&Tradition Launches New Home Accessories Line designed by Space Copenhagen

Danish design company &Tradition has launched &Tradition Collect, a new home accessories line designed by long-time collaborator Space Copenhagen. An exciting addition to their wide-ranging collection of classic and contemporary pieces, the new line will include a select offering of beautifully crafted soft furnishings and home objects.

&Tradition collect Heavy Linen Cushion SC29 & SC30, Linen Cushion SC27 and Cotton Throw SC32

Elegantly understated, the new collection reflects Space Copenhagen's commitment to quality and longevity. Founders Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou wanted to create a cohesive offering of home accessories that would bring folksy comfort to any interior. 

&Tradition Collect Heavy Linen Cushion SC28, Linen Cushion SC28, Cotton Throw SC33 and Linen Bedspread SC31

Focusing on cushions, throws and planters, they selected subdued, earth-coloured tones of burgundy, slate and sand as their primary palette. An emphasis on natural textures - including linen, merino wool, and organic cotton - accentuated this luxuriously rustic aesthetic further. 

"As architects, our work pivots around spatial composition and ambiance as we seek to create harmony in a space," Henriksen and Rützou explain. "This collection of home accessories became a natural extension of that - an architectural fragment that softens and completes the atmosphere that we are always striving to create.”

&Tradition Collect Heavy Linen Cushion SC28, Linen Cushion SC27 & SC28, Cotton Throw SC33 and Linen Bedspread

"This line marks the debut of a larger offering that will make &Tradition's collection richer and better connected," says &Tradition founder and CEO Martin Kornbek Hansen. "With this series of versatile and accessible products, we hope to create an entire universe that will appeal not only to our existing base, but will reach new customers too.”

&Tradition Collect Cotton Throw SC32

Beautiful on their own, the tactile pieces have also been designed to mix and match, and inject a sense of quiet luxury into the home.

&Tradition Collect Planter SC43 & SC44

The collection will be showcased in &Tradition's new Paris showroom, opening at the end of January, and during Stockholm Furniture Fair.

Images courtesy of &Tradition Press 

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Cult NZ Welcomes &Tradition

I'm thrilled to share the news that Danish brand &Tradition is now available at Cult NZ. To celebrate this exciting launch, Cult held a special event last night for media and industry friends. Cult founder Richard Munao flew over from Australia for the launch, joined by Jane Cheng, &Tradition Brand Manager for Asia Pacific. Held at the Cult Showroom in Auckland, I had the pleasure of styling the beautiful new collection pieces. 

Working closely with showroom manager, Renee Hooker, the first step was choosing a new paint colour from Dulux. Inspired by the Colour Forecast 2020, and my favourite colour palette Grounded, we chose Glen Murray. A warm biscuit hue, it has a soft, natural feel that brings a sense of calm to the space. The new colour has also helped define the &Tradition gallery within the large and airy showroom, and works beautifully with the neutral and dark green colours of the &Tradition pieces.

The dedicated &Tradition space is home to designs including the recently launched Loafer sofa by Space Copenhagen, the Palette table by Jaime Hayon and the iconic Flowerpot pendant by Verner Panton. In addition to the Loafer chair by Space Copenhagen, there's Catch by Jaime Hayon and the Pavillion chair by Anderssen & Voll, several lighting designs including the new table lamps Seta by Jaime Hayon, and Journey by Signe Hytte, and my favourite side table, the Lato by Luca Nichetto. &Tradition pieces are also showcased in the Cult window display with furniture from the Fly collection by Space Copenhagen, Marble lights by Studio Vit and the Formakami table lamp by Jaime Hayon. The Column shelf by John Astbury and pieces from the &Tradition accessories range provide beautiful finishing touches, while the Moor rug by All The Way To Paris further defines the space.

Styling and Photography by Michelle Halford/TDC

Perfectly timed, the launch follows my recent trip to Copenhagen, where I had the pleasure of spending a day with &Tradition. I'm looking forward to sharing highlights from that visit soon, including my interview with &Tradition founder Martin Kornbek Hanson. 

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Copenhagen x Cult | A Day with &Tradition

It's been over a month since I travelled to Copenhagen but I clearly remember the excitement as I set off on foot to visit the home of &Tradition, on one of my design days in partnership with Cult. Just a short walk from my hotel, I knew I'd arrived the moment I stepped into the courtyard of the 1913 townhouse and saw a cluster of Formakami pendant lamps, designed for &Tradition by Jaime Hayon. Located across from the King's Garden in the centre of the city, the showroom is designed to welcome visitors into a real-life setting, and to discover the inspiring collection of furniture and lighting, which includes a mix of classic pieces dating back to the 1930s, through to present day designs.

