Interior stylist Lene Rønfeldt is the creative mind behind this lovely styling for Sofakompagniet, among others. She has many years of experience in visual concept management. She collaborated to dozens of photo shoots and travelled the world for her work. It’s with great joy that Lene agreed to answer a few of our questions. We truly enjoyed getting to know this talented woman, and we’re sure you’ll do too!
1. Tell us more about yourself. How did it all started?
“I guess I have always had an urge for aesthetics. As a child I remember feeling my heart jump extra fast when I saw the perfect colour combination or something tactile, and it still does! My first job was in a furniture store and after taking a design and technology degree, I started working for an international furniture company as visual merchandiser manager and later collection manager. After 7 years travelling around the world, I decided to go freelance because my urge to be independent was growing and growing. My boyfriend owns an office hotel for entrepreneurs (www.LYNfabrikken.dk) and I was surrounded by entrepreneurs all the time, which was really inspiring to me. Suddenly I jumped too…the best thing I’ve ever done!
Photo: Mikkel Rahr Mortensen for Vifa
2. Best thing about being a stylist:
I primarily work with still photography and I simply love staging things and work with the details, the colours and the materials until that moment, where everything comes together and the picture is taken. That is so satisfying for me.
3. What inspires you?
People inspires me! I really feel inspired when I meet people with “gumption” – meaning people who are initiative, courageous and who has a “just-do-it” attitude. But I am also really inspired each year when I join the Dutch Design Week in the Netherlands. I like the dutch’s approach to design because it is edgy and new. They are not as clean-lined as us danes, and that is a great inspiration to me.
Photo: Mikkel Rahr Mortensen for Ege Carpets
4. Best styling tip:
Right now I am very much into grouping things. Like if you are very much into aqua-scale ceramics as myself, then group them and make your own small exhibition. I also group my plants in one window.
5. Any special projects at the moment?
Yes! As a matter of fact, I am opening up a brand new photo studio at LYNfabrikken in Aarhus, Denmark. For a long time, I have wanted to have a playground, where I could develop new ideas and experiment with small still lives. The photo studio will be open for everybody to rent, so I consider this place as a laboratory for everyone who has an idea. The name of the place will be Heimat Studio. The word “Heimat” means “home” in german and that is how I want the feeling to be when you enter…. A welcoming space with room for your ideas.
Photo: Pia Winther for Sofakompagniet
6. You, in three words:
Humorous, trustworthy and tall.
7. What is the best advice you ever received and from whom was it?
My dad always said to me that I could do anything I wanted to do. I think I got that view upon things really early in life.
8. Dream subject/assignment/collaboration?
I always cherish courage, so maybe my dream assignment would be a client who had the courage to do something completely different and original.
Photo: Mikkel Rahr Mortensen for BoConcept
9. What can’t you live without?
I think I could live without most things, but my boyfriend, travelling and food are among those things, I don’t want to live without.
10. If you could invite somebody for dinner, famous, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
My dad. Because he and I had a sick sense of humour, that nobody really understood.
11. Best Scandinavian city and why:
I love Copenhagen. Especially during summer time. No matter where I go in the world, I always find the shopping better in Copenhagen. It is a fairy tale city to me with all the castles, the old town and the beautiful parks. But also the underground scene with cool, edgy designers are very inspiring. To me Copenhagen has it all.
Photo: Mikkel Rahr Mortensen for Kinfolk
12. Something on your bucket list:
I have travelled around the world but I never lived in another country. So I guess that’s on my bucket list.
13. What is your all-time favourite design piece(s)?
I am a big fan of the german designer Egon Eiermann – I have his SE68 chairs which was made just after 2nd World War as an orchestra chair. It is comfortable, beautiful and simple.
Read more about Lene here and see her lovely portfolio, too!
Photo: Mikkel Rahr Mortensen for BoConcept
