We catch up with Jasper Overgaard, Co-founder and Creative Director of Danish furniture company Overgaard & Dyrman, on what’s new in the studio. Find our previous interview with the creative duo HERE.
STUDIO PLAYLIST: At the moment, I’m into artists such as The XX, The Blaze and Fakear. Ranging from Indie Pop to electronic dance, they all appeal to my temper and work well in a creative process.
WHEN YOU NEED TO FEEL INSPIRED: Luckily, we are our own bosses and therefore our processes and deadlines rarely depend on others. For us, this is a big plus while we are then able to focus on what inspires us and can jump back and forth from one project to another. Our projects are often quite complex, and we have experienced that it’s necessary to give each project the time it needs without having to push through decisions. Being two in a creative process is for us very essential. We often bring in two different perspectives to a process which often gives inspiration to the creativity.
WHAT’S NEW IN THE STUDIO? We are a rather young company/brand and the last 5 years has been focused around our debut collection and building of the company. This includes the development of a complete furniture collection (The Wire Collection), building up a brand identity, gathering a team of skilled employees, and building an effective production facility, etc. Ahead of us is a very exciting time where Christian and I (Christian Dyrman and Jasper Overgaard) should be able to get back to the drawing board and workshop to develop new pieces. This is something we look very much forward to and the first concepts are already made and ready to unfold.
WHAT’S YOUR TYPICAL SATURDAY MORNING? Being an entrepreneur means that weekends are often used in the company/workshop. The first years was like that, but today we have both family and kids, which gives a new perspective to weekends. Personally, my family and I recently moved to a very scenic area with forest, lakes and streams. We strive to be together on the weekends and being outside as much as possible. And if possible, I also prioritize a trip in my Kayak.
But to get back to the question. The perfect Saturday morning is spending time with the family and potentially with a good cup of coffee.
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT TO ESCAPE TO? In my family we have two kind of vacations we really appreciate. A winter skiing trip and a summer holiday. We ski at the same destination and same apartment in Ischgl, Austria, year after year while our summer holiday is never the same place twice. We love to discover new places. Lately we have enjoyed touring around the Spanish islands, Mallorca and Menorca.
WHO OR WHAT ARE YOUR DESIGN INSPIRATIONS? We often find inspiration in great solutions. It can be from nature, within architecture/engineering art or when working with specific materials and processes.
In Denmark we have many well-known furniture architects such as Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjærholm and Finn Juhl. They all created some very fine furniture pieces, in a time where the creative process was a close collaboration between architect and the maker. But Peder Moos – probably best known among collectors and furniture enthusiasts was in his own league. He did most of his furniture himself and never did compromise on quality or his passion for making things exactly how he think they should be. A perfectionist and an original, we as designers and craftsmen can only respect and admire.
WHICH OVERGAARD & DYRMAN PIECES DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR OWN HOME? I have only very early pieces and prototypes. I sit in a Wire Dining Chair every day. It is the number 9 chair made and it has taken a beautiful patina. I also have a Lounge Chair and high chair for kids Christian and I made when graduating from the Danish School of Design. It is not in production and there is only this one chair.
BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? Listen to your gut feeling. It’s something I have been told and it’s advice I often pass on. I believe if it feels good it often is and if there is something that feels wrong (even a tiny thing) you better focus on what and why, before you go with it.
