In Praise Of Form and Refine: Hand-Selected + High Quality Danish Design

The story of a relatively young Danish design brand with a socially responsible design philosophy

Just like a house itself, every home item tells a story. Even before you own an item and create your own memories, each piece has a story to share that you can’t see on its surface.

That’s why we’re sharing the story of Danish design brand Form and Refine. Our intention is to provide you with a deeper understanding of the people and the design philosophies of the items that we bring to you via our online experience. We hope their story resonates with you like it does for us!

The Form and Refine Story

Form and Refine is a Danish design brand that pairs hand-selected, high-quality materials from around the world with skilled craftsmen to create a collection of beautiful items.

The brand is relatively new. Helle Herman Mortensen, Jonas Herman Pedersen and Lasse Lund Lauridsen established Form and Refine in 2018. 

Its three founders brought forth a collection of Scandinavian furniture design for the Nordic minimalist with an intention to carefully refine each piece over the years––hence the name Form and Refine.

Their intention is such a beautiful approach to Nordic design. Here’s a bit more on their approach, in the words of the founders: 

“We therefore strive to honor and acknowledge those who came before us, all the while breaking new ground....We see design as an expression but equally important as a functional object that never compromises on quality. In our opinion that is the foundation for long-lasting design that will refine through generations.”

The Form and Refine Design Philosophy

Form and Refine’s design philosophy is built on classic principles of Nordic design, including:

• An equal value of aesthetics, function, and materials, never compromising on quality
• Embracing design as creative expression through functional objects
• Modest designs that are made distinct via details and clear silhouettes
• Solid and pure materials that are utilized in a way that allows them to retain their original visual details and shapes

In Praise of Nordic Minimalist Living, The Form and Refine Way

We love how this photo captures the essence of a Nordic interior styled with key pieces from Form and Refine’s collection. It’s light, airy, comfortable, and functional.

Let’s walk through each Form and Refine piece shown in this dreamy photo.

Pictured on the left is the Motif Armchair. This piece features classic Scandinavian furniture design elements via the beautiful natural webbing that provides a comfortable and durable seat stretched across a solid oak frame. Danish design duo Herman Studio, who are also two of Form and Refine’s three founders, wanted to create a chair that is harmonious and beautiful from all angles. You can see here how the webbing continues to the backrest for an aesthetically pleasing look, even when placed against a table.

The Motif is styled next to the Damsbo Master Dining Table, carefully made with solid Danish oak from the forest of Damsbo in Denmark. This gentle and elegant table offers an archetypical table that remains contemporary and fits into any context. It’s considered heirloom quality, which means it can be passed from home to home, for generations. We love the minimal details of the soft cornered legs and solid brass bolts underneath.

Atop the Damsbo table are accessories from the Alcoa collection. The Alcoa Pitcher, Alcoa Vase, and Alcoa Tray were named after Alcobaça, a region in Portugal where the stoneware pieces were made. Alcobaça is known for its naturally rich fine white clay, which has fostered a culture of pottery over the years. Each piece has a slightly coarse natural matte exterior that is perfect if you are looking to achieve the soft minimalist aesthetic.

Across from the Motif sits the Angle Stool, featuring two seating sides that are slightly angled toward each other, providing both a comfortable seat and a unique butterfly appearance. This solid white oak stool is fully foldable and comes with a lovely brass hook that can be mounted on the wall so you can stow it away while not in use. We love the finishing touch of the leather band underneath the seat.

In the background, Form and Refine’s 2x2 Leaf Shelf provides a light and airy place to showcase your favorite design objects and elements. Form and Refine worked with Finnish born designer Jonas Lutz on this shelf. Lutz intended to strike a balance between aesthetics, stability and packability, and we think he achieved it perfectly. There’s a smaller 1x1 option, too.

More favorites from Danish design brand Form and Refine

We’ll walk you through a few more signature pieces from Form and Refine’s collections, starting with all three variations of the Shoemaker Chairs, a Danish design classic that dates back to 1936.

Produced by Form and Refine’s local Joinery, the Shoemaker Chairs are a truly eye-catching design with a complex construction process. The signature seat is produced out of one solid piece of wood, making each and every chair unique. Each block is carved to perfection and then sanded by hand, making the chair incredibly comfortable and durable.

