Have you heard of Nordal? Living here I’m exposed to lots of Danish design, especially in the magazines that I read, but also in some of our online stores and even retail spaces here in my own city. I found reference to them today in Le Souk, an online shop in The Netherlands where you can find their gorgeous butterfly chairs (I’m thinking to buy one). I thought you may like to check them out because this style appeals to me so perhaps part of it will appeal to you.  Nordal is yet another brand from Denmark that is a family-owned business and they design products that are functional but also very natural looking with the occasional playful chair or stool thrown in. This looks like a fun line for decorating!

They design most of the products that you see in Denmark but have them manufactured in the far east but only in good conditions so you can feel good about purchasing from Nordal, which to me is very important. We as consumers need to question where our favorite brands are making their wares, after all our money is directly supporting either fair employment or something entirely unethical – it’s something to think about it. Would you like to see more of their products?

Above you can see some over-dyed vintage patchwork rugs that I spoke of recently in this post. Do you like this trend? What are your thoughts? I love it, just in a more subdued hue because I’m not into bold brights in my home. Plus, I recently bought a neutral patchwork rug in Istanbul that is huge, it’s in my living room, and it has tones of gray and beige and cream with some bright pinks accents and it’s a-m-a-z-i-n-g to me at least. I can’t wait to show you once I pull my living room together.

And don’t worry, if you cannot find these exact items in your home country use posts such as this one to inspire you to be on the look out for specific pieces in your local area that have a similar look. I usually print out or circle things in magazines and then try to find something similar in my part of the world, especially since so many companies in the U.S. do not ship to Germany, I’ve had to change my entire approach to shopping and that is the best tip that I can give you.

For instance, if  you are shopping around for a similar look, try to scout rustic wood tables with metal bases. Rivets are also part of this look, so if your metal has rivets all the better. Also metal piping as the base is very current. I don’t think it would be a bad idea to invest in a good rustic table with a metal base as it will look great for years to come. You can find pieces that are new by furniture designers, ones that are from companies like Nordal (but made in China, India and Thailand for example), or you can scout for vintage pieces which may or may not be the most affordable option as dealers watch the trends and read blogs too so you can believe that prices go up when something in their stock becomes sought-after. Another idea is to try making it yourself, you can use an old barn door from a salvage yard and then find metal legs and in a single afternoon, you can pop those legs on that door and be good to go!

It’s all about developing your eye and really thinking about what exactly it is that you like about a piece and then if that piece isn’t available to you, try to find something like it elsewhere or even make it yourself if that is reasonable. I’ve seen lots of similar wares in stores all over the states, again, it’s all about shopping with an eagle eye!

I hope that you have enjoyed the introduction to Nordal!

(images: nordal)