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Where tradition meets contemporary Danish design.
We’d like to introduce you to an award-winning furniture brand that makes beautiful furniture in a sustainable, eco-friendly way. However, before we delve into the timeless collection of Skagerak furniture and home accessories, we need to go back in time.
Contemporary Danish design can trace back its roots to the late 19th-century and early to mid 20th-century. That’s when legendary architects and designers shaped Denmark design industry and established the foundation for today’s talented creatives and world-renowned companies. Iconic figures include architect and designer Thorvald Bindesbøll, Knud V. Engelhardt, and Kaare Klint. Klint designed the Church Chair in 1936, among other enduring seating and furniture designs; he left his mark on Danish furniture forever, influencing many of his contemporaries as well as contemporary designers.
After WWII, Denmark entered a new era of industrial and furniture design. Carpentry heritage and handcrafting traditions combined with the age of industrialization and freedom of expression. During this time, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts established a new furniture school. Partly influenced by American mid-century modern design and Shaker design values, renowned designers started a Danish design revolution. From the late ‘40s to the ‘60s, iconic Danish designers and architects started to create iconic designs. These include Hans Jørgensen Wegner’s Wishbone Chair as well as Arne Jacobsen’s legendary Egg, Ant, and Swan chairs. And we can’t leave out Jørn Utzon and his Sydney Opera House, completed in 1966. Ten years later, new companies – including a family-owned furniture brand – marked the beginning of a new era in the country’s long design heritage.
A new chapter in the history of Danish furniture design
Established in 1976, the family-owned and run Skagerak celebrates its Scandinavian roots with every piece of furniture it makes. Indeed, even the brand’s name has a special meaning linked to the Nordic area: the Skagerrak strait connects Denmark to Sweden and Norway. The founders, Jesper and Vibeke Panduro, wanted to choose a name that symbolizes permanence and continuity as well as constant movement and evolution. All Skagerak furniture designs feature a blend of tradition and experimentation; of classic Nordic design principles and cutting-edge technology. The company represents the best of contemporary Danish design: furniture that is not just a practical addition to a living space, but a part of a home’s soul.
Design that defies the passage of time
The brand works with many renowned and up-and-coming designers to create its collections of indoor and outdoor Skagerak furniture, home accessories, and more. Skagerak’s designs have received some of the most prestigious awards in the design industry, including the German Design award and many Red Dot Design Awards. Even the brand’s flagship store in Copenhagen has received an accolade. In 2016, it won the Design Base Prize for Denmark’s most innovative design store.
Skagerak furniture is meant to last for generations and to look stylish and timeless over time. This also means that each item from the brand’s collection can blend into a wide range of interiors, complementing both more classic or contemporary living spaces. Indeed, even the brand’s first designs can live alongside Skagerak’s latest collections naturally. All of them feature an understated design that is as elegant as it is versatile. And like the best Danish designs, they also have their own character and Nordic charm.
Craftsmanship and responsible manufacturing
It should come as no surprise that a Danish furniture brand values traditional craftsmanship. After all, Nordic countries have a long history of woodworking traditions. However, Skagerak furniture collections take things further. Apart from using only premium quality materials, the brand also keeps the material sourcing process transparent. The company continuously increases the share of FSC-certified wood it uses to produce furniture, ensuring that the wood comes from responsibly managed forests. And that’s not all. In 2016, Skagerak has also joined the B Corp movement, which means that the company meets the highest standards for transparency, environmental responsibility, and social performance. Finally, the brand commits to responsible, ethical, and eco-friendly manufacturing processes. Simply put, Skagerak goes above and beyond to ensure that it not only makes good furniture, but that it makes it well.
Skagerak Furniture Collections
The Skagerak furniture collections include a wide range of products, from seating and tables to storage solutions, home accessories, textiles, and kitchenware. The brand also has an extensive outdoor collection of furniture and accessories for balconies, gardens, and terraces. Minimalist and easy to bring into any décor as well as functional and crafted to last, these products have a distinctive character.