With three different heights, this stool can be used as a regular stool, a side chair, a counter stool, or a bar stool: Shoemaker Chair No.49, Shoemaker Chair No.68, Shoemaker Chair No.78.

Each chair comes in Beech, Black Stained Beech (shown above), Oak, White Oak, and Smoked Oak. 

Herman Studio wanted to make a table with a surface that appeared to hover in the air, and they certainly succeeded. We love how the Stilk Side Table is adjustable, with three different height settings to suit your needs. The brass rod keeps the surface sturdy and reliable.

For a stunning and stackable seating solution, turn to the Blueprint Chair in White Oak. With no visible hardware, each chair has a stunning and smooth design. Made with 100% European Oak wood, a White Oil treatment is used to finish this perfect chair.

The A Line Storage Bench is an updated take on the classic solid wood Scandinavian storage bench. Using a small leather handle, you can lift the bench top and place it in a carefully positioned interior groove to reveal two separate compartments for storing whatever you need to hide away. 

We love styling this bench in a bathroom, at the foot of a bed, or in an entryway. Shown here is the White Oak, with Natural and Black Stained Oak options available as well.

With open shelving and an efficient surface, the A Line Shoe Rack is the ideal option to maximize the functionality of your entryway.

"The aim with this shoe rack was to design a furniture that can store enough shoes without taking up too much space,” says Herman Studio. “At the same time our wish was to utilize the height of the shoe rack for a functional shelf."

Even better, the A Line Shoe Rack requires no wall mounting, making it a renter-friendly option; simply lean it against wherever you want to place it. Hardware is included in case mounting is preferred.

Just like the A Line Shoe Rack, the A Line Mirror can stand without any mounting required. 

"The frame of a mirror is often slim, but we gave this mirror a wide piece of wood at the bottom to add weight and substance to it,” says Herman Studio. “The proportions of the mirror are designed for it to seem high and slim." 

Style it in the bedroom, bathroom, or entryway!

The A Line Laundry Box elevates the never-ending chore of laundry into a stylish yet handy piece of furniture to disguise and stow away your laundry. It’s compact enough to be tucked into the corner of a bedroom, a closet, or a bathroom.

"Our wish was to create a classic, yet simple laundry box with beautiful details around the lid,” says Herman Studio. “The elongated format adds to a refined appearance that takes up minimal space wherever placed." 

The Section Wooden Bowl, Section Round Cutting Board, and Section Long Cutting Board are functional and decorative Nordic-inspired home kitchen accessories from Form and Refine designers Herman Studio. 

Each of these three solid wood pieces show different expressions based on the particular piece of wood used to form the final product. Cutting away parts of the wood both highlights the natural material and gives a form and purpose that can be used daily.

The Round Section Cutting Board features a flat side for cutting and a curved side for serving. Herman Studio, the Danish designers behind the Section series, said that “it was clear to us that function and form really have to stand out. Therefore it can stand, be turned and be grabbed easily. The objects with the curved lines were named Section to underline the form, which gives the boards their expression and functionality.”

Complete the set with the Section Long Cutting Board, the perfect size for cutting both bread and vegetables. Its long shape also allows for use as a serving plate. Just like its round counterpart, this solid wood cutting board can stand upright on a countertop to serve as decor.

Although briefly featured earlier, we can’t help but highlight the attention to detail in each stoneware piece from the Alcoa series. The Alcoa Pitcher, Alcoa Vase, and Alcoa Tray are such lovely pieces that are clear and simple in form.

Shop all pieces from Form and Refine here.

If you enjoyed this, we think you’ll appreciate the story behind the LAX Series of modern Scandinavian furniture from MASH Studios.

Batten Home carefully curates Scandinavian furniture designs and minimalist decor objects for the modern home. We are inspired by a Scandinavian aesthetic and Danish design philosophies with a new modern design feel we like to call new Nordic design. 

Have any questions for us? We’re family-owned and independently operated, and we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at hello@battenhome.co or find more inspiration on Pinterest.

Photo Credit: Form and Refine