Preben Lind is the founder, owner and designer of LindDNA – a family business from Denmark. The company designs products to make the world a little bit better. Alongside its popular placemats made of recycled leather, the range includes accessories and small furniture. The signature Curve shape runs through the designs like a common thread. We talked to him about sustainability, the feel of the brand and fast production in Denmark.
Preben, tell us more about your background. When and how did you first discover your love of design? Did you know early on that you wanted to be a designer?
Even as a child I loved making things, and I've always been interested in design. Even so, I studied international marketing and sales. Over the years I've had an advertising agency, a design company and several retail shops. On the side, I started designing furniture. I never expected to be so successful with placemats, trays and candle holders – that happened by chance. In any case, my love of design and my background in marketing and sales complement each other well and have contributed to LindDNA's success.
In 2013 you founded the Danish design company LindDNA. How did you come up with the idea? What inspired you?
I found a Bible in a hotel room in Munich in Germany. The cover smelled of leather, but I noticed it was a special material. I found out that it was recycled leather, which at the time was only used for bookbinding and in the shoe industry. From that moment on, I thought about how leather offcuts could be used to make furniture and accessories. So I started developing my recycled leather six years before founding LindDNA. Then in 2012, at a small trade fair, I cut out some placemats and laid them on tables and furniture – and customers loved them. That's how it started, and it has developed step by step ever since.
Recycled leather is the basis of most LindDNA designs. How is it made?
The main material is core leather, which we source from surplus material from the furniture and fashion industries in Europe. It's important to me to say that we only use leather that is a by-product of food production. It is first granulated and then bonded with 20% natural rubber. The resulting material is OEKO-TEX® certified and offers all the advantages of conventional leather. It can be sewn and glued, and the result is our upcycled products.
You're now the founder, owner and designer of LindDNA. What does a typical working day look like for you? And what do you like most about your work?
I don't have my own office – I sit with the team in the open-plan office we call the creative department. I often go to the metal workshop and the sewing room to see how ideas are being put into practice. I walk almost four kilometres around our company every day!
We also have a flat organisation – my door is always open and I enjoy talking to everyone. Of course I love ideas, and I like working as a team. We discuss every new idea as a team and put it into practice straight away. Everyone is involved in developing a new product. We work together towards one goal, everyone has their role, and we only work as a whole. That's how we get from an idea to a finished product so quickly.
That sounds fascinating! So everything, from the first idea to shipping, happens under one roof. Tell us about your production. Where and how are the products made?
We're based in Aarhus, the second-largest city in Denmark. At the beginning of 2020 we moved into our newly built headquarters here. Spread over 6,000 square metres, it houses a showroom with a café as well as offices, production and logistics.
Once I have an idea, I start with a few designs, and then we create 3D prototypes on the computer. Producing on site makes us very agile, so we can make prototypes quickly. We also have our own photographer who shoots our products, while our marketing department plans how they are presented in shops.
We recently designed a new candle holder. I had the idea six weeks ago, and next week the candle holder will be delivered – that's how fast it can go!
What is Lind's DNA? What visions and values lie behind your label?
The DNA I love is developing beautiful designs. We want to convey feelings and keep creating a sense of comfort at home – our designs are more than just placemats.
One important aspect is sustainability, which runs through our entire process like a common thread, and we keep improving it. We not only choose sustainable materials but also make sure we recycle in our production. We want to raise awareness of throwing away and wasting less.
Another part of our DNA is that we're incredibly agile. We don't have a large warehouse – we make to order and then ship. We can produce 20,000 placemats within 24 hours.
Quality and durability matter too. We offer a lifetime guarantee on placemats and candle holders and use high-quality materials, so our durable designs can be handed down through generations.
The Curve shape defines many of your products. How did this organic shape come about?
It was a coincidence – I actually wanted to design a logo for LindDNA. I first drew the organic shape by hand, and later it was digitised. To create the shape, it had to be put together digitally on the computer from 54 circles.
And then it was simply luck that I said, "Let's make placemats." In nine years, we've created a placemat that is now known around the world – we consider ourselves very lucky. There's probably no other company that sells so many of its own logos.
So the Curve shape was first designed as a logo and only then used for your products. Why do you think the curved shape has been so well received?
I think the lines of the organic shapes appeal to our customers. Many of our customers care a lot about how things look. Our placemats are so decorative that people leave them on the table after the meal. It's not just a placemat: our mats are also used under candle holders and vases, under key baskets in the hallway or on the bedside table in the bedroom. You can turn and position the mat however you like.
Can you tell us which new designs LindDNA fans can look forward to soon?
One new design is the Silhouette candle holder in three different sizes and colours, which I mentioned earlier. Another is the large candle holder in the Curve design, which can be put together freely from seven elements.
But what I'm particularly proud of is the new leather in our Serene series! I spent more than two and a half years making the recycled leather even more beautiful.
What makes the new leather so special? How is it different from your other products?
I've managed to create a material that is soft and can be bent almost like regular leather. It's even softer, even easier to care for and can be rolled up. So you can roll it up for storage or give it as a gift together with a napkin ring.
We can't wait to try out the new designs. Thank you so much, Preben, for your time and these fascinating insights!
