Scandinavian Style Will Always be Modern—Especially in Furniture
Design Director Joachim Kornbek Engell-Hansen explains how his family-founded Danish furniture company Menu is still rethinking furniture 50 years after its establishment.
Established in 1978 in Denmark as Danish Steel House, Menu has cultivated a minimalist aesthetic rooted in Scandinavian traditions and community. Fifty years later, the brand is now led by its founder's grandson, Joachim Kornbek Engell-Hansen, who continues his family's poignant eye while experimenting with the boundaries of design. Today Menu not only creates its own collections but also partners with talented creatives like Norm Architects, Nick Ross, Arthur Umanoff, and more. While "Scandinavian Design"—noted for its clean lines, neutral palette/material, and sparsity of decor—has been a pandemic-spawned design buzzword, the tradition has an endearing history. Here, Engell-Hansen explains why the style will always be cool and how Menu has changed with the times.
L'OFFICIEL: How has Menu evolved in the five decades since your grandfather founded it?
JOACHIM KORNBEK ENGELL-HANSEN: We have gone from being a supplier of stainless steel catering products to becoming a full blown lifestyle brand. The past 10 years [specifically] has been an exciting journey with collaborators, designers, and suppliers from around the globe creating the brand we are today. Relocating our HQ and showroom to The Audo [a hybrid hotel/cafe/workspace in Denmark] in 2019 was a part of strengthening our global vision of connectivity and creativity. The location highlights the multidisciplinary, unifying nature of design, while serving as a showcase and testing ground for our new concepts.
L'O: Although the style of Scandinavian design started in the 1950s, it's been so closely linked with modernism. What do you think keeps it so relevant?
JKEH: Scandinavian design was a natural progression from Modernism, which eschewed the ornamental Art Deco style of architecture and design that preceded it. Instead, it looked for ways of creating rational, streamlined buildings and objects where form followed function. I think these designs have an ability to blend and fit into a lot of different environments and aesthetics. To this day, the simple, soothing style of the movement remains as practical as it does timeless, playing into the way we live our modern lives. With many designs continuing to be produced and reproduced, Scandinavian pieces are quite simply well-designed objects that have never been bettered. At Menu we continue this legacy of great design with post-war period pieces by past masters, including the recently-launched Arthur Umanoff collection and the Knitting Chair by Ib Kofod-Larsen. In my opinion, they continue to surprise and delight.
L'O: What do you think the core tenants of Danish design are that differ from other Scandinavian studios?
JKEH: The majority of us grew up in a society completely surrounded by Danish design. It was all over the place—in public spaces and in our homes—so most young Danish designers stand on the shoulders of the old masters from the Danish golden design age—Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, and Poul Kjærholm. They all had timeless aesthetics and used natural materials with modernist principles. Today, many Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish designers also design objects for Danish studios and brands as well as the other way around, which makes it even more difficult to explain the difference.
L'O: In an age of temporary trends and Instagram photos, what are important elements to look for in permanent or long term furniture pieces?
JKEH: Simplicity, longevity, quality, and natural beauty. The golden rule for me is harmonized proportions. I think that fast moving trends leave new designs looking a little naive like it's from a time that it's not.
The golden rule for me is harmonized proportions.
L'O: I've seen images of your gorgeous residence in Nørrebro. How do you incorporate Menu's collections into your personal space?
JKEH: Our showroom at The Audo functions as a testing ground for new designs. I do the same at home, just on a smaller scale. It's where I learn the most. I personally love combining Menu with other brands as well as art and vintage. My home is an ever changing playground for products, so what you have seen in my old apartment in Nørrebro is already long gone! I just bought a house that I'm currently renovating to move into this summer—It will become a new backdrop for Menu's designs as well as a home for my family and myself.
