Excerpt. The complete interview can be found on June Home Supply here.

By: Lindsay Johnson | Photography: Kate Sears for June Home Supply

Having been described by visitors as ‘a little slice of Copenhagen’, Camilla’s home looks and feels like exactly that. We were thrilled to have the chance to step inside and chat with Camilla about her everyday inspirations, love of New York, and the ethos behind Scandinavian design.

Please, introduce yourself 🙂

My name is Camilla Vest and I live in Brooklyn, New York with my husband and 2 children. On a daily basis I lead the Skagerak team in North America, where we are responsible for growing the presence of the brand in the US and Canada.

Where are you from originally? What brought you to New York?

I am originally from Denmark, and moved to New York in 1995 to start an international modelling career and have been here pretty much ever since.

What inspired you to cultivate a career in design and interiors?

On my many modelling trips I always enjoyed collecting beautiful objects and furniture pieces, and this combined with my Danish heritage and my passion for design, my love for storytelling and collaboration, along with my growing network in North America all led me to starting my own agency 4 years ago – Objects NYC who represented Danish furniture brands in the US and Canada. Skagerak was one of our most prominent brands who have really taken off in the last couple of years as the brand’s focus on minimal, sustainable and timeless designs really resonates with the needs of the modern consumer.

When the opportunity to work with Skagerak exclusively was presented to us earlier this year, it was an offer we couldn’t resist as we have always felt very aligned with both the Skagerak aesthetics and values and we feel the brand has so much potential – we are beyond excited to be part of the journey.

You bring a beautifully distinct Scandinavian lifestyle into your life and work in Brooklyn. On the other hand, how has living in New York influenced that lifestyle and aesthetic?

I feel like I have always stayed very true to my aesthetic and the Scandinavian influence is definitely very distinct throughout our home – we actually often hear visitors to the Skagerak showroom call the space “a little slice of Copenhagen”. The Scandinavian aesthetic is both reflected in the actual furniture and design pieces we have, but also small things like how we emphasize the high ceilings and large windows to maximize the light.

What is an element or ethos within Scandinavian design that you hope to see catch on in North America?

That less is more. In my opinion everything looks better with space around it – it’s about staying away from cluttered setups and having open rooms where you can interact. I find that when there is too much furniture in a room you can’t appreciate the individual pieces and the atmosphere is more noisy. Some of my favorite furniture pieces are small side tables and stools (like the Georg Jubilee stool in our showroom) and I feel like these have to stand alone to really shine.

Patina is another thing that we embrace in Scandinavia. In Denmark, people view wood as a living material, one that will change and patinate over time, and one you can maintain yourself if you need to. It’s therefore common to purchase untreated wood products and if you feel over time that they need to be refreshed due to wear and tear, stains etc. all you do is sand down the wood and potentially add an oil treatment for extra protection – then the product is not just as good as new, it’s also long lasting. This is something our customers have had to get used to as the majority of our customers want their products to continue looking like they did from day one. However, In both the US and Canada we do see more and more of our customers adapting to this process, as they start appreciating the process and the fact that it also makes them feel more connected to their product.

The complete interview can be found on June Home Supply here.

Photography: Kate Sears

A little slice of Copenhagen with Camilla Vest / JuneHomeSupply