Møbel Copenhagen and David Thulstrup Deliver Complex Simplicity Through Compromise

Covid-19 may have halted production, but for Møbel Copenhagen it doesn’t halt creativity. Their founder, Sara Agersborg, and Creative Brand Manager, Marta Pavan, tell me over video link how they’ve even been holding virtual work drinks on Friday evenings. Cooperation – whether virtual or not – is intrinsic to the company’s success. Their most recent collaboration, with designer David Thulstrup, saw them make three variations on a pair of side tables. The lower is crafted in glazed ceramic, while the higher is made of coated steel, placed either beside the higher table, or create storage space in between.

Agersborg tells me about Møbel Copenhagen’s expansion in 2016, when she decided who would work best to expand their vision.

“David Thulstrup,” she explains, “was a first choice. He, like us, is striving for something unique yet clearly Danish.”

‘The Pair’, unveiled this February at the Stockholm Design Week, has been in the works since 2017. Becoming so complicated, Agersborg says she was often told to give up, but she and Thulstrup persevered by embracing compromise. One of their major compromises, Agersborg explains, was with colour. Originally intended for multiple variations, cost made that impractical, and they were forced to narrow it down to five shades. “That made David impatient,” Agersborg admits, “But I think all creative people are like that.”

Describing his style as ‘modern simplicity’, David Thulstrup has completed an international portfolio of residences, restaurants and hotels, including the newly relocated Noma restaurant, but admits this collaboration was challenging. Agersborg says Møbel Copenhagen couldn’t manage without cooperation, but she insists it’s up to companies to find a balance. “If you keep getting designers in,” she explains, “your identity will change. That might be a good or a bad thing, but it’s something you have to bear in mind.”

“Danish design is a balance of simplicity, quality and comfort.”

Joining the conversation, Marta Pavan tells me how Scandinavia’s coolness has never had such a strong identity, something particularly visible at the Stockholm Design Week, where Scandinavian brands stood out with their minimalistic approach. She insists simplicity is not a Danish thing. Rather, she says, it’s a Northern European hallmark. Møbel Copenhagen sell across the world, but particularly in the UK. That, she says, shows no signs of slowing.

---

Check our Stylein’s spring staples of Scandi chic >>>