Ditte Reckweg and Jelena Schou Nordentoft met each other during their university years studying ceramics and glass at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. After bonding over a shared love and appreciation for handmade design, today they are the two designers behind the scenes at the Danish concept store, Stilleben. One of the first stores to stock handmade, affordable ceramics, Stilleben is not only a beautifully and carefully curated space but an incredible source for aesthetic inspiration. Brands such as Please Wait to be Seated and Skagerak are mixed with small independent designers such as ceramic artist Jane Heng, textile designer Karin Carlander and Japanese design studio Azmaya, offering a fusion of modern design and one-of-a-kind finds.
According to the duo, the key to their success has been “pushing the boundaries of our own personal aesthetic” during the curation process. Although the magpie-selection of brands originate from many different countries around the world – Japan, USA and India to name a few – there is a distinctly Nordic vibe running through the space, which they say is not exactly conscious, but “must be in our genes”. The pair’s ability to tell a story by bringing together objects that may or may not share common elements within an interior design context is gathering them an increasing following of enamored customers seeking to emulate the Stilleben style in their own homes. Contributing to the slow living movement since they opened Stilleben’s doors 15 years ago, Reckweg and Schou Nordentoft have grown and developed the store, even creating their own label of prints, textiles and ceramics, currently stocked alongside an eclectic array of furniture and jewellery. It’s a testament to their creativity that it is now possible to find a little gem like Jane Heng’s Aspara hand, a ceramic jewellery plate handmade in a small Cambodian village, amid the treasures in their newly launched flagship store, located at Frederiksborggade 22, in Copenhagen.