This has also been the greatest challenge in designing NORNORM, according to Creative Director Eric Boudart, the mind behind the design.
“My starting point was to keep the design aesthetic true to Nordic heritage. I also wanted to make it timeless, rather than trendy, in order for it to feel contemporary even in the future”.
“There is also a strong element of freedom – freedom to mix, to choose, to change, to embrace the new but to hold on what is good”.
“Key words were simplicity, beauty, quality and easy to maintain”.
3 X Nordic
The diversity of nature and landscapes in the northern European countries was Eric Boudart’s starting point for the three basic design expressions of NORNORM; Nordic Light, Nordic Dark and Nordic Black & White.
“They all incorporate classic elements of the Scandinavian style, use plenty of natural materials and emphasize clean lines. They are neither too minimal nor too cluttered, but are rather an uncomplicated mix of elements, with a focus on functionality and simplicity”.
“As the names suggest, Light is based light wood and Dark on darker wood, while the Black & White mixes the two”.
“The colour palette relies heavily on neutrals: most notably whites, naturals and tans, with accents of black to create sharp contrasts. While embracing influences from many places in the world, we wish to stay connected to our Nordic roots”.
Injecting colours
The next step of the design process for Eric Boudart was to start thinking about injecting colours into the basic design expressions.
“Colour is an important place to start when defining any design style; acting as a backdrop for the rest of the design, helping to bring separate elements together. I wanted to use colours to add freshness and create a warmer and more individual working atmosphere”.
“Meanwhile, it was important not to lose the Nordic feeling. That’s why I decided to use the primary colours – red, green, blue and yellow – but used in different way, inspired by the diversity of nature and landscapes in the Nordic countries”.
Twelve shades of Nordic
The result of Eric Boudart’s work on developing a colour palette to match the basic design expressions was five additional takes on Nordic Light and four on Nordic Dark.
“For the Nordic Light version, the add-ons use a colour palette based on the four primary colours that have been softened with more subdued, earthy shades, i.e. moss green, lake blue, red clay and mustard yellow”.
”Meanwhile, the colour palette identified for Nordic Dark is also based on four primary colours, but whereas Nordic Light is in the lighter part of the colour spectrum, Nordic Dark covers the darker part”.