when deciding whom should design the new NN07 store in Illum. The result was above expectations as they really succeeded in materialising the NN07 values into a space that carries and brings our DNA to the surface.
We’ve asked them a couple of questions about their process and what we can expect from the newest NN07 store experience. Enjoy!
1. WHY A NATURE-MINIMALIST DESIGN STUDIO, WHERE DID THE INTEREST IN WORKING WITH NATURAL MATERIALS, WOOD SPECIFICALLY, COME FROM?
Design Studies started as an internal R and D / Innovation studio at Dinesen - Known for their solid wood floors of absolute quality - where we basically had carte blanche to discover and understand the possibilities that are hidden within wood as a material for objects and furniture. We spent years studying the tree - how to utilize its aesthetic and functional potential through studies of cuts, resin, treatments, form etc. In these studies, we naturally came across other types of material - both natural and artificial - and discovered an interesting potential for coherence and co-existence.
2. CAN YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT GOES INTO EACH D-S PIECE?
That’s actually very difficult, haha. Almost all projects like the Illum Store start out as a bespoke project, where rigid and predefined design models or processes don’t really make sense. But we always search for the most honest and simple solution possible. We don’t want to over design nature. Instead, we want to alter the natural materials in just the right amount, to enhance the possibilities we know are inherent in the materials . This demands that we keep researching and see every bespoke project as an ongoing study.
3. DOES SEEING A DESIGN PIECE WITHIN AN EXISTING SPACE CHANGES THE WAY YOU INTERACT WITH AND VIEW IT?
I think it depends on the object. For the sake of argument I think that every object you place in a space will have an effect on the way we as humans see and interact with the space - aesthetically, functionally and spiritually. As self-proclaimed natural minimalists, we focus on shaping wood and other natural materials in a way that we think appeals to the human space in a sustainable way, without removing the essence of nature within the material. We believe that by designing objects and furniture in solid wood in coherence with other materials, we invite a little piece of nature as well as the understanding of quality and honesty back into our human space.
4. WHAT SHOULD THE NN07 CUSTOMERS LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN VISITING THE NEWLY NN07 X D-S STORE IN ILLUM?
In one word — Monotone. The NN07 Illum Store is located in the center of a huge 5 story mall. Therefore, from the beginning we found it relevant to create a space where customers could find refuge from the busy, shopping experience. We wanted to stand out, not by doing more, but by doing less. We chose to reduce the amount of what we call obvious contrasts, which is found in colors and in the contrast between light and dark. Instead, what is surrounding the customer, is solid Dinesen Douglas planks, clay, and anodised aluminium, which are all stained or chosen in a monotone, grey colour palette, creating a minimalistic backdrop for the NN07 Collection.
5. SPEAKING OF PRODUCING LOCALLY AND BEING VERY CONSCIOUS OF SUSTAINABILITY FROM THE BEGINNING, WHAT DOES RESPONSIBLE DESIGN MEAN TO YOU?
We simply believe that responsible and sustainable design is about doing more with less and that we all need to invest in high quality materials that can be maintained, restored and developed in a more conscious and sustainable way. Our primary material of choice is wood from Dinesen which we consider to be of the highest quality. The wood is sourced by privately owned, sustainable forests in the German “Schwarz wald” and processed in Jels, Denmark. By using quality wood, working with skilled, local craftsmen and continuing our study of materials we get a better understanding of how we can do more with less, without compromising on our aesthetics or wellbeing when designing. Through our material studies, we continuously search for ways of understanding and utilising the whole entity of the tree. As an example, our ongoing study of surplus wood and off-cuts has resulted in the Cylinder Stools that surround the table in the center of the store. The stools are made from off-cuts from the Dinesen production and glued together into a cylindrical pillar of solid douglas fir.
VISIT OUR CONCET STORE IN ILLUM AT 1ST FLOOR.
ØSTERGADE 52, 1100 COPENHAGEN