Image Courtesy of FRAMA.
The Nyboder district in the heart of Copenhagen is home to FRAMA, a multi-disciplinary design studio creating furniture, lighting, textiles, homeware and apothecary items. Located in a historic pharmacy dating back to 1878, the space houses a Studio Store with one-of-a-kind items and Apotek 57, a plant-based eatery offering daily homemade seasonal bites and beverages. Founder and creative director of FRAMA, Niels Strøyer Christophersen, took us on a studio tour.
SLEEK: What was your first encounter with design?
Niels Strøyer Christophersen: I first came across design as a young child. It had never been a huge topic in my family, but my mother had a thing for antiques. As she worked as a full-time nurse and had to take care of three children, she was extremely busy. But in the little spare time she had, she would go to all these flea markets and take me with her. I clearly remember driving around and looking for cabinets and storage units that she would then renovate and repolish.
S: Did your passion for design originate from these endeavours?
NSC: Not at all. As a young adult, I worked for a couple of years in the construction business and got a first glimpse into basic architecture and materials. I learnt to appreciate blank spaces, industrial and raw rooms. I understood how beautiful a completely empty building can be. Furniture is one thing, but the setting itself is equally important. Space and design are very closely related. I entered the design world afterwards through working in retail. It showed me how interior brands operate and how they are, essentially, a sharp experience. These notions shaped what FRAMA is today.
Image Courtesy of FRAMA.
S: Your studio resides in the historic St Pauls Apotek from 1878. Why did you decide on this setting and how did you renew the interior to make it your own?
NSC: In my opinion, the pharmacy is complementary. FRAMA is refined and sophisticated whereas the building is extravagant and historic. The heritage elements of the pharmacy offer a contrasting backdrop to our own collection, with its minimal approach to design. When we moved here in 2015, we did not conceive of the renovation as a single initial project but rather as an ongoing process that would continue over the years. Understanding the space better, as well as maturing as a brand, allowed us not only to find the identity of the interior but also of FRAMA. It was an organic evolution. Now we have the old pharmacy, which is our main space with the heavy wooden cabinets and the glass ceiling with ornamental figures, and we have the back room, which is cleaner and more modern to balance the historic with the contemporary.
S: FRAMA is a multi-disciplinary design brand that creates everything from daybeds and tables to small accessories and homeware. Part of your universe is also a popular eatery. How did FRAMA evolve from an interior brand to a holistic experience?
NSC: Before I founded the brand, I had this vision of a “house of design”. It sounds very kitsch, and indeed it was. I’ve had many interests in my life ranging from architecture and music to graphics, design and film, and so I decided to create a spine that would connect these different ribs of a body. This spine became FRAMA. So, for me, the idea had always been very holistic. It was simply about starting at point A and then, over time, adding these different layers, categories and expressions. I think our strength as a brand is to remain open and agile.
S: Your aesthetics are decidedly minimalist, with an emphasis on materials and simple silhouettes. Still, your spaces feel warm and welcoming. How do you achieve that?
NSC: I often compare it with cooking: if you use good ingredients, the dish will most definitely taste nice in the end. We work with quality materials, such as stainless steel, in combination with three, four or five different types of wood. We do not apply any artificial colour but work with the natural shades of the material itself. We focus on spaces in general, using textured walls and patina. Altogether, it creates this particular warmth.
S: Natural materials and textures are central to your work. In what way does material fascinate you?
NSC: The material itself is very often the design. We try to do as little design as possible and let the material speak for itself. What fascinates me the most about material is that it gains character by being used. Think of a wooden table – when you buy it, it is just a generic table. But when you use it in your everyday life, drinking coffee and eating your lunch at it year in, year out, it gets marked and eventually it takes on a life of its own. Materials fascinate me in the same way. I always say: when you buy FRAMA things, they will become more beautiful the more you use them.
Image Courtesy of FRAMA.
As featured in SLEEK 74 – IDENTITY. Available in print and digital here.