In Copenhagen, exquisite design is everywhere: in the vintage plate beneath your sourdough toast at Atelier September, in the hand-drawn labels on wine bottles at Bar Vitrine, or in the stylish furniture that every friend seems to own by osmosis. The good taste extends to the shopping experience; here, even antique and thrift stores can feel more curated than high-end boutiques elsewhere. That means it’s awfully easy to go out for coffee and come home with a cute little vase, a rare design book, or—logistics be damned—a chair.
None of this is particularly surprising. Denmark produced some of the most prolific designers of the 20th century, including Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Verner Panton, and Nanna Ditzel. But Copenhagen design hardly stopped with the midcentury masters. This week, Designmuseum Danmark opened its first major exhibition devoted to Henrik Vibskov, bringing together more than 25 years of the designer’s fashion, furniture, installations, and other wonderfully weird creations. It arrives as Copenhagen Fashion Week and the furniture-focused 3daysofdesign continue to draw record visitors—and help a new generation of creatives chart paths of their own. That constant reinvention is what keeps pulling me back as a design writer. Brexit may have killed my plans to move here, but I visit regularly, returning more often than not with a suitcase of patterned textiles, leather-bound notebooks, and other design finds.
The city is smaller than most people think, clocking in at around 670,000 people, but has a wealth of stylish homegrown brands, many clustered in the city center. I dare any design lover to walk down Vognmagergade without getting drawn in by the bulbous vases at Louise Roe or the colorful knitwear of Henrik Vibskov. But it’s worth venturing farther afield, too: Many of the best independents are tucked along the tree-lined avenues of Frederiksberg or amid the scruffier streets of Nørrebro, where you’ll find far fewer tourists.
For those with a similar design sensibility, this guide spotlights the places I’d seek out first.
For a Little Bit of Everything
Illum
Østergade 52
+45 33 14 40 02
To get the lay of the land, I like to start at Illum, Copenhagen’s landmark department store and a mecca for Scandi style. It’s a good place to get acquainted with Danish design labels before seeking out the more offbeat independents and flagship stores elsewhere in the city. Take the elevator to the fourth floor for stationery by Ordning & Reda and sculptural lamps by Ferm Living, then look for Stine Goya’s bold-print dresses as you wander the floors below.
Designmuseum Danmark
Bredgade 68
+45 33 18 56 56
When I’m looking for a gift, I usually end up at the newly renovated shop at Designmuseum Danmark. It’s every bit as well curated as the popular museum shop at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, an hour outside the city, but far more conveniently located. The selection of cards, ceramics, jewelry, and homeware can hold your attention almost as long as the design classics upstairs. Patterned cushions by Lisbet Friis and jellyfish-like paperweights from glass studio Blæs are highlights.
Frama
Fredericiagade 57
+45 3140 6030
Frama is a rite of passage. The store alone is worth the visit; it’s a former apothecary with its original oak cabinets and ceiling murals still intact. Whether you take home a piece of minimalist furniture or something from the in-house skin-care label St. Pauls, be sure to grab a freshly baked cardamom bun from the Apotek 57 cafe before you walk out.
Tadaima
Silkegade 11 (second floor)
+45 31 31 09 16
In a 19th-century apartment two floors above the street, Tadaima is essentially a dream pied-à-terre where everything happens to be for sale. Interior designer Hanne Berzant and her daughters, Josefine and Emma, keep the space strictly monochrome, creating a serene backdrop for pieces like Helle Bovbjerg’s ash-textured teapots and Caroline Sillesen’s intricate jewelry.
Courtesy Frama
Courtesy Frama
Courtesy Designmuseum Danmark
Courtesy Designmuseum Danmark
Courtesy Tadaima
Courtesy Tadaima
Courtesy Frama
Courtesy Frama
Courtesy Designmuseum Danmark
Courtesy Designmuseum Danmark
Courtesy Tadaima
Courtesy Tadaima
For Your Closet
Birrot
Klareboderne 12
Copenhageners are masters of “cycle chic,” pairing elegant silhouettes with relaxed fits that go straight from bike to bar. Get the look at Birrot, the label from Copenhagen-based Korean designers Kyeongmin Kim and Seyoung Hong, known for versatile, color-blocked pieces. Its flagship sits next to one of the city’s cutest bodegas—ideal for a post-shopping beer.
Ganni Postmodern
Overgaden Oven Vandet 40
+45 28 35 55 56
Many Danish fashion labels have dedicated archive stores, where past-season and pre-loved items go for a fraction of their original prices. Ganni’s is one of the best: Alongside the brand’s easy-to-wear staples, you’ll often find samples and runway styles that never made it into stores, making the odds of spotting the same thing elsewhere reassuringly slim.
Samsøe Samsøe History
Studiestræde 13
+45 51 30 15 33
Set below street level, Samsøe Samsøe’s outlet looks unassuming from the outside, but it’s packed with the timeless basics the brand is known for, all heavily discounted. On one successful haul I left with a classic rain jacket, two oversize shirts, and a pair of wide-leg jeans.
