June 14, 2026 | DESIGN & INTERIORS
INSIDE 3daysofdesign 2026
words Onur Baştürk
Curated exhibitions shaped around different themes, brands and designers unafraid of creating something collectively, new connections forming through communities where conversations extended beyond products, and a festival unfolding across apartments, galleries, showrooms and historic buildings… That, in many ways, was the essence of 3daysofdesign, which took place in Copenhagen from 10–12 June. Relaxed, calm and meaningful. These are the moments and places that stayed with me most over those three days.
THE HOUSE OF MAKING AT ASIA HOUSE
One of the exhibitions that impressed me most during my 3daysofdesign tour was “The House of Making” at Asia House, the historic building in Nordhavn. Originally built as the headquarters of the East Asiatic Company, founded by Danish sailor and entrepreneur H.N. Andersen in the late 19th century, Asia House now regularly hosts exhibitions. This time, the exhibition felt completely in tune with the character of the building itself.
Curated by Gabriel Tan, the exhibition brought together independent brands from different countries, including Origin Made, Ariake, Parachilna, Ladies & Gentlemen Studio and Zimmer + Rohde. Origin Made presented its new collection, Evolution — the brand’s most extensive collection to date. Among the more than 20 new designs were Matteo Fogale’s Mangas Sofa, Ander Lizaso’s bell-shaped Kanpai Pendant Lamp crafted from raw cast aluminium, and the Daiza Pedestals series by Japanese studio Torafu Architects, finished in a dark volcanic ash glaze. The collection also featured reinterpreted versions of three rattan chairs originally designed in the mid-1990s by Japanese designer Yuzuru Yamakawa.
Barcelona-based Parachilna was another standout of the exhibition. Among the pieces that caught my attention were Atelier Oï’s illuminated totem and Max Milà Serra’s Serie C lighting collection.
MATERIAL MATTERS
Another exhibition that stood out was Material Matters, the platform exploring the role materials play in shaping the environments we live in. Presented at Ukraine House, the exhibition focused on material innovation, craft and sustainability. Aifunghi was the presentation I liked most there. At the centre of the brand’s practice is Mycelium-Based Composite (MCB), a sustainable, high-performance material developed from mycelium. Aifunghi had also collaborated with designers including Elisa Uberti — whom we previously interviewed for YUZU — and Vito Boox.
TWO BRANDS FROM DESIGN / DIALOGUE
At Ark Journal’s exhibition space at Den Frie, we discovered “sog”, the new furniture brand by Japanese studio Mirai Sōsaku-jo. The brand’s name is derived from the Japanese words “so”, meaning raw material or essence, and “sogu”, meaning to carve or shape.
Another brand I noted during the exhibition was Ykoon. Founded by Steven Gosseye, the Belgian design label impressed me with its restrained approach centred around solid wood and the sophisticated beauty of its craftsmanship.
EVERY FLOOR OF THE CONARY FELT DIFFERENT
Spread across different floors and rooms of the same building, The Conary brought together exhibitions with distinct atmospheres. Curated by Openhouse, Echoes of Spaces featured works by Expormim, Saba Italia, JOV, Japan Form and Mike Hausmann. I especially loved the porcelain lighting pieces created by designer Hirotaka Tobimatsu for Japan Form — thin enough to let light pass through from within.
Elsewhere in The Conary were five brands from different countries working across different materials: Libeco Home, HEGE, soca, Stylescape and Eldvarm. One of the brands I discovered there was soca (scent of the calm), a Japanese fragrance-focused brand shaped by the changing nature of the country’s four seasons. Rather than mass production, soca works with small workshops and skilled artisans.
EMERGING DESIGNERS AT FANZI
Copenhagen-based art, design and architecture platform FANZI presented “Welcome. Slow Down.” in Postbyen. Participants included AOIDOI, Damonart, Elisabeth Seidel, Intra-Intra, iril, Jannis Schaefer, Kai Ping Liu, LMW Studio, Madeleine K. Wieser, Marie-Louise Høstbo, MO&A, Normal Objects Factory, NŌRIENT, Noah Corban, Stack, Studio Boyo, Studio Coby, 3periodsart and Xiezideren.
One quote from a talk during the exhibition stayed with me in particular: “We often talk about whether it’s possible to bring different designers together. But when we look at our own homes, we realise we already live among curated combinations of different pieces. One of the key ideas behind this project was exactly that — creating a community by bringing designers together.”
AN EXHIBITION IN A TRANSFORMING DISTRICT
Papirøen is one of Copenhagen’s districts currently undergoing transformation. Its name translates to “Paper Island”, referencing its industrial past of newspaper printing houses and paper storage facilities. Today, it is defined by contemporary housing, design-led living spaces, cultural venues and new dining destinations.
It was here that the exhibition “Design Starts on Paper” brought together three brands from different disciplines: Hem, BAUX and Swedish lighting brand BLOND. I especially loved Max Lamb’s Min Chair for Hem. The exhibition space itself felt open and slightly futuristic — and lunch sitting on the Min Chair will probably stay with me for a long time.
THE APARTMENT DESIGNED BY DUSTY DECO
I find myself comparing the aesthetic world of Dusty Deco to Italian brand Artemest. The exhibition created by Dusty Deco at Strandgade 36 — with the remarkable curation and harmony between vintage furniture, interior objects and artworks — reinforced that sense of kinship.
The story behind the brand is equally interesting. Edin and Lina Kjellvertz began by travelling the world and collecting unique pieces from flea markets. Later, they decided to close the vintage chapter of the business and focus instead on creating their own collections of furniture, rugs and interior objects.
SHOWROOMS AND BRANDS THAT STOOD OUT
- During this year’s 3daysofdesign, Fredericia presented a special programme celebrating Danish furniture craftsmanship at its Copenhagen showroom. At the centre of it was Fredericia: A Chronicle of Danish Design, first shown during Milan Design Week 2026 at Triennale Milano. The exhibition explored Fredericia’s role in shaping Danish design through original works, rare vintage pieces and previously unseen archival material.
- Walking into Johanson’s showroom, with its spatial design and colour curation by Tekla Evelina Severin (Teklan), felt like stepping into Alice in Wonderland. Within this colourful environment, I had the chance to closely experience Johanson’s new Split series by Färg & Blanche. In Split, the textile surface extends downward and connects directly with the legs, creating a strong relationship between softness and structure.
- Ferm Living’s anniversary exhibition “Form of Life”, celebrating the brand’s 20th year, unfolded throughout its headquarters at Kuglegården. For the first time, the company also opened its in-house design studio to the public.
- Iittala’s seven-metre-high installation at Ofelia Plads, created to mark the 90th anniversary of Alvar Aalto’s iconic vase, immediately sparked curiosity from the outside. Inside, it almost felt like a spiritual centre. Inspired by the flowing silhouette of the vase, the structure opened towards the sky through a circular cut-out overhead, while different versions of the vase in various forms and colours were displayed throughout the interior. As Iittala Creative Director Janni Vepsäläinen put it, the Aalto vase is not merely an object, but an idea that continues to shape the way we think about design.
