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We started Northern’s first collection with an idea of walking
through a house, one room after the other, while asking questions
like “what is the function of this room?”, and “what objects does
it need to fulfil its purpose?”. This way of thinking still stands
strong when deciding which products to develop today. At the
same time, we pay attention to societal changes, like how people
are migrating towards the cities. This means less space to live per
inhabitant, but what does it mean for the objects we bring into
our living spaces? We want the way we live to direct us onto new
paths, and we dare to let our designers challenge us along the way;
using past experiences and current trends to create the future
way of living.
What we have discovered lately is how the lines between different
types of spaces, and what they’re used for, seem to be more fluid
than before. Many of us are becoming increasingly flexible in
terms of where, when and how we work. Because of this, an office
should not be built on practical solutions alone. That’s not our
idea of efficient use of space. It has become something personal,
and therefore a place where we need to feel comfortable and more
“at home” in order to be effective and happy workers.
Another observation is how objects that used to be important
to us, but have been forgotten for a while, are heading towards
a revival. For many years, we have allowed mass production to
create uniformity in the things we own. As a result, almost like an
allergic reaction, many of us are now starting to see value in the
tiny imperfections only found in human craftsmanship. Because
that’s what creates the uniqueness and sense of individuality –
that it is not achieved through standard ways of designing and
producing things.
To support this philosophy we don’t want a piece of furniture
or a lamp to be either/or. We want functionality, dual-purpose
and aesthetic value, all in one. If we succeed in this, we get the
privilege of meeting people where they are, with interiors that
are practical and functional enough to work in a public setting,
yet with the right amount of personality and character to meet
the criteria of a home. With a mindset like this, we’re not only
challenging ourselves when choosing what’s next, we’re also
challenging the current rules of what different objects should be.
That’s our way of moving forward.
We use past experiences
and current trends to create the
future way of living.
Design Directors’ words
by Morten & Jonas
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