INTERVIEW: Line Nevers Krabbenhøft, Head of Design – Sofacompany
Following a soft rebrand and change of title – from the native Sofakompagniet to the international Sofacompany – the brand’s Head of Design Line Nevers Krabbenhøft sits down with Sleeper to talk hotel trends, creating bespoke sofa experiences and what’s to come.
The company recently changed its name and underwent a soft rebrand – what was the decision behind this?
We wanted to have a more international name to reflect the direction we are heading in – we have several large international clients and so it made sense for the name to be Sofacompany everywhere rather than translating it from the Danish version.
Will the aesthetic change with the name?s
The aesthetic will remain the same – the core range is Danish-inspired but there was always an international touch built in. Our style is rooted in national design traditions, but quite mainstream at the same time, not only for the Scandinavian market but around the world too. We always start developing our products with a problem-solving workshop where we talk about the issues that users have with their sofas and try to address them before we start. To identify these problems we use surveys, user journeys and personal sofa stories from our customers.
What can guests expect from a Sofacompany sofa?
We really do think of ourselves as the sofa specialist – it’s in the name for one. The problem-solving process helps us really understand how the sofa is used, from both the practical point of view and an emotional one. We have a wide selection of sofas and the level of premium quality made by clever hands compared with our affordable prices is amazing.
What does the collaboration process with hotels look like?
We have our own factory and a great in-house design team which gives us the ability to fill custom orders and create bespoke products unique to one hotel. We strongly believe that hotels have changed a lot; it used to be that you would travel to see the world and the hotel was just a place to sleep. Now people go travelling to visit hotels too, and more importantly they really want the hotel experience. More and more hotels are finding their personality, as many guests find themselves tired of the big chains that look the same all over the world. Guests want a certain level of homely cosiness and comfort, but also personality, and for the country they are in to play some part in the design. We can bring comfort and homeliness to a project, using different designs, textiles and styling to create a warm and homely atmosphere. This is both in the hotel room and in public areas, where we love to create cosy zones inviting people to socialise in our sofas. We see the sofa as the heart of any room.
Are there any hotel trends you’ve picked up on?
There has been an increased focus on educational hotels – as in the special properties where you can go specifically to learn how to sleep better, and where the furnishings complement this goal, or you are taught wellness techniques and methods as part of your hotel experience. Elsewhere there are hotels with a wild location – like in a crane or in a submarine – as well as a lot of interesting projects that take guests away from being so connected and online all the time – I think these will become more common in the years to come.
Have these trends affected your approach to design?
If you have noticed that certain hotels are purchasing larger, wider sofas with lots of space this is because the younger generation is more horizontal than ever – we’re no longer just sitting on sofas but lying on them more too, so hotels with horizontal and comfortable offline zones has been one of the trends we’ve looked into when we design new products. A trend of multi-purpose or differently functioning products has been interesting to watch also.
How would you approach designing bespoke pieces for hotels?
When we set out designing bespoke products for hotel spaces we find out all we can about the hotel itself, from the overarching concept to guest needs. The most important part of the collaboration is a strong line of communication with the designers, architects and operator, and to discuss with them in detail what kind of hotel experience they have in mind so that we can support their ideas through the presence of our sofas. They can of course choose anything from our standard lines, but we love talking about how we can make a hotel unique through our work and really bring out its identity. Our design team are sofa specialists and will support transforming the concept into actual furniture.
What kind of sustainability plans does the company have in place?
We are on a sustainability journey at the moment. We started by using FSC-certified wood on our inside frames which is produced according to Danish craftmanship methods and comes with lifetime guarantees. We have also added a selection of new fabrics that are produced from 100% recycled plastic, as well as rugs made of recycled bamboo/viscose yarns. We are constantly looking into ways to not only make our Vietnam factory more sustainable but also our entire supply chain. Sofacompany is being advised by sustainability specialists, who are not only advising us how to make the products themselves more sustainable and environmentally friendly, but the whole company too, and all of our methods from packaging to metal work to the plastic we wrap the sofas in. The journey never really ends, and we are learning lots along the way – constantly coming up with new ideas and ways to improve our level of sustainability.
