If you've ever visited the Ferm Living showroom and boutique "The Home of Ferm Living", you'll know why this beautiful building in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, has the name it does. As soon as you walk in, you get a special, homely feeling – and you'd love to move in straight away. But how did a showroom become such a cosy home? To find out, we spoke to Lisbeth, Ferm Living's Head of Style Lab. In our interview, she told us what makes The Home so special, how to create cosiness and what this dream job at the popular Danish brand means to her.
What does a Head of Style Lab at Ferm Living actually do? What are your responsibilities?
As Head of Style Lab, I'm responsible for our look at the Home of Ferm Living in Copenhagen, for the interior design of stores that stock our products, for trade fairs and installations, and for various styling projects around the world. I also work on the styling of our photo shoots for our annual catalogue, website and social media, take part in the design process for product development and, together with other wonderful people, help to nurture and develop Ferm Living's brand DNA.
What do you love about your work, and what's the biggest challenge?
I'm really lucky – working visually and being in close contact with our products, materials and textures is simply wonderful. I enjoy the creative process, sketching, working with other teams inside and outside the company, and seeing our ideas come to life. I love that hardly any two of my working days are the same.
When you love your work, the line between work and free time becomes blurred. So I'd say the biggest challenge is to pause and let go, because a room (or a home) is never finished. It just keeps growing – it's like a painting you can always add more details to.
What does interior style mean to you?
It means freedom and quality of life. Interiors give us a sense of freedom in everyday life by improving the quality of the surroundings in which we spend time with the people around us. With solutions that are both beautiful and functional, I believe we give something to each other, and that adds another layer of meaning to our lives.
Tell us about the showroom. How and when did The Home of Ferm Living come about?
It happened very naturally for us. We always needed a place where we could work with our products in context rather than just as individual pieces. Our dream was always to be able to show all our guests and partners our ideas in a single, cohesive space. It's one thing to talk about our brand and take photos, but being surrounded by the brand and really immersing yourself in it is something else entirely.
So when we needed more space as a company and had outgrown our previous location, we looked for a place with enough room to present our brand in an authentic setting. We wanted to be able to invite guests into our "home" and spend time with them there. That was in 2020, just as the pandemic began – not exactly ideal timing. But it turned out to be just right. At that point, having a place where you feel at home became so important to everyone – and our space at the Home of Ferm Living celebrates exactly that.
How did you bring the showroom to life? How did the showroom become The Home of Ferm Living?
It started with a need within the company and the decision that the time was right. We spent a few long nights with Trine Andersen – founder and creative director of Ferm Living – talking about how, as children, we dreamed of having our own little stand selling homemade lemonade.
We brainstormed how we imagined the Ferm Living boutique & showroom and what we wanted to share with people. In many ways, the concept was quite simple: we wanted to share our "home" with people – a reflection of who we are and where we're going – and invite them to experience it first-hand.
And what does home mean to you?
For me, home is a place where I can recharge and be with my loved ones. It's a space for relaxing, talking, tears of joy or sadness, laughing and dancing – for everything life has to offer. Home is my family, my memories and all the little things you collect over a lifetime. It's where my family is, together with all our things – the beautiful and the quirky that make me smile, even if others might not always understand why.
How often do you change things in the showroom?
As a mix of boutique and showroom, we have to fulfil several functions. We have a small collection launch at the beginning of the year and then slowly start thinking about the outdoor collection. After that, there's a bigger launch in spring and another in late summer, and then, of course, there's Christmas...
But because we're also a boutique, we use one area as a market space that we restyle every month. We can be really creative here, but at the same time we want to create something that's simply lovely to look at.
We have a few independent brands that we mix with Ferm Living products, along with some vintage pieces, because we like the feeling of being surrounded by heirlooms, books and vintage pieces filled with meaning. And then we simply swap pieces around, just as you would at home when you have a good idea or feel like it.
How would you describe the atmosphere there?
Cosy, welcoming and calm. A space where you can relax and be yourself – but with an exciting twist. We feel that The Home of Ferm Living has a very special warmth that surrounds you, and I hope others feel it too.
Would you like to live there yourself? What does your own home look like?
Of course! I'm asked that a lot, and I can only answer with a smile. The Home is such a part of me, and I feel very lucky to be able to spend so much time there, whether with others or on my own – it's a privilege. For me, it's like a home away from home.
What are your personal styling principles? Do you have any guidelines or tips?
I usually start with a personal conversation with the person or client about what they want. What feeling do they want to be surrounded by? I think that question tells you which furniture you should have, how warm the lighting should be and what personalities the objects around you should have.
Another tip is to remember that a home is an ever-evolving, imperfectly perfect work of art – it never stops developing, and you never stop adding to it.
How does a house become a home?
It's the way people combine their belongings. The way people live in and with them. Small personal objects add a dimension that no one else has – the quirky little gift from a family member, or a piece you inherited and simply have to keep because it gives you that special, warm feeling and puts a smile on your face.
It's the people who live in a house who make it a home – we just help with products that can help you come together as a family. For example, with a sofa big enough to gather the whole family on. I love it when I have friends round who gather on our huge sofa and spend the night there, losing all track of time and place.
What or who inspires you?
