Downtown Design’s top picks from the Nordics

This year’s Downtown Design brings to Dubai some of the most prominent names in home furnishings across Denmark, Norway and Sweden – with each brand exhibiting new collections. From Georg Jensen to Kährs, here are a selection of what visitors have to look forward to from the Nordics:

Georg Jensen Living

Danish design house, Georg Jensen is renowned for its artistic boldness, superior craftsmanship and creative collaborations with some of the world’s leading designers. With a new flagship store just recently opened in Dubai’s Citywalk 2, Georg Jensen marks its 112 year anniversary with a plan of Middle East expansion.  Eva-Lotta Sjöstedt, CEO of Georg Jensen, said: “There has been increasing interest in our Scandinavian aesthetic in the Middle East, and we look forward to introducing more of our collections as we grow our partnership with AW Rostamani Lifestyle.”

Georg Jensen returns to Downtown Design this year after a successful 2015 edition.

Carl Hansen

After opening a bespoke furniture workshop in Odense, Denmark in 1908, Carl Hansen’s business quickly expanded in recognition of its high quality work. Carl Hansen remains a family business and today today boasts a wide range of modern and simplistic furniture with clean lines and retro edges that is arguably the epitome of Scandinavian craftsmanship.

Watch the making of Shell Chair CH07, designed Hans J. Wegner, which was first introduced in 1963. Ahead of its time, the chair only gained notable popularity after it was relaunched in 1998 – winning broad public appeal and several design awards:

Kährs

Swedish wood flooring manufacturer Kährs is one of the oldest and most innovative in the world. Since 1857, the brand developed natural wooden flooring pieces that match current interior design trends. Kährs strives to always be in vogue and as a result their wood flooring finishes can fit across interior styles.

Kährs, presented by Dubai-based Nordic Homeworx, will celebrate ten years of successful business in the Middle East this year. At Downtown Design, Kährs aims to demonstrate the importance of choosing great flooring, and the possibilities it offers to create different expressions by carefully choosing colour, surface, structure and pattern.

Bolon

Swedish brand, Bolon has been in the carpets and flooring business for over 60 years. The brand remains true to its Swedish heritage and refuses to export production: “We create everything at home and then send it abroad,” said Marie Eklund, Chief Creative Officer at Bolon. Employing only the most sustainable production methods, Bolon credits their location in the lush and scenic landscape of Västergötland, next to the Åsunden lake, for its green thinking: “we [keep] manufacturing in Sweden as this makes sense both in terms of shorter transports and logistics, [and also in terms of giving us] full control of the production process.”

Bolon returns to Downtown Design this year with new collection, ‘Silence,’ inspired by nature, historical patterns and traditional wooden parquet flooring.

Jotun (Norway)

Norwegian paint manufacturer, Jotun Paints have been in business since 1926, establishing a headquarters in the Middle East in 1974. Despite their Norwegian heritage, the brand has been in the forefront of developing products specifically suited to Middle Eastern environment, suiting local tastes and meeting current demands.

Not just the Middle East, in every market in which the brand operates (as of 2016 this is over 90 countries), Jotun has managed to adapt itself, taking into consideration how susceptible wall paints and coatings are to the environment.

This year, at Downtown Design Jotun will unveil their 2016 Wall Trends collection featuring a selection of beautiful colours that were inspired by nature and heritage, from sky blues, glistening greens to subtle shades of pure whites.

To see these Scandinavian brands and over 100 more from 25 different countries, click to register for Downtown Design 2016.