A move to Marylebone High Street seemed like the obvious choice for Tekla founders Charlie Hedin and Kristoffer Juhl. The pair thought long and hard about where their London outpost should be situated, settling on the chosen location for its ‘village feel’ (this is their first flagship outside of Copenhagen, and will be followed by further international spaces). According to Juhl, the neighbourhood is home to brands that share the brand’s ethos of quality, craftsmanship and a rejection of rapid trend cycles, making it the perfect fit for their latest venture.
Hedin and Juhl settled on a space that marries the bright, spare yet decidedly cosy Scandinavian aesthetic with the dark and brooding sensibilities of British heritage craft. Hedin explains: ‘The use of British materials was somewhat incidental. We were drawn to the depth and texture of lime plaster and to the warmth of British wools, both of which felt intuitively aligned with the atmosphere we wanted to create but ended up sitting in a perfect dialogue with the clean lines and functionality of Scandinavian design we wished to express.’
When they were conceiving the space with the aid of Copenhagen-based architectural studio Mentze Ottenstein, they became enamoured by the Victorian idea of a ‘cabinet of curiosities’, and settled on building vitrines and domestic displays in a nod to this form of assemblage. Kettle’s Yard, the Cambridge museum and former home of Jim and Helen Ede, was another influence, with its closely considered combinations of Modernist art and craft, which remain anchored by everyday natural objects such as pebbles and shells. This pared-back, serene environment is emulated in the Tekla store, where blond parquet flooring and grids of bespoke, modular wooden frames add inviting texture in what could otherwise become overly austere.
The collector’s eye also carries through in the objects on display. The classic bedding, sleepwear and terry products Tekla is known for sit in dialogue with carefully selected pieces of art and design, including sculptural works by Irish ceramicist Sara Flynn, who collaborated with the brand on its first line of home fragrances earlier this year. With three distinct glazes, her ‘candle vessels’ feature the warm earthen tones found along the rugged shoreline near her home in Cork. ‘[Her] artworks bring a sculptural sensitivity to the space,’ says Hedin. ‘Alongside her pieces, we’ve included classics from Scandinavian designers we continue to return to – notably lighting by Paavo Tynell and select works by Alvar and Aino Aalto from our own collection. Together, these elements introduce a domestic layer, grounding the store to evoke the sense of home.’
Giants of Modernist design, the Aaltos were known for their appreciation of the natural world and ability to produce furniture, textiles, glassware and entire buildings that prioritised and nurtured human comfort – often at the expense of the rigid tenets of the movement. Their pieces are a perfect fit for a brand concerned with embracing a more considered form of living, where every object has a purpose and place.
‘As we expand, our focus remains on authenticity and consistency, not noise,’ Juhl reiterates. ‘People come for the brand, and they stay for the product. Each new space will reflect that – thoughtful, understated and true to who we are.’
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