Three days around the summer solstice to celebrate design and turn creativity into a lived experience. In Copenhagen, 3daysofdesign is a citywide fair — this year spread across eight themed districts — that has managed to establish itself as one of the most anticipated and respected events in the industry: loved by visitors and, even more so, by an increasing number of international exhibitors.
“We believe a design festival should be more than just product launches. Our goal is to promote knowledge-sharing, networking, dialogue, debate, innovative ideas, and personal insights,” explains Signe Byrdal Terenziani, who founded 3daysofdesign 12 years ago with the initial support of four partner companies: Montana, Erik Jørgensen (now owned by Fredericia Furniture), Anker & Co, and Kvadrat. The first edition, back in 2013, was held in an old harbor warehouse.
3daysofdesign 2025, the big Scandinavia design showcase: 8 brands that caught our eye
Copenhagen’s relaxed design fair offers a rare opportunity for direct encounters with companies and designers. We’ve selected the most exciting debuts from eight standout Scandinavian brands.
Photo John Patterson
Phto John Patterson
Photo Matteo Bellomo
Photo Matteo Bellomo
Photo Matteo Bellomo
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- Elena Sommariva
- 27 June 2025

The fair has grown so much it now rivals far more established events. The “Danish Fuorisalone” encourages meaningful relationships, exploration, and presence — an ethos reflected in this year’s theme: Keep it real.
In just three days, press and professionals can be served traditional matcha tea by the COO of a Japanese brand (Daisuke Hironaka from Stellar Works), take part in a poetry workshop about light (Nuura), dine in the orangery of the royal gardens (hosted by Fritz Hansen and Michael Anastassiades), or have lunch aboard a boat cruising through the city’s canals (with Philipp Materna from Ferm Living). These are ideal moments to speak casually with designers and entrepreneurs. A luxury? Maybe. But design itself is heading in this direction — albeit along many different paths.
Despite the impressive numbers — 45,000 visitors, 600 exhibitions, and 400 brands — 3daysofdesign retains a laid-back atmosphere. Everything is within walking distance, a short bike ride, or a few metro stops. On the street, at presentations, or at Palae bar (nicknamed “Copenhagen’s Bar Basso” for the sheer number of Italians), it’s not unusual to bump into the CEO and founder herself. Signe Byrdal Terenziani is welcoming and elegant, wearing floral-print dresses that express the new Nordic summer better than any words — a season accelerated, of course, by climate change.
While 3daysofdesign is an inclusive, human-scale event, it remains mostly geared toward industry professionals. As many Italian companies in attendance reaffirm — including Carpanese Home, Foscarini, Fenix, Alpi, and Molteni&C — the audience is global and focused on both design and product. No distractions from fashion or automotive, no mega installations, and, crucially, no queues. Just a touch of food and food design — which, in this case, only makes the experience more memorable.
The historic company, founded in 1872 and now owned by Skandinavisk Holding A/S, complements its classic reissues with a compelling new product: the After chair (and table) by Michael Anastassiades, marking his first collaboration with the Danish brand. “It’s a very simplified, abstract take on the chair. The challenge lies in the precision of the joints, the stability, and the comfort,” says the designer. The backrest rests on square-section legs that support a molded plywood seat, crafted with millimeter-perfect joinery using traditional woodworking techniques.
Originally introduced in 1989, Nanna Ditzel’s “bench for two” is a sculptural and playful piece that speaks more of interaction than comfort. Made of two facing seats with a small table in between, it returns in collaboration with A. Petersen with three new color variants — red, yellow, and pink — alongside the original black-and-white version. These hues reflect Ditzel’s love for bold palettes. The piece features screen-printed maple veneer just 1.5 mm thick and is crafted in solid and veneered maple, showcasing both technical and artistic mastery.
Ferm Living’s catalog continues to evolve under the creative direction of Canadian designer Philipp Materna, head of brand and design since 2023. After the Can Lis collection — inspired by Jørn Utzon’s legendary house in Mallorca and now the subject of a dedicated book — the company presented four new outdoor pieces for the Dapple series: a lounge chair, a two-seater chaise longue, and two low tables.
A modernist piece in bent and lacquered birch plywood, the Series 270 F chair was originally developed by Verner Panton in 1965–66. Lightweight yet structured, the design reimagines the interplay between form and function. Conceived as a modular system, the chair consists of three sections that can be combined to create various configurations: chairs, armchairs, tables, and stools. The redesign was handled in close collaboration with Verner Panton Design AG.
This playful and inclusive series of outdoor public furniture defies easy categorization: is it a bench, a playground, a planter? Created with landscape architect Nikolai Soyka and his studio SALA (schöne aussichten landschaftsarchitektur), Unity is designed for schools, campuses, and urban plazas. Its faceted geometry and sharp angles form modular units — seats, planters, hybrids — that offer structure while inviting movement and interaction. Each piece can be recombined to create evolving social landscapes.
The soft curves of the Dream View bench follow the body’s contours. Its gentle tilt invites you to look up at the sky — a space for daydreaming and rest. Designer Lise Vester created it for Muuto with the belief that sensory design can enhance wellbeing. Made in brushed stainless steel, the bench reflects the shifting colors of the Nordic sky and encourages moments of calm and new perspectives.
The iconic Finnish brand debuts Solare, a collection of blown-glass drinkware. “These hand-blown pieces have fluid, aerodynamic shapes that echo advanced technology, yet they’re made using traditional glassblowing techniques at our Finnish factory,” says Harri Koskinen, head of design development. “The way the glass curves and captures light gives each piece a futuristic sense of precision.” The collection also includes decorative spheres and paperweights that reflect and refract light in playful ways.
Murano glass takes center stage in Upglas, the new lamp by Luca Nichetto for Astep — a brand founded by Alessandro Sarfatti in 2014 in Copenhagen. The lamp emerged from a collaboration with a startup that uses 3D printing to repurpose glass waste from Murano furnaces — broken vases, chandeliers, wine glasses — which are ground into powder and mixed with a patented biodegradable resin. The result is a clay-like paste. The handcrafted process gives each lamp a unique color and pattern, with a smooth glass surface that resembles marbled, polished stone.