The deep relationship between Denmark and design

Yuichiro Noguchi
Aug 26
4 min read

Updated: Sep 2

Winter in Northern Europe is very cold, and it's finally getting brighter around 9 o'clock in the morning, but it's already dark outside at 15 o'clock. On top of that, it's cold to death outside.... How did such a harsh environment affect the people of the Nordic countries? Their lifestyle, which spends a lot of time indoors, is thought to have inevitably given birth to the wisdom of life and the awareness of interiors of "how to make the room a comfortable and cozy space".

Speaking of Nordic countries, Finland (1st), Denmark (2nd), Iceland (3rd), Norway (6th), and Sweden (7th) are famous for monopolizing the world's happiness rankings, but Denmark is Al It is also a design powerhouse that has produced many masters such as Ne Jacobsen, Hans J. Wegner, and Paul Henningsen. The many masterpieces that remain in the history of design are all simple, modern, functional and beautiful, and continue to fascinate people around the world today.

Speaking of Nordic furniture until the beginning of the 20th century, heavy and large furniture for aristocrats was the mainstream, but by the furniture department "FDA Mobler" of the FDA (Danish Cooperative Society of Living) established in 1942, "strong, beautiful, and comfortable to sit on It is said that the beginning of the history of Danish design was the beginning of the manufacture of furniture at an affordable price. Kore Klint was in charge of supervision, Boe Moensen was the first generation, Paul M. Volta was the second generation was the representative, and famous designers such as Hans J. Wegner and Arne Jacobsen were named as project members, and the number He is sending out his masterpieces to the world.

In an era when "modernism" was the mainstream of designing "things that are not bound by the past" and "novel things", Core Clint held up a different belief, reviewed the history and style of the past, and reconstructed the belief of "redesign" to fit the times. With a mindful mind, we have had a great impact on many designers through education.

Furniture from world-renowned manufacturers such as "Carl Hansen & Sun" and "PP Mobler" is often hundreds of thousands of yen even for a single chair. Each piece of furniture is handmade by skilled craftsmen and made over a long time, paying attention to detail, and is very sturdy and durable. Simple and high-quality designs are not influenced by trends, and furniture made in that way can be used for generations.

Unlike the Japanese way of thinking, such as "old things seem to be narrow" and "everything new is better", in Europe and the United States, a culture of cherishing "good old things" has been rooted. It is said that many companies in Denmark, including the world-famous Louis Paulsen, have renovated and used a factory or warehouse that has been around for more than 100 years, but the idea that "it is worth it because it is an old building" is common. In Europe, it is said that continuing to use things with a history is both a virtue and a status.

Nordic furniture, which is famous for being very expensive, is based on the premise that it will continue to be used for a long time, so many people in Denmark have a habit of buying furniture such as chairs with a starting salary, which is against the Japanese as a tool. And it's probably because they think that chairs are "important places" for Danish people.

There is a word "Hygge" in Denmark, which means "comfortable time" and "a moment of peace of mind", and it symbolizes the values that Danes value. Also, "Jantelo" handed down in Northern Europe Ven (Yante's Law) is deeply related to the idea of "equality", which is a characteristic of Nordic society, and it is not a competitive society that can be reversed in one shot like the "American Dream", and "everyone works and pays high taxes and provides similar services It is a society that aims to "be happy for everyone" by receiving it.

What is more important to them is "time with family" and "nice vacation" rather than money and things, and what they want is not luxury cars or brand-name products like Mercedes-Benz, but new learning opportunities and spending summer with family. It's a villa.

In Danish society with various cultural backgrounds, it is normal to always think about the whole and act, and some successful people and rich people, such as in the United States and Japan, tolerate that "it doesn't matter if they don't expose tax evasion" There is no. Statistically, there is the least corruption in the world, and society is based on the high awareness and trust of such people, so there are many people who think that "let's contribute to society even if we pay high taxes".

It can be said that high-quality manufacturing and design born from a high cultural level is not to stimulate people's desire to buy and consume, but to improve people's quality of life. It can be said that such an environment gives people in Denmark and other Nordic countries a sense of spiritual satisfaction and satisfies the "universal needs of human beings" that are not influenced by capitalist values such as "money" and "things". .