Suzanne Potts, Founder & Creative Director of Nomess Copenhagen gives us an exclusive insight into the Nomess philosophy and her personal inspirations...
Why did you decide to start your own business?
It all started when I moved back to Denmark with my family, after living in Paris for several years. When my family and I came back we needed some products to organise our everyday essentials - I think it's important to have this approach when starting out in a new place, especially with small kids. Therefore, I wanted something really simple and functional to organise my belongings. I discovered a huge gap in the design market for products of good quality, and hence why I started Nomess Copenhagen - because of my own demand for products which the market was lacking.
Functionality and organisation are at the heart of Nomess, can you tell me more about this philosophy?
All products are designed for the single purpose of making everyday life easier. In the beginning, it was very much about storage and organisation, however it became obvious to me that order was not enough - it was important how order was presented. It has to look good at the same time.
For Nomess, the functionality in organising objects can’t stand alone. It simply needs aesthetics to function, and my deep-seated roots and passion for both Danish architecture and furniture laid the grounded for a more design-orientated approach. It became clear that design was a big part of the necessity for order.
You collaborated with Dutch designer Lex Pott on your iconic Spring Scissor. Could you tell us about the inspiration and craftsmanship behind the design?
The idea behind Lex's design has its roots in traditional Asian craftsmanship. The Spring Scissor is designed with spring steel so they reshape to the original form after use. It is symmetric and therefore it is suitable for left as well as right hand use. The distinct graphic and sculptural features added by Lex Pott transform this ordinary tool into an artistic object.
Name an artwork or piece of design that you love?
Boby by Jo Colombo. It is such a lovely trolley that we all need for all out bits and pieces.
We adore Copenhagen. What is it you like about the city and where do you go to get inspired?
Copenhagen is such a vibrant city. You can cycle everywhere, and I like to visit the harbour to get inspired.
Tell us about a special travel memory.
A special memory from my travels are pieces of broken Ostindian Porcelain, softly rounded by the sea and collected on the beach at Trankebar in Southeast India. They are placed in a Nomess 3 drawer box as a reminder so I can dream about Trankebar, where my family lived several generations ago.
What is on your summer reading list?
The award-winning ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ by Keigo Higashino. The book is about Yasuko Hanaoka, a single mother, and her daughter Misato and the turbulence that ensues when Hanaoka's ex-husband shows up and tries to extort money. I have my expectations high, and I can't wait to get started.
Thank you Suzanne!
