It’s no secret that mad about the house is a fan of all things Scandinavian when it comes to design, so when we realised that Danish store BoConcept is celebrating its 60th birthday, it seemed like a party that we needed to be at.
Founded by two Danish craftsmen Jens Ærthøj Jensen and Tage Mølholm in 1952, Bo Concept’s mission was to create good, honest and useful designs for their urban-minded customers. With more than 250 outlets in some 50 countries, it seems that they had the right idea.
The first piece of furniture was an oak veneer cabinet with a walnut section and from there the collection has grown to include pieces for the whole house.
For the first few years, the company concentrated mainly on dining room furniture and some of their original pieces are still in production. By 1970, the collection had grown to include beds and the number of employees had grown to 40.
And how’s this for customer service? In 2004, the company set up the BoConcept University to train its sales consultants so that they can advise and guide their customers.
Despite the worldwide economic crisis, the company has continued to grow.
In May this year, the company revealed its latest collaboration with the designer Karim Rashid. Called Ottawa, it was inspired by his love of nature, yet is far from rustic. In an interview with US Metro , he said: “People think that simple, modern furnishings are so easy to design and manufacture; therefore, it should have a low cost attached.
“Actually, the simpler the piece, the better quality materials and longer production time is needed to ensure everything is perfect. By embellishing furnishings with fabric skirting, studs, trims and fringes we can hide a not-so-perfect-form. We hide nothing in this collection and it works very well.”
Happy Birthday BoConcept. Here’s to the next 60 years.
