If you follow me on instagram you will know that I spent the weekend in Copenhagen. It was my second visit to this wonderful city – the first was for a business lunch about a month ago – and I was so excited to go back with the husband and the teenagers to see more and, crucially, eat more.
And, I’m happy to say, we managed to do lots of both. Once the teenagers had had the obligatory visit to the Lego shop – they may say they’re too old for it at home, but the chance to visit in the land of its birth was a whole new thing – we were free to go the shops we wanted to see.
Everyone enjoyed a mooch around Hay House where the 15yo wanted to buy a pencil sharpener until he realised it was £39 and the husband wanted to buy a sofa and the 12yo just wanted everything that he could lift, which is his general rule for shopping.
We then went to the Design Museum, which was as wonderful as you would expect it to be in Denmark, the home of design. We also stayed at the Royal Hotel, where everything from the cutlery to the carpet, was designed by Arne Jacobsen. It was all heavenly and I’m determined to go back again and see the rest.
So, with that in mind, it felt only right to bring you a Danish Object of Design today. The 90° Wall Light is made by Frama, which is located in central Copenhagen in a former pharmacy which is now a listed building. Take a look here and then paint your skirting boards to match your walls.
It’s such a simple design, which makes it very Danish. It is perfectly formed and perfectly functional, which is also very Danish. There is nothing there which does not need to be there and yet everything that needs to be there is present.
It would make a great bedside table for a small room with no space for more furniture. It would bring an extra element to a kitchen, where it would bring ambient lighting and more storage. By the side of the sofa, it would be perfect for a wine glass and a bowl of nuts. In short, buy it once (or twice for symmetry) and use it in each and every room in the house as the mood takes you.
The Danes firmly believe that good design makes you happy. That you work better and feel better when you are surrounded by things that look good and work well. I totally believe that too and I think this simple shelf and light is the perfect example of that philosophy.
What do you think?
And, if this shelf, at £233 is a little too much for your budget then you can look at this similar one from Rigby and Mac for £125.
I was in Norway for the Easter weekend as my family live here and in Copenhagen. Beautiful area of the world and yes for the Danes, it’s all about design. And don’t they do it well. When I go there it makes me realise they would rather have less but what they do have be it of quality which I think we could learn a lot from here in the UK.
Love this shelf but yes Cathy you have a good point re younger ones. Goes off your radar as they get older as Kate says. Definitely one to hang ‘high’
Lucky you a fab trip, putting that one on my list!
PS just painted skirting boards same colour as walls and the ceiling too!
I love Hay, however for once I have to say that I prefer the second lamp.
Yeh pretty gorgeous. But but but, open bulbs. I have a gorgeous orange 60’s cube light with exposed bulb. It recently did horrendous damage to tender 5year old skin. Little ones dont know to not touch. Whilst no nazi about health & safety, it brought me up with a shock. So I’m not so sure about a shelf and bulb.
Gosh I hope he/she is ok now. You make a good point Cathy, I hadn’t thought of that – mine are older now so I don’t tend to think of those issues first anymore.
We hope that he/she is OK too. Something similar happened to me when I was 5 yo 🙁
Exposed bulbs are beautiful indeed and fortunately , nowadays, we have LED Energy Efficient light bulbs which never NEVER get hot. Promise you! You can keep the same look, a similar aesthetic impact to filament bulbs, nevertheless they have the added benefit of being an energy and environmentally conscious option, which effectively means savings all round! Health & safety and design together. hehe
Love it!! Perfectly simple…..!