In the seating collection, design lovers can find elegant chairs, benches, armchairs, and lounge chairs for both indoor and outdoor use. Designs include Swedish designer Anton Björsing’s Hven Armchair and Hven Bench, that feature a minimalist aesthetic. Line Depping’s Turn Stool and Turn Bench have a distinctive base and rounded corners, but they are more than just elegant designs. The user can adapt them to suit different needs; the stool can easily become a side table, while the bench doubles as shelving and storage area when needed. The Maissi Bench from Studio Kaksikko references industrial machinery and old handrails with a refined design. For the Georg series, designer Chris Liljenberg Halstrøm combined Nordic and Japanese design cues in elegant kitchen and bar stools.
The Skagerak furniture range also includes many designs for outdoor lounge areas and living rooms. Povl B. Eskildsen’s Riviera Lounge and Riviera Sunbed are weather-resistant and adjustable in length or width. They allow the user to adapt them to different uses easily. Stine Weigelt’s Between Lines Deck Chair references traditional garden chairs, but looks distinctly contemporary. The Reykjavik Daybed from the Included Middle studio maximizes comfort in a sophisticated design. It features a Douglas Pine wood frame, Kvadrat woolen upholstery, and a mattress with different colors on each side.
Skagerak Tables
If we had to use only one word to describe the Skagerak table collection, that word would probably be “function.” For example, Herman Studio’s Picnic Table folds to occupy minimal space when not in use. Like its name suggests, it features an outdoor-friendly and lightweight powder-coated aluminum build. It also comes with a practical handle to make transportation as easy as possible. Likewise, the Fuori Serving Table maximizes mobility and function with wheels and a handy handle. This Monique Consentino design suits both indoor and outdoor use. Designed by Maximilian Schmahl, the By Your Side table is compact and portable. The practical table suits different needs; it can be used as a bedroom side table or as a breakfast table on a balcony, for example.
The Skagerak furniture collection also includes the Overlap Table and matching bench. Designed by the TAF architecture and design studio, they feature bold overlapping legs. Low and compact, the Virkelyst Table designed by SAYS WHO is made to stand the test stand the test of time and look more beautiful over time. Crafted from outdoor-friendly teak wood, the table will develop a beautiful patina over time to turn from golden brown to a silver gray hue. The Brut Table blends a delicate design with a solid build, creating a contrast between refined elegance and the weighty feel of steel.
Practical and stylish storage solutions
Every home needs convenient storage solutions. The Skagerak furniture collection adds minimalist style to their practical products while also putting the focus on multi-functionality. For example, Included Middle designed the Vivlio modular shelving system that includes stackable steel frames and shelves in three sizes. The shelves boast an open front, offering a simple solution to create open shelving or a closed storage system.
Practical and versatile, the Cutter series from designer Niels Hvass puts “fun” in “functional design.” This range includes a wall-mounted seat you can fold down when needed and put up against the wall when not in use to maximize available space in an entryway. The Cutter multi-functional wardrobe acts as a coat rack, hanger stand, and storage space, while the Cutter Coat Rack offers a simple and elegant solution to store coats, jackets, and bags in style.
Designed by Thomas Jenkins, the Jut Cabinet has a minimalist aesthetic that emphasizes the power of thoughtful details. The design features rounded legs that connect to the rounded corners and golden brass handles. This beautiful cabinet comes in oak or with a solid marble top, to make interiors look ultra-chic. Three interior compartments and two removable shelves provide plenty of space to store smaller or larger items.
Accessories that complement the Skagerak furniture collections
Apart from furniture, the Danish brand also makes complementing home and kitchen accessories along with tableware. The Edge collection draws inspiration from the silhouette and the base of the Greek amphora. Designed by Stilleben, the range is crafted from terracotta. It includes mugs, cups, a teapot, and a sugar bowl for the daily coffee and tea ritual as well as bowls, indoor and outdoor-friendly plant pots, and a wine cooler. The Bell Lanterns easily create a warm and cozy atmosphere at outdoor dining parties. Perfect for gardening lovers, the Spira Green House offers the perfect solution to grow smaller plants and show them off with a quirky design.
For the living room and kitchen, Skagerak offers storage solutions that keep interiors clutter-free and elegant at the same time. These include the Norr magazine holder as well as the Pantry module. The latter features a Maria Cecilia Zachariae design and comes with outdoor-friendly teak shelving and a fiber-reinforced concrete top.
Discover the Skagerak furniture and accessories in the Gessato Design Shop.
