Reflections Copenhagen: When Interior Meets the Arts

Two creative minds, determination and a great idea laid the cornerstone for Reflections Copenhagen. The small interior label specializes in mirrors and crystal decor, created in a charming Art Deco style and often inspired by bold colors and graphical forms. “The idea came from a need to inject some fun into the home,” explains Andrea Larsson, one half of the design duo that makes up Reflections Copenhagen. Seven years ago jewelry designer Julie Hugau – the other half – rented an office in Larsson’s office space. The two designers got along, ideas started blossoming and soon after they joined forces. They wanted to create a counterplay to the clean lines that rule Danish design, and provide an outlet for more freeing, artistic and colorful interior. Since then the project has grown almost organically. First it was mirrors, then focus shifted towards crystals, and in 2015 they officially launched Reflections Copenhagen. “The more we sold, the more we produced,” Larsson says. And that mindset is still a core part of the brand. Both Larsson and Hugau make a virtue of not overproducing, and they rarely take products out of production. Instead, they keep building and adding to the existing product collection. “Our goal is to, at one point, be able to set a table with all our products,” she says. Apart from cutlery, the two designers dream of expanding their collection of glistening vases and bowls with both glassware, plates and porcelain. And while this means at some point they’ll evolve into using different materials, the crystal will remain the key element. “We’re very fascinated with the crystal so we definitely focus mostly on that material,” Larsson explains. “It’s incredibly interesting once you start looking into how colors work together to give the right reflections.” 

Julie Hugau (left) and Andrea Larsson (right).

For the two designers, it’s important to create consciously. The aim is for their products to become a collection that will last and be passed on generation to generation. Reflections Copenhagen exists in a space in between interior and art. If you ask Larsson and Hugau, they’ll both define themselves as designers, but they’ll admit that the intersection between the two worlds is where they feel most at ease. “We don’t want to be put in a box. Our products can be exhibited at galleries and sold in ILLUM at the same time. They have the potential for both,” Larsson explains. And the designers also don’t shy away from dipping their toes in the artist pool. Latest when they created jewelry displays for Larsson’s sister Rebecca, which were exhibited at Enter Art Fair and in Asbæk Gallery. “We move in the spaces we find most fun. And sometimes, the outcome moves more in the direction of an installation piece as opposed to a piece with a specific functionality,” Larsson says.    

Reflections Copenhagen is built on the courage to go against the mainstream. And part of that courage, the designers attribute to the fact that they are both autodidactic interior designers. “We’re completely self-taught and don’t have a set of rules to follow. In a way, it sort of makes us more independent,” Larsson explains, who herself originally studied to become a school teacher but has worked her up the interior business for more than two decades. Hugau has previous experience as a makeup artist and jewelry designer. And although it has been challenging when it comes to technical drawings or material insight, Larsson admits it has given them a lot of freedom and a no limits approach. 

Larsson and Hugau’s desire to counteract design traditions lit the spark for Reflections Copenhagen. But it’s their continuous effort and carefully thought out design process, which keep the flame alive. “You have to be mindful of what you produce and send out in the world,” Larsson argues. “At Reflections Copenhagen, we are very mindful of what we produce.” 

Find Reflections Copenhagen at ILLUM Design Atelier on the 4th floor.