Journal
Q&A: Get to know our furniture & product designer Nikolai Sorensen
We’re going behind the scenes at Città and introducing you to our talented team. This week, we chat to Nikolai Sorensen about his role as an in-house furniture and product designer. Nikolai started his career as a process engineer before having his eyes opened to the world of Scandinavian design on a trip to Sweden and Denmark. He completed a Bachelor of Industrial Design at AUT in Auckland before joining Città in 2016. In our latest journal post, we speak with Nikolai about his design inspiration, creative process, and which upcoming products he’s most excited about. Tell us about yourself and what you do. I am one of the furniture and product designers here at Città. My role includes the conceptualisation, design and development of furniture and designed objects. When did you first realise you wanted to pursue a career in design? In my 20s, I worked as a process engineer for a Swedish company in New Zealand. I travelled to Sweden and Denmark for training where my eyes were opened to the world of Scandinavian design. I stayed in a hotel designed by Arne Jacobsen where he had designed everything—from the building itself right down to the furniture and cutlery. This is where my love for product design was realised and, since then, I have never looked back. Where do you get inspiration for your designs? Depending on what or how I’m designing, inspiration can come from so many different places. A lot of my inspiration comes from architecture and, in particular, New Zealand architecture. At Città, we are lucky enough to do a lot of our photoshoots in some amazing architecturally designed houses—just being in these spaces is very inspiring and often leads to new ideas. Can you talk us through your creative process? How do the furniture and product collections come to life? The start of my process is often very broad and varied. The goal is to come up with as many different ideas as possible. This ideation phase is my favourite part of the process. I love the freedom of having a general idea of where we are heading but with no real outcome in mind. Once I feel like I have exhausted all possible options, I start to condense the different ideas into one or two tangible solutions. Once we are happy with the final concept, we work with our amazing suppliers to bring our ideas to life. Sometimes this process can be as short as six months, but often it takes one to two years from concept through to production. Do you have a design you’re most proud of? I am really proud of where we ended up with the Daily armchair. It was a project we struggled to get right for a number of years. After many iterations, I think we ended up with a chair that is uniquely Città. I love the way it pays homage to traditional Scandinavian design, but in a clean and modern way. What’s the best part about what you do at Città? I love the breadth of briefs that I get to work on, which is very unique in our country and industry. One day I might be working on a new bed design, the next it might be salt and pepper grinders. The different scales, materials and forms keep it fresh and exciting. Which upcoming design or project are you most excited about? We have a lot of new products due in the next 12 months or so, including tables, dining chairs, shelving, and salt and pepper grinders—just to name a few. However, the one I am most looking forward to is a collaboration I have been working on with Michelle Halford (The Design Chaser). It’s been a long time coming (since 2019) but we aren’t too far away from launching it. Watch this space… What’s your most treasured piece of furniture in your own home and why? I have an old DON Furniture lounge suite that I just love. It’s such a classic piece of New Zealand design history. I’d love to think that in 50 years there will be someone enjoying our designs in the same way that I love my sofa and chairs. How do you enjoy spending time outside of Città? Hanging out with wife Jo and two kids Arie and Pia, is the best. We live on a farm surrounded by bush out at Muriwai. Living where we do allows us to spend lots of time outdoors in the bush, beach or forest. Last year we bought a bus to head out on missions around the country. It’s our little bach on wheels. We love the freedom to be able to park up wherever the surf is breaking and the sun is shining. Images of Radisson SAS Royal Hotel courtesy of Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel.
