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June 2, 2019

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Nordic noir embracing Norwegian heritage

WHO is he?

Ove Rogne is the founder and leader of Northern, a young Norway-based lifestyle brand and platform for talented designers — www.northern.no.

Twelve years previously they were known as a lighting brand, Northern Lighting. By the time they had moved into a broader furniture and lifestyle collection last year, they exhibited at the Design Shanghai in March for the first time.

As a designer for 15 years, Rogne’s main work focuses on both independent design work, lighting objects, co-design work with the Northern design team and external designers for lighting, furniture and accessory objects. He curates the total collection for Northern, as well as global lecturing and trend analysis work for other industry design brands.

Please share with us some of your works, and name the one you are most proud of.

Our portfolio combines elements of surprise, fun, beauty, functional minimalism and encompasses values of social awareness and sustainability. Heat is such a lamp project I am proud of; a fun lamp to watch and touch that makes your eye focus on it due to its light effect, size and shape. All are handmade and formed, piece-by-piece, by immigrants as a part of a social justice program in the north of Sweden to get immigrants into society and work.

Are you currently involved with any project?

I am working on some new pieces to be presented early this summer, and also some more long-term new partnership and cooperations with other brands for next year’s collections.

What’s your design style?

The design style is definitely Nordic. Maybe you could call it Nordic Noir. It’s slightly darker, softer, more framed graphically and stricter than traditional Nordic works and brands over the last four decades.

I encompass the Norwegian heritage background of Northern and take inspiration from nature, so it is contrast filled, dark, rough and at the same time, soft and colorful. Just like Norway.

Where are you most creative?

I am most creative with my design team Morten and Jonas and when I relax and travel long haul distances.

What does your home mean to you?

My home is a place for both privacy and relaxation and a social space for friends and family to gather, eat and talk together.

What do you collect?

I collect good friends, at least I hope I do. I also collect mid-century Norwegian design pieces and European Jugend furniture from the early 20th century for my summer house, just for fun since there are so many beautiful objects from both those periods.

Where do you like to go most in Shanghai?

The tree-lined city center. I have not had time to explore the city so much yet, but I will be back for sure.

What will be the next big design trend?

The next trend is to make your own trend and style.

Focus on what you really like and cherish, and make the interiors and spaces personal and genuine to you by picking and curating your own total.

Do not let anyone tell you how to live. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Add pieces of design and furniture that have value that last, and keep them and treasure them in your personal setting.




 

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