// Great Dane's Scandinavian Trip 2013

Part One

Running a Scandinavian furniture company does come with it perks...

Every now and then I venture abroad to work alongside our craftsman's creating innovative designs, explore the Headquarters of our producers and design partners, and immerse in all that is Scandinavian culture and find inspiration from the historical architecture lining the streets.

Our friend, talented designer Gry Holmskov of Danish brand addinterior (who we wrote about here) was kind enough to  take me on an outing to the Henrik Vibskov - Neck Plus Ultra Exhibition at the GL Strand Gallery of Contemporary Art in Copenhagen.

Gry and her Angel Stool for Addenterior

Among various colours, geometrical shapes and a refine work on textile, the artist mixed the use of visual, audio, and tactile senses together. The "Stiff Neck Chamber" consisted of bird necks hanging down from the ceiling and a hypnotic walk through spinning tunnels, providing an ultra-stimulating experience, going from one state to another.

With knitted sculptures, Henrik Vibskov unfolds the exhibition's overall narrative - an exploration of rituals and transitions as well as attempts to make sense of complex structures.

The gallery's interiors also caught my eye. The combination endless of pale timber floors, the clean crisp stairways, contrasting geometry and the intrinsic architrave was magical, added to the whimsical nature of the exhibition. 

Thanks Denmark! 

Part Two Coming Soon...

// Introducing Ox Design - Hand Stitched Scandinavian Luxury

"30 years ago metal workers in Denmark built ships, now they build wind mills and furniture."OX Design

The love of shaping and working a material as unyielding as metal comes naturally to the talented team 

behind OX Design – a young up and coming studio situated in the heart of Copenhagen. In 

Scandinavia, a town’s blacksmith traditionally played a crucial part in the workings of a community, 

making anything from nails to wagon wheels. These days, the proud tradition of metal work still exists 

thanks to companies such as OX who employ in-house blacksmiths, keeping the tradition and craft 

well alive.

Aside from the sleek lines and smooth finishes, design features come notably from OX’s signature use 

of robust bull leather against steel. OX’s leather has a thickness of at least 3mm, which promotes a 

sense of luxury and durability in their furniture reminiscent of iconic pieces such as the Spanish Chair 

by Borge Mogensen. 

Each leather chair is truly a unique piece as the beautifully raw leather’s only treatment is the human 

touch. OX furniture will only get more beautiful as time passes and the natural patina sets in. Similarly 

the smoked cork used on the brass Smed Stool is demonstrates OX’s sensitivity and appreciation in 

balancing fine organic materials.

Receiving our first delivery from OX Design

Image Credit: Brook Holm via Share Design.

Image Courtesy OX Design.

The September Chair (below) with its hand cut leather cord detailing reflects the functional roots of 

Scandinavian Design but all the hallmarks of a contemporary classic. We decided to tweak the base 

colour frame and introduce our own flavour of mint green. The simple combination of leather strapping 

coiled around the metal frame creates a clean, warm feel – as inviting as the spring sun! It was recently 

listed in the Yellowtrace September Spotlight.

Image, Great Dane South Melbourne

The KS chair takes pride of place at the newly renovated Mitchelton Winery in Victoria’s Goulburn 


Valley. The winery is an established and highly regarded architectural icon and the KS chair is picture-


perfect in such a setting with its generously sized frame and elegant lines. Read about the renovation 


here at The Australian Design Review.


Recently Anton was lucky enough to fly over to CPH and hang out with Dennis, founder of OX 

Design where they lunched at a 100 year old restaurant in one of the walking streets of CPH. Eating a 

very traditional lunch of Fish 3 Ways and drinking schnapps, Great Dane and OX discussed the new 

designs Dennis is working on at OX! Dennis is pretty relaxed with a very Scandinavian attitude, 

laid back but with an instinctive and great attention to detail and it was great to catch up on whats 

going on in the world of deign. It came to light that he was teaching during summer at one of the

design schools in CPH, oddly enough with another Great Dane designer Gry Holmskov AND an old 

employee of great Dane who moved to Denmark years ago - Clinton who worked in our workshop 

and studied design in CPH. Its a small world...

An afternoon with Ox - Cafe GL. Torv 100 years old and delicious. 

  
An afternoon with Ox - Cafe GL. Torv 100 years old and delicious. 

An afternoon with Ox - OX Design's creative HQ 

Get to your nearest Great Dane store to view the OX Design range in person, how Ox Design create is truly at the heart of Scandinavian Luxury. 

Image Great Dane South Melbourne