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Behind the design: introducing the AB Pendant
The AB Pendant celebrates the beauty of simple, organic forms with uninterrupted lines across the entire pendant. The light is the result of a creative collaboration between Auckland-based designer Alex Buckman and Città’s 3D design team, David Moreland and Nikolai Sorensen. Alex Buckman has an industrial design background with a career that spans Weta Workshop and Fisher & Paykel Appliances. He has recently turned his passion for lighting into a full-time role, producing bespoke lighting for residential and commercial spaces. We chatted with Alex Buckman and our own David Moreland to find out more about the collaboration. Hi Alex! How did the collaboration with Città come to life? Alex: I’ve always loved Città’s aesthetic. I think the materials and forms are considered and restrained in a way that allows the products to be timeless and complement different types of spaces. A few years ago I got in contact with David Moreland about designing for Città. I was lucky enough to be asked to collaborate on a lighting project with David and Nikolai Sorensen. How would you describe the pendants? Alex: For me, the AB Pendant has an elegance and sophistication that derives from the simplicity of its uninterrupted lines. When you observe the AB Pendant from different heights and angles, it’s as though the form subtly changes. We spent a lot of time ensuring we could integrate the lighting component within the glass shade to ensure we could preserve this seamless quality. This attention to detail was only possible due to the fact we designed every part specifically for the AB Pendant. Where do you see the pendants being used? Alex: The great thing about the AB Pendant is its versatility. Its pared-back aesthetic allows it to complement a wide range of spaces—both residential and commercial. It looks great as a single pendant but also works well as multiples or clustered. David, why did Città choose to team up with Alex? David: We’ve always got on really well and I’ve loved Alex’s approach to design. This made the process of working together for the first time a very natural one. The open, collaborative environment resulted in a product range we are both really invested in and excited about. How do you see the AB Pendant fitting in with Città’s offering? David: We are expanding our lighting collection and this is a great product to start with. Much like a lot of the furniture already in our range, I can see this light sitting comfortably in a lot of different interiors. Its clean lines and restrained aesthetic means it suits all types of residential and commercial environments. We’ve seen some behind the scenes images of the AB Pendants being made—can you talk us through this process? David: The art of glass blowing has been around for a long time, yet I find the process still has a certain magical quality. Watching the molten glass get blown into the mould then put through the finishing process is quite beautiful—every touch has to be perfect. It’s very satisfying to see the design come to life. The Alex Buckman x Città AB Pendant is available online and in-store now. The pendant is available in two sizes and three finishes: frosted smoke grey/green, clear and frosted clear. Click here to discover the collection.
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Q&A: Get to know Città founder Margot Acland
Happy International Women’s Day! We’re celebrating the 106 women in the Città family, including our inspirational founder & CEO Margot Acland. Margot started her career as a chartered accountant before deciding to follow her creative drive to make something of her own. In 1989, Margot established what would later become the Città we know and love today. In our Q&A, we speak to Margot about this journey, advice for her former self and the best part about what she does. Tell us about yourself and your background. What are some defining aspects that have made you the person you are today. I grew up in the small forestry town of Murupara on the edge of Te Urewera National Park. It’s one of the most remote, mountainous and native bush-covered areas in the North Island. I went to a small rural school in the countryside before moving to Christchurch to complete a commerce degree at Canterbury University. As a child, I loved gardening, sewing and anything creative. My mother was artistic and my father practical. They were wonderful parents who filled my life with interest and excitement. We spent many weekends camping in a big tent in remote places, cooking on open fires, and swimming in rivers. I grew up loving the simple things in life, including good food—mostly homegrown—and the simple pleasures of a small town, rural lifestyle. These childhood experiences built the foundations of what is important to me today—values of simplicity, purpose and creativity. These pillars have inspired and provided direction throughout my life, both personally and professionally. Città has a history of more than 30 years. Can you share this journey with us? I started my career as a chartered accountant and did my training with what is now KPMG, before travelling overseas and working for public companies in Europe, the UK and New Zealand. I was misplaced in my career and, in 1989, decided to begin my own business in a more creative area. I began importing and wholesaling hand-painted Italian ceramics. I had lived in Italy and loved it—the Italian culture, lifestyle and aesthetic affected me greatly. In fact, it directly inspired our business. Città translates to ‘city’ in Italian and we began using this name for our products designed for city dwellers. In the early 1990s, we began working with a friend of mine who was an artist. We found we could elevate the products we were producing by applying patterns and designs. From here, we went on to employ young New Zealand designers and the design element of Città took shape. Today, we have an in-house team of furniture, object and textile designers working from our studio in Mt Eden, Auckland. We have 13 stores throughout New Zealand and employ 130 people. Our furniture and homewares can also be found at more than 500 stockists worldwide. As CEO and director, you’re very much involved in Città with the day-to-day operations. What’s the best part about what you do? I still feel very excited about going to work each day. We have such a stimulating environment in the office and I feel really privileged to be able to work with a group of young talented people. If you knew what you know now, what advice would you give your former self at the start of your career? It’s so important to be passionate about your chosen path. I was never a passionate accountant! How would you describe your interior style? Has it changed over the years? I would say it’s eclectic, and it has improved over the years. You are very much shaped by life experiences and I have been fortunate enough to have travelled widely and been exposed to many different interior styles. What’s your most treasured décor piece and why? I love the Jean Prouvé coffee table that sits in our living room. Its simplicity gives me a lot of pleasure.
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