2_1_ScanMag_69_Oct_2014_Text:Scan Magazine 1
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Scan Magazine | Design Profile | By Løth
A piece of harbour in your living room? The rustic furniture from By Løth oozes Nordic cool. Left: The heart of the house: dining table from By Løth. Right: The blocks from By Løth will go everywhere in the home.
From harbour to living room: exclusive Danish design with a twist Danish By Løth is bringing new life to old wharf supports as well as to your living room with its exclusive rustic furniture, fusing Nordic cool with a warm touch and a sustainable twist. By Ann Bille Simonsen | Photos: Mads Lindell
A holiday in Italy a few years back kickstarted a new career path for carpenter Joakim Løth. “I met an old fisherman who had this cool cage, made out of a specific type of wood – West African Azobé – and I fell for it instantly,” he recalls. Although Løth had never been involved in furniture design before, the cage inspired him so much that he spent the next two years searching for the perfect material to replicate the rustique style and quality in his own designs. “It was just something I had to do,” Løth explains. At first he only meant to create a few pieces for himself, but his designs quickly became so popular that he decided to expand it into a business. Today, By Løth is well on the way to establishing itself as a name on the inter-
20 | Issue 69 | October 2014
national furniture design scene, producing a range of hand-crafted, custom-made furniture and interior solutions for private homes, as well as restaurants and offices.
The rough look of the wood stems from decades of withstanding water, sand and weather conditions as wharfs in Danish harbours. It was here that Løth finally found the material he had been looking for, and not only did it have the right look – it also proved to be incredibly sustainable. “As well as being a recycled material, the Azobé wood is extremely durable and water resistant as it contains a large amount of natural oil,” he explains. This means that you can use the furniture outdoors as well as inside, and it will still last for generations.
Sustainable Nordic feeling Although the inspiration was picked up under more southern skies, there is an unmistakably Nordic feel in By Løth’s furniture. The chunky, rustic planks spark associations with a lit fireplace and cosying up with hot cocoa. “It adds a certain warmth, personality and uniqueness to any room,” says Løth. This uniqueness is what the carpenter-turned-designer believes attracts people to By Løth designs. “The holes in the wood and the patina are not like anything you’ve seen before,” he explains, “and no two pieces are identical due to the nature and the history of the wood.”
Rustic coffee table from By Løth.
For more information, please visit: www.byloeth.dk or follow @byloth on Instagram. By Løth delivers abroad.