Spanning four stories, with a sweeping staircase and beautifully preserved architectural detailing, the showroom includes the Lille Petra Café, complete with outdoor seating in the beautiful plant-filled courtyard. Opting for a cosy spot inside due to wet weather, I finally got to test out the Little Petra chair, one my favourite pieces from &Tradition. Designed in 1938 by Viggo Boesen, its low height and textural upholstery makes it so warm and embracing. After a full tour of the showroom, I sat down with &Tradition Founder and CEO Martin Kornbek Hansen to find out more about the company, including how it connects the past with the present by relaunching iconic pieces from the Danish design greats, while cultivating relationships with current designers to create 'future classics'. 

You founded &Tradition in 2010. Can you share a little about your background and the path that led to you launching your own design company.

I grew up with design, producing and making quality products, not for the family brand, but for other suppliers. Then in 2008 I really wanted to start my own business. Throughout my whole life I've had a passion for classic pieces, and I bought the rights to the Flowerpot, which was the starting point of &Tradition. For me, it has always been the story-telling approach to the product that I find very interesting. Making products that are not only mass produced but where we are actually in the process from the beginning to the end. I find that really interesting.

Tell us more about the Flowerpot (designed by Verner Panton in 1968) and how the business grew from the relaunch of this iconic design.

I bought the rights to the Flowerpot in order to start my own business. The problem, which I found very quickly, is that Flowerpot was such a strong icon, it was then hard to launch new products with new designers! So the whole idea for &Tradition was to create a brand that was stronger than the products. A platform where we can have both new products and classic pieces.

Not only have you achieved this, you now offer a mix of products dating back to 1930’s, through to present day designs. How do you strike a balance between the two?

I think it’s a very difficult balance actually, and I’m not a person who is a big fan of just relaunching products for the sake of it, but I am a big fan of finding products that are still relevant. So for me it does need to be 50/50, but if the product is still relevant for the market, I don’t want to do it as a new design. I’d rather take the old design and reintroduce it. Then we try to develop new products with designers where we are trying new production methods or techniques, or trying things that were not possible in the old days. So for me, that’s the interesting thing also, that we use new products to push the boundaries of the past. Take the old classic products and put it in to a contemporary context, where we mix it. 

So where do you see &Tradition fitting within the Danish Danish landscape? Is it 'New Nordic' or does it sit with the more traditional brands?

I really hope we don’t sit in one of those, for me it’s much more important with &Tradition that we are globally focused. We are Scandinavian from our heritage, we grew up with the simplicity, the respect for the material. We are proud of it, it's still a natural part of our life, but I think it’s also nice to work with designers from other countries. Someone that is also challenging our past. For me that's what’s exciting about it, working with the designers and getting a little away from the Scandinavian.

With that in mind, is Scandinavia still your biggest market? Where else are you focused on? We're very excited about the Cult launch in New Zealand!

Scandinavia has been our biggest market but we’re also establishing ourselves globally. We are across Europe, and we’ve started up in Asia Pacific, with a showroom in Shanghai. Our aim now is to get close to the clients, and that I think is an exciting journey. 

You collaborate with renowned designers like Space Copenhagen. Do you also work with emerging designers?

We are looking for new designers all the time, but I find it more important to work with designers where you also build a relationship. More and more our company is built on partnerships, and it takes a long time to get to know the designers, and a long time for the designers to get to know your brand. I’m not a big fan of having tonnes on new designers, but I would like the right designers that we see a future with, that we then work deeper with.

So would you say that once you build that relationship, each project becomes easier in terms of communication and processes?

Yes, and you become stronger because there are a lot of design brands on the market today and they all work with the same designers, so we need somehow to create our own way of collaborating with the designers.

How do you decide when to launch new products, or is it more of an organic process? If so, does this work better from a creative point of view?

It's an organic process that we are trying to structure a little bit now. It's always in that dynamic process in the beginning, but at some point with the organisation you need to structure it. So the part I am mostly involved in is organic, but then it comes from the more talented people where they structure it!

