Beauty in strength: Anne Linde’s elegant metal homewares

Anne Linde Studio was born in 2004 from one simple, but highly original, design: the Ledge:able shelf – a continuous sheet of powder-coated steel, bent six times to form a multi-dimensional ‘ledge’.

With no welding, joints or visible suspension points, Ledge:able is typical of the eponymous studio’s design language. The wider collection of sustainably sourced, wall-mounted side tables, shelves and desks are all, as Linde dubs them, “sculptural chameleons”.

The artful minimalism combines aesthetics with function. Each design serves as both an exhibition and a storage space, as the sleek metal is bent to form a plinth-like surface and an integrated hidden shelf. “Timelessness and practicality are important for me,” says Linde, who has decorated her own home with the studio’s collection. “It’s stripped back. You can style it yourself.”

Design without stereotypes

Though Anne Linde Studio’s oeuvre has clear Scandinavian sensibilities, Linde’s own background is in fashion design. “We’re very grounded in tradition here in Denmark,” she explains. “I studied clothes design in England, so I’m not as bound by those stylistic conventions. Danes aren’t really used to metal homewares, but you can use it in so many ways. It’s so clean. It’s really about how you put it together.”

Ledge:able is produced in a range of classic tones: white, black, and two elegant greys, as well as rotating colours that currently include ‘dusty green’, ‘light clay’ and the new addition ‘harvest yellow’. “It’s a beautiful colour,” says Linde. “We also have matching accessories: wooden magnets and hangers, which add some warmth.”

A break with tradition

The combination of modern textures with sharp lines and organic forms is a subtle diversion from Denmark’s traditions. Though famously innovative, Danish design is ‘homey’ where Linde’s shapes are bolder – a little more futuristic. “I’ve always been inspired by the ‘60s’ fascination with space,” she says.

“The design in shows like Space 1999 that I saw as a child left an impression on me, as did the organic forms of Danish designer, Verner Panton. That slightly space-age, abstract style is so modern and malleable.”

17 years later, Anne Linde’s original Ledge:able shelf remains the studio’s most popular design – only now it has blossomed into a celebrated, shape-shifting collection, from sculptural workspaces to elegant display-units, tables and discreet wall-mounted storage.

Web: www.anne-linde.com
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Instagram: @annelindedk