Hay’s lifestyle furnishing is the current fave here.
Hay’s lifestyle furnishing is the current fave here.
What is Danish design? To some, it’s Arne Jacobsen’s highly covetable Egg chair, Bang & Olufsen’s stateof- the-art electronics, and the still-amazing Sydney Opera House (built in 1959). To others, it’s midcentury design – coined Danish Modern – where form and function are more important than ornamentation. What it really is: a way of life where the simple, quality and functional enhances the everyday, and is not reserved for artists or the privileged. “Danish design is not just a design language, but also a lifestyle,” says Kevin Pangesa, product specialist at Grafunkt, a local furnishing store. “It’s about life that’s better when you’re surrounded by well-thought objects. It’s soft modernity with a tinge of warmth that is easy to live with.” Hay is definitely easy to live with. Created in 2002 by husband and wife Rolf and Mette Hay, the Danish furniture brand is a success story for its accessibility, versatility and ability to adapt to or blend into any design ethos, whether the space is private or public. Grafunkt has been retailing Hay furniture since 2013; Gallery & Co. has carried its tabletop accessories and stationery since late 2015; and Dream, the latest Hay stockist here, will be working with interior designers to dress homes, bars, restaurants and other hospitality projects with the brand’s furnishings.
The piece that best defines the brand is About A Chair: a chair with a moulded shell that comes in many colours as well as upholstery and frame options, and has interchangeable legs (wooden, steel or rollers). This enables customers to tweak the design without compromising the basic concept. Designed by Danish designer Hee Welling, it’s “a true pragmatist that’s able to blend in or stand out, depending on the task assigned”, as Dream describes it. “Dress it up with heavier upholstery or fit it with an oak frame, and it will blend with your other furniture at home. Put on an aluminium frame with rollers and the chair is ready for office use. No matter how you switch it up, it’s still recognisable as a Hay piece.” “About A Chair just effortlessly fits into any settings it’s thrown into,” agrees Pangesa. Likewise with New Order. Developed with German designer Stefan Diez, it’s an aluminium shelving and storage system with the option of back and side panels, and doors. All of which allows endless configurations for the most practical unit – the one that suits you.
How do you like your chair? You can have About A Chair in many ways, colours and finishes. It has now expanded to a series of other products, from bar stools to the latest, a sofa.
The DLM table, simple and useful, comes in three sizes. The tray is removable so that you can use it as, well, a tray.
New Order meets your shelving needs in any permutation you want.
Grafunkt recommends the Copenhague series, designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, who have worked for other great brands like Ligne Roset. “You can own a piece of theirs without burning a hole in your pocket.”
