Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Top Creative Agencies in Norway
Left: Poster design with motif from the medieval wooden church Urnes Stavkirke. Photo: Shutterstock. Right: The Lom pillow featuring the Norwegian medieval wooden church Lom Stavkirke.
A focus on Norwegian heritage With modern design, high quality and ancient traditional craftsmanship in perfect harmony, designer Mone Brimi showcases a part of Norwegian history with her enchanting products for the home. By Ingrid Opstad | Photos & styling: Hilde Brevig
Growing up in an artist family in Steinkjer in Trøndelag, Mone Brimi was greatly inspired by her grandfather and Lom, where the Brimi family originally came from. “As a wood carver and artistic soul, my grandfather taught me to see all the beauty we surround ourselves with in nature and old buildings. He used to take me to his cabin in Lom every summer as a child, which I today own and visit often,” she says. Currently working as a graphic designer, her love for the Norwegian cultural heritage has been a big factor in the next step of creating her own interior brand.
ARV – heritage After several years of concept development, she proudly presents the ARV series – a word that translates to heritage in Norwegian. The first three motifs in the collection are from famous heritage sites around Norway: the captivating medieval wooden churches Urnes Stavkirke and Lom Stavkirke, and the Viking ship Osebergskipet. “I have always had an interest 22 | Issue 112 | May 2018
in our cultural heritage and the old craftsmanship, it is an irreplaceable source of knowledge, joy, and inspiration. This is the foundation of our identity, and it must be taken care of for posterity,” says Brimi. Currently, Brimi has a beautiful selection of decorative pillows, silk scarves, posters and trays available in her online shop, while working further on developing the brand with several new products and motifs from other well-known Norwegian cultural sites. When it comes to the mysterious, dark expression in her designs, Brimi explains that she wanted to reproduce the original motif as naturally as possible. “These are old works of art and wooden structures, and the way they have been treated and preserved over the years is something I aim to have visible in the print. I want my products to have a timeless, versatile style, making sure they fit in most homes and interior styles,” she explains.
Commitment, belonging and environmental considerations The idea behind ARV is about so much more than just design. Brimi is consciously working with Scandinavian suppliers to create products based on both social commitment, belonging and environmental considerations. The motifs on her products are printed in Sweden, while the textiles are produced in Oslo by OsloKollega, a company helping people with recruitment and employment. “These issues are important to me – making sure that people who need a job get the assistance they require to guide them back to work so they feel they have a place in life where they belong,” says Brimi. She is also happy to support the National Trust of Norway and its important work, and therefore, some of the proceeds from the sales of the ARV series are donated to the association.
Online shop: www.monebrimi.design Web: www.monebrimi.no Facebook: monebrimidesign Instagram: @monebrimidesign