8000c: Developing design

M anufacturing all its products in Denmark, the Aarhus-located design company 8000c has created a large collection of stylish and functional furniture for the retail and contract market. The company’s close collaboration with designers and retailers means new products are continuously added, and older ones adapted to meet specific needs.

Founded in 2007, 8000c supplies furniture for retail as well as restaurants, hotels, corporate headquarters and museums all over Europe. The broad focus requires the company’s designs to be both durable and beautiful, explains founder Søren Velling. “When I founded the company, I wanted to create furniture which would meet the durability requirements from the contract market, but would, at the same time, also live up to the retail market’s design standards.”

Working with a number of Danish designers including Hee Welling and HolmbäckNordentoft, Velling has done just that; during the last decade, 8000c has supplied furniture and interior design to a wide range of clients, from Danish schools to major corporations. In recent years, a partnership with the London-based company Icons of Denmark, has led to an increasing number of large international projects. In each project, 8000c works closely with architects and clients, and their requirements and input have helped shape and expand the company’s collection. “Our starting point is the high-quality design which is our trademark, but we also let current market trends affect our new products. It’s important for us to listen to our clients, the architects we work with and the retailers who sell our products,” says Velling. “One of the strengths we have is that our relatively small size makes it easy for us to quickly adapt and change our collection, and that’s one of the reasons we have had the success we have.”

When met with specific requirements from clients, 8000c can quickly test the viability of changes in production as all furniture is manufactured locally. “Apart from the flexibility, we also believe a local production ensures a better and more consistent quality of our products, and pretty much all our products are tested at Danish Technological Institute to ensure that they have the durability needed for their purpose,” stresses Velling.

8000c.dk