Reframed and renamed: Niek Pulles and Sebastian Herkner interpret iconic Danish designs

Two images: Left shaped wire, wooden peg-like shapes and cardboard cylinder arranged artistically, Right: A chair for safari with a foam seat

To celebrate great Danish designs, Frame magazine and online platform Danish invited Sebastian Herkner and Niek Pulles to reframe ten iconic furniture pieces from Denmark for an exhibition called 'Re-framing Danish Design'. Pictured here, Herkner's 'Increasing Details'

(Image credit: TBC)

By Sujata Burman

last updated 1 September 2022

Since its 20th century boom, Danish design has reached heady heights; its Bauhaus-inspired, functional and simplistic aesthetic placing it high on a pedastal the world over. In celebration, online design platform Danish and and magazine Frame have invited two international designers - Sebastian Herkner and Niek Pulles - to 'reframe' and update ten iconic Danish furniture pieces.

'Re-framing Danish Design' takes Danish classics - Fritz Hansen's 7 series chair by Arne Jacobsen and Brdr. Krüger’s Tray Table by Hans Bølling, among others - and presents Pulles and Herkner's reinterpretations of them.

Taking a minimal and considered approach, German designer Herkner focused on the original designs; looking to the innate personality of each piece with the clean and condensed approach he regularly employs for Danish brands, like Gubi. 'We found that it was necessary to understand the story behind the design and the approach of each designer,' he explained. 'For the last couple of months we have surrounded ourselves with the products.'

The result, in some cases, is a complete deconstruction; boiling down each item down to its very essense. Carl Hansen's Safari Chair, for instance, is carefully broken down and renamed 'Poetry'. (Each design is renamed after the characteristics he believes the Danish design represent.) A magnifying glass motif is used throughout, bringing into focus the most interesting details of each piece.

Where Herkner went back to basics, Pulles embellishes and adorns. The Amsterdam-based designer's organic approach was inspired by the human attributes the original designs communicated to him - in bright colours and multiple materials. For Pulles the Safari Chair becomes 'Klamboe Chair - Essential On A Safari', bedecked in a mosquito net and pyramid foam seat. 'The look of a mosquito net became my inspiration for this,' he says, 'as well as the imprint the net leaves on the body when sitting naked.'

The two designers couldn't be further apart aesthetically, but their common starting point makes them all the more beguiling.

A view of Niek Pulles's installation showing a table and chairs — Niek Pulles's installation is titled 'The Human Body' and was inspired by the various aspects of the initial design that reminded him of human attributes

Image of a tray table and a lamp on a square unit — The classic: Tray table, by Hans Bølling, for Brdr Krüger

Two images: Left reframed tray table, Right: Monster truck table — Reframed Tray table. Left: Herkner's 'Mobility.' Right: Pulles's 'Tuk tuk monster truck table - vavoom'

Image of Plateau table — The classic: Plateau table by dk3

Two images: Left-Reframed Plateau table, Right: Metal table, coloured with melting effects of the metal — Reframed Plateau table. Left: Herkner's 'Self-Explanatory.' Right: Pulles's 'Moulting'

Image of a chair with wooden unit behind — The classic: Safari Chair by Carl Hansen

Three chairs on small individual circular podiums — The classic: J39 Chair, by Børge Mogensen, for Fredericia

Two images: Left a classic wooden chair, Right, a classic wooden chair thick with ice — Reframed J39 Chair. Left: Herkner's 'craftsmanship.' Right: Pulles's 'Frozen hair chair - go swimming at 40°C'

A brown wooden chair with metal legs — The classic: Series 7 Chair by Fritz Hansen

Two images, Left- a reframed wooden chair with metal lefs, Right- A foam bone edged wooden chair with white legs — Reframed Series 7 Chair. Left: Herkner's 'Functionality.' Right: Pulles's 'Foam bone chair- soft surprice'

Image of two classic wooden tongue chairs and a small table — The classic: Tongue chair, by Arne Jacobsen, for Howe

Two images: Left- Reframed tongue chair- Dark pink resembles a tongue, Right: Reframed tongue chair, light pink, resembles a tongue — Reframed Tongue chair. Left: Herkner's 'Irony.' Right: Pulles's 'Macro tongue - lick it good'

Image of a grey scene with a chair & table and two low hanging lights above — The classic: Caravaggio Matt light, by Cecilie Manz, for Lightyears

Two images: Left- Grey hanging lampshade, Right- Marble swirls hanging lampshade — Reframed Caravaggio Matt light. Left: Herkner's 'Simplicity.' Right: Pulles's 'swirling lamp - liquid marble

Image of a furniture system in bright colours — The classic: Furniture System, by Peter J. Lassen, for Montana Møbler A/S

Two images: Left- a white furniture system, Right-White robot style model 'Razzle Dazzle' — Reframed Furniture System. Left: Herkner's 'Modularity.' Right: Pulles's 'Razzle-dazzle'

Image of a classic Brown fibre chair — The classic: Fiber Chair by Muuto

Two images: Left- A reframed fibre chair in brown, Right- A fibre chair 'flocked up' in purple — Reframed Fiber Chair. Left: Herkner's 'Sustainability.' Right: Pulles's 'Flocked up'

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Sujata Burman is a writer and editor based in London, specialising in design and culture. She was Digital Design Editor at Wallpaper* before moving to her current role of Head of Content at London Design Festival and London Design Biennale where she is expanding the content offering of the showcases. Over the past decade, Sujata has written for global design and culture publications, and has been a speaker, moderator and judge for institutions and brands including RIBA, D&AD, Design Museum and Design Miami/. In 2019, she co-authored her first book, An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture, published by Hoxton Mini Press, which was driven by her aim to make the fields of design and architecture accessible to wider audiences.

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