Of course there are periods where there are more launches then others, but I think the trend is going away from Fair launches. In the past we’ve had big fairs and launches, but it's going to be more and more local, and through the low season, and that's why we've opened up 13 showrooms now. The idea is to represent our products in the showroom and invite people in. Our idea is really to try and get closer to a more personal relationship, and I think that's also how we differentiate ourselves from what the traditional design businesses are doing.

Something that always strikes me when I arrive in Copenhagen is the colourful buildings, and I can see these colours are used throughout your beautiful showroom. How does colour fit into the &Tradition Universe?

I'm really glad I work with people who are better at colours than me! I'm not really good at that! I'm much more into materials and textures.

Do you think that tactility stems from your upbringing, surrounded by the production side of things?

Yes, I think it's nice and interesting how you can mix textures and materials, and when you talk upholsteries or wood. That for me is exciting. But I also think what's interesting with Scandinavian brands - we use maybe more colours than average – is that I think we still sell mainly the white, or grey or black colours, like they do everywhere else. So it's just awaking your emotions.

Yes, it's the same in NZ. I think people just feel safer sticking with neutral colours, especially when investing in big pieces.

Yes! I think with the world we're living in, it goes so fast and so when you're at home you want something more classic and simple.

Last time I was in Copenhagen I visited your previous showroom during 3daysofdesign. Also beautiful, it was a very different, more contemporary space. Tell us about the change of location...

The old place was nice, but there wasn't a lot of working space there. So to be practical we needed to move, but it was also hard to be very “homey”. 

Yes, it was good for a party! (&Tradition hosted the part at the end of 3daysofdesign)

Yes! It was good for parties! But now we are in a classic building located in the heart of Copenhagen and we’ve created a showroom much like a home. We open our own café named Lille Petra, because we want the public to experience our products in real life and in a real setting. We wanted to make it more available for the public, and since it's so central, it's nice for people that know or don't know design... everyone can come in.

&Tradition showroom 
Photography by Michelle for TDC

Following the interview, I spent time with the lovely &Tradition PR Manager Morgane Paulissen, who took me to some notable design destinations in Copenhagen. This included a visit to the iconic SAS Royal Hotel (now the Radisson Blue Royal Hotel) designed in 1960 by Arne Jacobsen. Here we had a tour of the now famous Room 606. The only room in the hotel that has been preserved, it pays tribute to the incredible work of Arne Jacobsen.

The Radisson Blue Royal Hotel, Copenhagen
Photography by Michelle Halford for TDC

Carrying out the recent renovations of the hotel, Space Copenhagen created the Loafer collection for &Tradition, especially for the redesign. Seen here in the stunning hotel lounge, they wanted to design a piece of furniture that could create a sense of intimacy in the very open space. It also nods to the signature spiral staircase and the circular columns. 

Returning to the Lille Petra Café for afternoon tea, (where we also enjoyed a delicious lunch earlier), I feel lucky to have had such a wonderful day with &Tradition!

Next up for the brand is the opening their first retail space in the heart of Aarhus. Set to showcase a wide-ranging collection of timeless pieces and contemporary designs, with interiors designed by Studio David Thulstrup, I'm looking forward to sharing it with you soon!  

To find out more about the brand take a look here, and visit www.andtradition.com.

This post was created in collaboration with Cult and &Tradition. I only work with products I love and all opinions are my own. For more information please visit my About Page.

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New and Noted

While the TDC Blog has been quiet since the latter part of 2024, as I’ve been fully immersed in styling, design, and writing projects, January, as always, brings an exciting array of design news—and I can’t let the month slip away without sharing some inspiring new projects and products that have landed in my inbox.

&Tradition Opens a New Showroom in Villeneuve-lès-Avignons, France

Located in Villeneuve-lès-Avignons, in the southern region of France, the new &Tradition showroom is located within a former papal residence dating back to the 16th century. Embracing the history and heritage of the building, whose architectural characteristics reflect those seen throughout the medieval town that surrounds it, &Tradition have taken care to preserve and restore original features, establishing a considered setting in which to showcase their timeless collection.

Providing a comprehensive overview of &Tradition designs from a variety of international creatives, both contemporary and classic, the space offers a curated experience of &Tradition's collection of furniture, lighting and accessories. With an emphasis on classic designs and outdoor furniture, the collection on display has also been selected for its relevance to the local market.

