Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Farstrup Møbler
Left: All furniture from Farstrup Furniture is designed and produced in Denmark. Right: The new owners hope to double the turnover of the business but, first and foremost, they just want the company to start making a profit again. Seen here is Steen Lyhne-Johansen.
Outstanding custom-made Danish furniture Originally a sawmill, Farstrup Furniture A/S was founded in 1910. Over the last couple of years, the company has struggled with a budget deficit, and people have started to forget about the brand – but that is about to change. On 1 March this year, Steen Lyhne-Johansen and four other experienced Danish furniture industry professionals bought Farstrup Møbler A/S, and they are ready to turn the business around to make it a success story again. By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: Farstrup Furniture
Farstrup Furniture was founded more than 100 years ago in the village of Farstrup, just a stone’s throw from Odense. Having started out as a sawmill in 1910, the production was expanded to include furniture after just a few years, and in 2000 the sawmill closed down. What was once a flourishing business has suffered greatly in the last few years, but with five new owners that is hopefully about to change. “The company needs to be entirely rebranded. It has had a budget deficit for years, and honestly the business was ailing,” says Lyhne-Johansen, co-owner and managing director of Farstrup Furniture. “This is going to be a huge turn-around. It will take some time but we will get there.”
Exceptional craftsmanship In order to rebrand Farstrup Furniture, the new owners are taking a range of 10 | Issue 102 | July 2017
new initiatives in order to regain their strong position. The sawmill is scheduled to reopen in August – but now under separate ownership. “When it closed in 2000, there were around 400 sawmills in Denmark. Today, there are less than ten, so we really think it’s the right decision to reopen it,” says Lyhne-Johansen.
the fact that they custom-make almost all their furniture. This means that, for instance, you get a chair that is specifically made for your shape and size. “People are different. We have different bodies and different needs, so we obviously need different chairs to sit on. An 80-year-old tiny lady needs an entirely different chair than a two-metre-tall man. We accommodate this, which makes us unique from any other furniture manufacturer,” says Lyhne-Johansen.
Furthermore, they are going to design new furniture and give some of the existing models a much needed facelift in order to become more modern. “The quality of the furniture is exceptional; everything is made in Denmark and the craftsmanship is outstanding. The design just needs to be more up to date,” he continues.
Customised furniture that fits you The one thing that really sets Farstrup Furniture apart from any other furniture manufacturer – besides great quality – is
Web: www.farstrup.com