Mark&Waldorf: An eye for the slightly quirky, yet timelessly beautiful
By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: MARK&WALDORF
Some people follow trends, others follow instinct. For Marlene and Helge Mark Waldorf, the husband-and-wife team behind web shop MARK&WALDORF, it has always been about finding products that make them stop in their tracks. Quirky without being childish, timeless rather than trend-driven, their carefully curated collection proves that the best finds are often the ones you never knew you were looking for.
Long before MARK&WALDORF came to life, Marlene Mark Waldorf spent her career surrounded by consumer products. She worked as a product manager for companies including RICE, BoConcept and Bahne, travelling extensively and helping shape collections for other brands. But after suffering from stress, she reached a point where she wanted something different. “I didn’t feel sorry for myself, it became the beginning of something new. I was tired of creating products for other people. We wanted to create something ourselves,” smiles Marlene Mark Waldorf.
Together with her husband, Helge, she started MARK&WALDORF in 2013. Even the name reflected their desire to keep their options open. Mark comes from Helge’s family name, Waldorf from Marlene’s grandfather, while the ampersand symbolises the partnership between them. They deliberately avoided names including words like home, living or interior. “We wanted the freedom to develop. If one day we decide to sell orange marmalade, we can. The name should not limit us.”
Although home accessories remain at the heart of the business, the philosophy has always stayed the same: finding products that are not necessarily available everywhere else but still feel approachable and useful.
Following the gut feeling
Perhaps the most surprising thing about MARK&WALDORF is how new products are discovered. Many businesses in the industry spend weeks each year visiting international trade fairs. Marlene and Helge have not attended a single one since launching the company. Instead, discoveries happen naturally.
“I’ve learned to trust my gut feeling,” Marlene confides, and continues: “I might be walking through a small town in Italy, stop for a coffee, notice a tiny shop that’s open and suddenly see something that catches my eye. My first thought isn’t whether we can sell it, but simply ‘isn’t that beautiful?'”
Only later does she begin tracking down suppliers and exploring whether a product belongs in the MARK&WALDORF collection. Her ability to spot potential has followed her throughout her career. “I once had a job interview where they asked me what I was good at,” she laughs. “I said, ‘if you and I walked around a flea market for 15 minutes, you would probably think it was all rubbish. I would come back with four or five treasures.’ That is what I do. I find the gold.”
Knowing the customer is just as important. Over the years, Marlene has developed an understanding of the women who make up much of MARK&WALDORF’s customer base and what they are drawn to – not because something is fashionable, but because it has lasting appeal.
Products with a twist
Spend a few minutes exploring MARK&WALDORF and certain themes quickly emerge. There are delicate ceramic wall flowers that can be arranged into bouquets that never fade. Colourful Italian glasses decorated with strawberries, horses and other playful figures. Foldable travel bags that pack flat inside a suitcase until they are needed. Decorative tins and trays inspired by classic tea boxes, quirky doormats, Moomin favourites and a carefully selected collection of products that all share one characteristic: they have personality.
“We’ve never wanted to be super modern. That’s not very interesting. Trends come and go, but we’re more interested in products with a little twist. Something quirky without becoming silly or childish.”
That philosophy extends to the company’s own designs. Every Christmas, MARK&WALDORF produces its own collection of ornaments, ranging from chef’s hats and gin bottles to bespoke decorations created for clients such as Falsled Kro and Molslinjen.
A family business at heart
Despite its growth over the past 15 years, MARK&WALDORF has remained unmistakably personal. “It means a lot to us that people can feel we’re available on the other side of the screen,” Marlene explains, and continues: “Whether it’s an order confirmation, customer service or handling a complaint, we want people to know that they’re communicating with real people, not just a form.”
That personal approach is reflected throughout the business, from photography and communication to the carefully chosen collection. Every product has earned its place through the same instinct that inspired the business from the beginning. “There has to be something that catches my attention, a little twist,” adds Marlene. “When that happens, I know that I’ve found something worth sharing.”
www.markwaldorf.dk
Facebook: Mark&Waldorf
Instagram: @markogwaldorf
SHARE
Requests to commercially license our content for republishing are now being processed through PLSclear. Please visit www.plsclear.com to complete your permission request. You can search PLSclear by title, ISBN/ISSN, author, or keyword.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Receive our monthly newsletter by email