I know I should probably mention some big designer name, but in reality it's a collection of everyday impressions and the people I've met over the years: big personalities, small comments, the feelings I've had in places I've visited, homes I've been in, my family and friends. Those are the things that constantly inspire me. I don't think you're ever "finished" with your home. It's a constant process, just like life itself – it changes, turns, relaxes or acts like a rebel – never perfect, but full of life.
Do Ferm Living's designs match your own taste?
I'm glad you asked! It's so lovely to be able to say that I feel so "at home" at Ferm Living. I like the calm in our collection, combined with more artistic and unusual pieces. I like the way we work with spaces and fill them with products that meet a "need" – whether that's a functional need or simply because you've fallen head over heels for a product and a design. I also really like that we work holistically and consider the dynamics between products. I work closely with the product designers, so the collections always feel familiar to me.
What does a typical working day look like?
I often start early, before the office comes to life. I like to begin my day in the boutique & showroom with a cup of coffee and feel the building waking up. The slow morning hours give me room to think. Everything we do comes from the idea of having space to feel good in your home, and for me personally that makes so much sense.
By around 9 a.m., the building is ready to go. Then there are projects from all over the world, and I use the time to prepare by sketching and writing down my thoughts. Then I meet my colleagues, and we usually have a meeting with our partners on Teams or Skype. During the week, I attend the design team's product development meetings, which gives me a fantastic basis for knowing the direction our design is taking.
At lunchtime, I love summer, because then I can spend my lunch break outside in our quiet, relaxing courtyard or on the quay on the other side of the building, surrounded by the bustle of Copenhagen and the lively boat traffic.
In the afternoon, we carry on with more projects, and the later it gets, the more playful things seem to become. Some conversations just take an unexpected turn – it's a time when we're creative together and look back on the day.
That sounds great – productive and creative. So how do you spend your free time?
In the evening, I head home, where I meet my husband and we take our dog for a walk. We value this time and spend it without our phones, catching up with each other. Then we cook together or with friends – to be honest, it's usually him or them doing the cooking. I'm more of a spectator, sitting at the kitchen table with a glass and a good conversation.
My husband and I bought a house together and are renovating it, doing everything ourselves – including the things we don't know much about! But it's fun figuring it out together, and the time we spend dreaming and planning together is perhaps even better. He said it would take a year to finish the house, but I stopped counting after the sixth year.
How would you describe the way Ferm Living works and its team in general?
You can really feel that we come from a "family" business. We're close and share the same passion and interests. But at the same time, we're all different, unique personalities, which means we can have great discussions with different points of view – everyone brings different values, knowledge and experience.
How did you land this dream job?
Denmark is such a small country. When I was finally ready to try something new in my career, I happened to meet Trine Andersen through a good friend. We had coffee and a great conversation about her story with Ferm Living, where she wanted to take the company and my own dreams for my work. One coffee became two, plus a little dreaming – and the rest is history!
How long have you been working in this field? What did you do before?
I have around 25 years of experience in the design industry, more or less. Before joining Ferm Living, I had the pleasure of working for other companies in the design industry and learning a lot. I also worked in the fashion industry, spending a few years in London in the UK and studying at private art schools.
Wow, that sounds really exciting. Tell us about your life in London and your connection to the fashion industry.
At the start of my career, I wanted to study art or design, so I moved to London, where I worked and studied in the fashion industry for a few years. I liked the industry. It was fast-paced, and there were lots of exciting people to work with. But you never really had the chance to immerse yourself fully in the collections because their life cycle was so short. I needed something different. Many of the people I worked with back then have also moved into the world of interior design.
Where does your heart lie – fashion or interiors? And why?
The two are connected somehow, aren't they? But a long time ago, I caught myself getting involved in interior design and longing to invest in something that lasts a long time.
Loving something, watching it change and evolve, seeing it in my home, admiring it from different angles and falling in love with it again and again. That's what I love about interiors – the fashion industry usually moves a little faster.
How would you compare London and Copenhagen?
I love the atmosphere in London and all the different cultures coming together in one place. I also like the outer boroughs, where it's almost all locals. I love the weekly tradition of going to a small family pub for Sunday lunch. There's something grand about London that I like, but Copenhagen has a unique sense of close-knit community. You can get everywhere by bike, everyone does things together, and that family feeling of Sunday lunch at the pub is part of everyday life in Copenhagen every day. You could say I love Copenhagen, but I'm in love with London.
How will you spend the summer?
I'll be spending the summer with family and friends in Denmark. It's something we've always loved doing, even before the pandemic. Summer in Denmark is so refreshing. The wind and the air are so special at this time of year, and the chance to spend time outdoors here is unique. The days are long and the nights are lighter. We do hope to take a trip outside Denmark at some point, though. We'd really love to go to Gotland in Sweden. It's an island that is still very unspoilt. I'd love to enjoy that with my family.
Why is The Home of Ferm Living worth a visit?
Because we love sharing this incredible place and our story with guests. We simply love being hosts. The Home of Ferm Living is a place where you can enjoy a relaxed bit of window shopping or pick up something small – like a lovely soap or some towels. Or you can invest in a new dining table for long, wonderful dinners with your loved ones and try it out at your leisure on site. Either way, you'll always take a particularly warm feeling home with you.
