Meet the Danish designer and architect behind our Winston Daybed, Grace Mirror and the popular Double Bottle, Eva Harlou. We caught up with her with a Q & A:
Q: What was the first piece of design you ever created?
– I was very creative as a child. My parents were amazing because they always handed me different materials and tools to work with. There are a ton of childhood pictures of me, where I am completely consumed of drawing, painting, constructing and sowing. In particularly, remember a night lamp which I made out of cardboard when I was nine years old. It was the shape of a modernistic sky scraper. And when I placed a cycle lamp inside it, it shone beautifully through the tiny windows. Actually, when you think about it, that was a clear indicator of how I design today.
Q: You have substantial experience within architecture, with you previously working at 3XN and as an independent architect. How have your experiences translated into and helped shape the product design of Eva Harlou?
– As a construction architect, I have a certain approach to furniture design. It is conscientious and investigating and I try to focus on the end consumer as much as I can – the actual people who are going to use the furniture. I consider it to be somewhat of a gift, but it also comes with great responsibility to be working as an architect and as a designer. You are creating the frame for real people and everyday living – and that obligates.
Q: Simplicity, accented with a touch of luxury and premium materials, seems to be a consistent theme within your design. What, or who, has influenced your design process?
– Very early on I learned that a sofa is so much more than just that; a sofa. And I am fully convinced that we become healthier and happier when we surround ourselves with beautiful design.
Ever since I was quite young I have studied architecture, design and the world around me to find out why something is considered beautiful, more functional and of greater quality than other things. This I use in everything I do, and I try to solve every job with simplicity as my point of view. My goal is to create something that the consumers feel safe to use, but also something they instinctively find beautiful. I believe that it is at the very core of every human being to seek out beauty in the things we surround ourselves with. Especially if those things are of good quality. That is why quality is all-important when I am designing. But of course, I also like to stir people’s imagination which is why you will often find small “surprises” in my design.
Q: What is your personal favorite piece of design? If you had to choose one and only one.
– Well, that is almost impossible to say. I love so much different design and architecture from all kinds of worlds and periods of time. But the Citroën DS19 designed by the Italian sculptor Flaminio Bertoni continues to mesmerize me.
Q: What do you make time to do on a day off in Copenhagen?
– I often take my two kids with me to the museum, and afterwards we sometimes go for a run in the forest. Because he who seeks beauty will find it. At least that is my belief.