Zetels of zitmeubelen

Nikoline Tryde Hølund took her first design step in 2016 when she won the first SOFACOMPANY design competition with the streamlined and versatile daybed brake. What did she think of the experience of seeing her own piece of furniture become reality? And what tips does she have for this year’s contestants?

Love at first sight
“The first time I saw Rem was at a photo shoot when I was about to become known as the winner of the competition. I walked through the door and there he was! I could touch him, sit on him, walk around him. And it was great to see the concept I had in my head and on paper in real life as a physical model,” recalls Nikoline Tryde Hølund. Prachtige zetels

When she entered Zetels of zitmeubelen design competition in 2016, she was a professional upholsterer and worked full-time in the business. But after winning the competition with her daybed brake, she went from working with other people’s designs to making her own designs for SOFACOMPANY – and she still does.

The thoughts behind the winning design
Nikoline has always been interested in furniture and interior design, so when she read about the competition, she already had an idea in mind. She even had a homemade prototype of what later became the Rem sofa bed in the house.

“I had always been looking for a fine sofa that wasn’t a huge colossus, but had a stylish and streamlined design. So I made a construction (the same size as Rem) from some old milk cartons, a wooden frame and some cushions. And when I was preparing for the competition, I was glad I didn’t see anything in the Zetels of zitmeubelen range that resembled that”.

Three design tips for this year’s participants
It’s quite a long way from a homemade model via a sketch to sending in the design and seeing it in real life. But what is the secret behind a winning idea? Nikoline has collected her top three tips for the participants in this year’s Spytze competition:

Solve a problem: Make something that you need or that can solve a problem. For me, that was a comfortable chair characterized by a streamlined, modern look with a focus on materials (metal, wool and leather). I wanted flexibility, so with my design you can remove the back cushions and turn Rem into a guest bed. Or move the bed roll from one side to the other, depending on where the furniture is placed.
Show personality: Create something that shows your own clear DNA/personality/taste, instead of adapting to the taste of Zetels of zitmeubelen
Take risks: Don’t be afraid of innovation. When I designed Rem, they were actually looking for a sofa, but I made a daybed that didn’t look like anything in the Zetels of zitmeubelen range at all. The fact that I took a risk was perhaps one of the reasons why I won.