&Tradition Avignon showroom

14 Place de l'Oratoire, 30400 Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, France

Coco Flip Launches new Lighting Collection, Dancer 

Dancer is a new collection of lighting designed by Coco Flip in collaboration with Melbourne-based ceramicist Belinda Wiltshire. Belinda’s refined artistry and bold use of black iron oxide led the design process towards a collection of striking and distinct pieces including table lamps, wall lights and ceiling mounts.

Dancer takes inspiration from the Rriadisches Ballet developed by Oskar Schlemmer, who was part of the Bauhaus design movement in 1920s Germany. The ballet used fantastical costumes and strong geometry to transform the dancers and emphasise their movements. Each dancer piece aims to echo a sense of movement through form and pattern, bringing a strong and character-filled aesthetic to an otherwise minimalist light.

Belinda works from her pottery studio in Preston where each piece is wheel-thrown, hand-finished and fired. Dancer is crafted using mid-fire clay and brushed with black iron oxide, providing a striking contrast against the warm brown clay. Each lamp is offered in three striped finishes—wide, thin, and spaced. Table lamps are available in any combination of these finishes.

Images 1-4: Styling by Jess Lilico / Photography by Tom Ross

Image 5: Styling by Marsha Golemac / Photography by Pier Carthew

Ground Collection by Norm Architects and Massimo Copenhagen

Inspired by the textures and colours found in the natural world, the new Ground collection by Norm Architects and Massimo Copenhagen seeks to evoke a profound sense of home and belonging—serving as a tribute to simplicity and tranquility, seamlessly merging understated beauty with exceptional craftsmanship. Drawing from these earthy tones and subtle hues reminiscent of diverse landscapes, the collection transforms interiors into inviting and harmonious sanctuaries, and with a focus on tactile comfort and enduring quality, the rugs are designed to anchor spaces in calmness and warmth, creating a sensory experience that resonates on every level.

The humble rug is designed to feel at home wherever it is placed. It doesn't demand attention but rather sits comfortably within the space, serving as a foundational element that ties everything together. Ultimately, the aim of the collection is to offer a design element that not only enhances the visual appeal of a room but also contributes to a sense of balance and harmony within the interior environment, where the presence of nature is palpable and fosters a deeper sense of connection and well-being.

Photography by Irina Boersma

Dinesen Country Home Has Been Reimagined By Copenhagen Design Duo Mentze Ottenstein

Dinesen, Denmark’s foremost manufacturer of high-end wooden flooring, and five-generation family company, has crafted high-quality wood solutions since 1896. Their former family house, Dinesen Country Home, is located near the company's manufacturing facilities in Jels, Denmark, and has been an integral part of the Dinesen legacy since 2004 when the family acquired the estate. Recently, the residence underwent a thoughtful renovation by Copenhagen-based architecture and design studio Mentze Ottenstein, signalling a new chapter in the history of the estate and its role in the company.

Built in 1885, the residence is a traditional southern Jutland longhouse with a thatched roof, nestled amid lush green forestry, meadows, and lakes. As a place steeped in the Dinesen family’s history, the home is a living testament to the values and craftsmanship that define the company and the family behind it. While the original framework carried out by Overby was still sound, Mentze Ottenstein reviewed all surfaces and material compositions, introducing a fresh take on colour and working thoroughly with detailing to create a more harmonious experience. The Garde Hvalsøe kitchen features handcrafted cabinets have been painted an eye-catching shade of green as a nod to its countryside location. Elsewhere, a series of hand-turned ceramic bowls from Georgia sit comfortably alongside new walnut and pear kitchen handles. Further colour can be seen in the aisles and small chambers on the first floor, painted in golden ochre, creating a warm and intimate experience.

Fittingly, wood still takes centre stage as the central material palette within the house. The architectural Pawson Furniture Collection by John Pawson for Dinesen in Douglas fir, released earlier this year, sits elegantly next to antique furniture and a series of bespoke new furniture pieces designed by Mentze Ottenstein. These pieces have been made of ash with an oil finish resembling amber and a grain pattern reminiscent of black elm. In addition, deeper-toned wood selections such as walnut and pear are represented, for instance, in frames by Cassetta, which offers a flattering contrast to the light Douglas floors.

The house is designed to evoke a sense of home rather than a showroom while showcasing the stories of numerous exciting collaborations throughout the years. Primarily reserved for Dinesen's friends, design clients and relations to enjoy its breathtaking surroundings and inviting interiors, the house may also later be available for public booking on select dates.

Photography by Monica Grue Steffensen

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