Pas Normal Studios
Århusgade 126A
+45 31 33 33 39
Cycling brand Pas Normal is based in newly developed Nordhavn. Its graphic caps, jerseys, and flasks are hard to resist, even if you’ve never clipped into a pedal.
Courtesy Birrot
Courtesy Birrot
Courtesy Ganni Postmodern
Courtesy Ganni Postmodern
Courtesy Samsøe Samsøe History
Courtesy Samsøe Samsøe History
Courtesy Birrot
Courtesy Birrot
Courtesy Ganni Postmodern
Courtesy Ganni Postmodern
Courtesy Samsøe Samsøe History
Courtesy Samsøe Samsøe History
For Your Home
Hay
Østergade 61
+45 31 64 62 50
A geometric mural by artist Nathalie du Pasquier signals the way up from Strøget, Copenhagen’s main shopping street, into the joyful world of Hay. The brand may be ubiquitous these days, but its flagship is still worth a visit: Three floors showcase the full collection, including new launches before they appear elsewhere. Expect design-minded takes on everything from sofas and storage crates to toothbrushes, dog beds, and barbecue tools.
Tekla
Vognmagergade 7
+45 31 18 89 79
Tekla’s poplin pajamas have become so popular that you’ll often spot Copenhageners wearing them out and about. Browse the latest styles at the brand’s minimalist boutique, furnished with steel rails and zigzagging Cassina chairs, then pair them with Tekla’s signature striped towels or bedsheets.
Collect CPH
Gammel Kongevej 127
+45 25 52 16 96
Frederiksberg has plenty of great options for vintage furniture. Dora and Designer Zoo are both worth a look, but Collect CPH is the pick for discerning design fans, with a handsome mix of modernist tables, framed mirrors, and 1980s cutlery.
Courtesy HAY
Courtesy HAY
Courtesy Tekla
Courtesy Tekla
Courtesy Collect CPH
Courtesy Collect CPH
Courtesy HAY
Courtesy HAY
Courtesy Tekla
Courtesy Tekla
Courtesy Collect CPH
Courtesy Collect CPH
For Your Walls and Shelves
Studio Arhoj
Skindergade 7
+45 29 89 73 99
Anders Arhoj’s team of potters and glassblowers makes its cone-shaped Ghost figurines, along with other whimsical, Japanese-inspired objects, in a studio in the city center. Come early to beat the crowds, and you’ll likely catch the artisans at work. The shop has plenty more to tempt you, from risograph prints to mushroom-shaped incense holders.
Helle Mardahl
Bredgade 17
+45 31 60 25 02
Helle Mardahl’s candy-like glassware looks almost good enough to eat. Drop by the pristine gallery on Bredgade for her Bon Bon containers and dessert-shaped dishes, whose softly irregular bulges give the glass its distinctive gloop.
Antik K
Knabrostræde 13
+45 29 72 20 28
Source hand-painted Royal Copenhagen porcelain at this antique treasure trove tucked down a side street in Indre By. If ornament isn’t your thing, look for modernist pieces like Kay Bojesen’s wooden animals and Arne Jacobsen’s stainless-steel tableware.
Shrig Shop
Tullinsgade 3
“To Hell With Everything” is scrawled across the window of David Shrigley’s dedicated gallery store, setting the tone for what’s inside. Expect prints, badges, postcards, and objects covered in the artist’s irreverent words and drawings.
Paper Collective
Bredgade 71
+45 2289 8889
The gallery of affordable art company Paper Collective feels like a series of installations, with colorful graphic prints displayed alongside equally characterful furniture and sculpture. Look for works by All the Way to Paris, Berenice Hernández, and Raw Color, as well as wall-mounted shelves by Norm Architects that help squeeze even more onto your walls.
Courtesy Helle Mardahl
Courtesy Helle Marda
Courtesy Studio Arhoj
Courtesy Studio Arhoj
Courtesy Shrig Shop
Courtesy Shrig Shop
Courtesy Helle Mardahl
Courtesy Helle Marda
Courtesy Studio Arhoj
Courtesy Studio Arhoj
Courtesy Shrig Shop
Courtesy Shrig Shop
For Your Coffee Table
New Mags
Ny Østergade 28
+45 313 90 880
With its oak wall paneling and shelving, New Mags feels more like a library than a bookstore, inviting you to pore over its collection of design-led titles spanning travel, lifestyle, and photography.
Simone Book Services
Vester Voldgade 106
+45 20 73 35 30
Art and design geeks will find plenty to love at Simone Book Services, which specializes in rare, out-of-print, and independent books and magazines. Avant-garde titles line folded-metal shelves as ambient music drifts from the speakers.
Courtesy New Mags
Courtesy New Mags
Courtesy Simone Book Services
Courtesy Simone Book Services
Courtesy New Mags
Courtesy New Mags
Courtesy Simone Book Services
Courtesy Simone Book Services
