88Why do you think Scandinavians are such good de-
signers - and why are the designs typically minimalist?
It has to do with tradition. I guess other countries
have it with literature or something else. For us it is de-
sign. Maybe our motivation for simplicity in design is due
to the climate and the fact that we’ve always survived
on scant resources. Initially, we were doing minimalis-
tic design because of these conditions. And then every
step was like a brick added to a building. Step by step we
reached where we are now.What does style mean to you?
Style should be a reflection of you, of your personality.
But often style becomes a reflection of what everybody
else thinks. I wish people would actually consider what
they really need. If you have ten kids, you need to ac-
commodate having ten kids around - for example, maybe
everything shouldn’t be white. Maybe furnishings should
be in different colours. Although I know the word ‘per-
sonalised’ is a buzzword, when trying to find your own
style, you should look carefully into your own needs.88 MASTERING MINIMALISM CollectorWhy do you think Scandinavians are such good de-
signers - and why are the designs typically minimalist?
It has to do with tradition. I guess other countries
have it with literature or something else. For us it is de-
sign. Maybe our motivation for simplicity in design is due
to the climate and the fact that we’ve always survived
on scant resources. Initially, we were doing minimalis-
tic design because of these conditions. And then every
step was like a brick added to a building. Step by step we
reached where we are now.
What does style mean to you?
Style should be a reflection of you, of your personality.
But often style becomes a reflection of what everybody
else thinks. I wish people would actually consider what
they really need. If you have ten kids, you need to ac-
commodate having ten kids around - for example, maybe
everything shouldn’t be white. Maybe furnishings should
be in different colours. Although I know the word ‘per-
sonalised’ is a buzzword, when trying to find your own
style, you should look carefully into your own needs.
MASTERING MINIMALISM Collector