Get the Scandi look: where to shop for Danish design in Copenhagen

The Danes have spent a century raising interior design to an art form – and applying art forms to interior design. Whether you want sleek, minimalist furniture, colourful ceramics or hygge-inducing textiles, you’ll find them in exquisitely presented specialist stores throughout Copenhagen, especially around Strøget, the pedestrianised main shopping street. Here are some of the key places to head to.

Illums Bolighus, Address: Amagertorv 10

This four-storey department store for the ultra-discerning is the place to browse the best in Danish design – furniture and lamps, kitchen and bathroom accessories, ceramics and glassware, jewellery and fashion, and much more. It feels more like an art gallery than a shop, and if the high prices don’t attract you it’s the perfect place for window shopping.

Stilleben, Address: Niels Hemmingsens Gade 3

Ceramic designers Ditte Reckweg and Jelena Schou Nordentoft have a flair for spotting up-and-coming designers, not only in their own métier but in glassware, textiles, accessories and jewellery too. Their two shops, one off Strøget and one near the Botanical Gardens, are a cornucopia of collectibles, plus a fine selection of artworks, photographs and prints.

Hay House, Address: Østergade 61

Rolf Hay is one of Denmark’s top contemporary furniture designers and his shop on Strøget combines his own clean, ultra-functional pieces with those of other fresh, innovative young designers. Expect everything from sofas and stools to wall clocks and vases. Don’t expect to pay the Earth, as prices can be surprisingly affordable.

Inge Vincents, Address: Jægersborggade 43

Ceramicist Inge Vincents has spent years perfecting the art of making “hysterically thin” homewares from ghost-white porcelain – every piece handmade and unique. At her store on cobbled Jægersborggade in multicultural Nørrebro you’ll find delicately fluted vases and mugs that resemble folded paper, tealight holders translucent as a horn lantern, but all designed for daily use.

Georg Jensen Silver,Address: Amagertorv 4

For more than a century, the name Georg Jensen has been synonymous with the finest in Danish silver. The firm’s flagship store on Strøget is a magpie’s delight of brooches, earrings, necklaces, pendants and rings, gleaming vases and tableware, and affordable knick-knacks such as money clips and business card holders.

Normann Copenhagen, Address: Østerbrogade 70

This former cinema in the city’s Østerbro district is still putting on a glittering performance, only now the stars are Normann Copenhagen’s ever growing range of beautifully designed furniture, sculptural lighting, stunning textiles and clever home accessories. If you want a tealight holder or comfy cushion that is also a conversation piece, you will find it here.

Royal Copenhagen Flagship Store, Address: Amagertorv 6

Everything about Royal Copenhagen’s flagship store on Strøget whispers classic elegance, from the 400-year-old building to displays that look as though her majesty is expected for tea or dinner. The firm’s signature blue-and-white designs are world-famous, and its botanically meticulous Flora Danica range is reassuringly expensive.