I can remember the day I came across Pedersen and Lennard. I was scrolling through a friend’s Instagram feed and i spotted the most gorgeous wooden wall hooks i had ever seen? I quickly clicked over to their feed and spent what must have been over an hour browsing all their gorgeous products – Anything from desks to lamps to accessories of just about any kind. I was smitten.
So when I sat down to think about who to collaborate with on The Ultimate Makeover Collaboration, they were one of the very first brands on my list. I couldn’t wait to feature them in some way!
And I just love the way their products we carefully selected together work so well with the whole feel an theme of the room. The black storage bin adds such an amazing industrial element to the room and the bedside lamp is a real winner for kids room. Heck, I’m even thinking of getting some for our bedside tables!
Whether it’s a dining room table or an office desk, we believe design should be accessible, functional and beautiful. It’s why we focus on quality products, innovative design and a simple aesthetic.
Here we talk to Luke Pedersen, one of the masterminds behind this beautiful brand, about how his company an style has evolved and some of the challenges and lessons learned along the way.
Thank you Pedersen and Lennard for being part of this incredibly fun project!
1. Is this your full time job?
Yes.
2. How and when was your brand born?
After travelling abroad for a few years we decided to return home and felt we had something unique to add, this was in 2008.
3. Was it an overnight success or did you experience many teething problems?
It is an ongoing challenge with small victories along the way and many lessons learnt but we have had great exposure in the press and happy clients who continue to refer us.
4. What has been your greatest lesson in the industry? Any tips for people starting out?
It’s critical to have something unique in mind and to stay true to that as your vision grows and adapts.
5. As an entrepreneur what are some challenges you face with having to balance it all – family, work and other commitments?
Running your own business can be exhausting but we found ways to boundary ourselves and work hard but also play hard, do lots of sport and things that energize us. The new challenges are now to balance family life with small kids (Luke) and the changing landscape but somewhere in all of the chaos is the thing we love to do!
6. What is the dominant theme running through your product range? And what is your signature product?
Our work is very grounded, we enjoy simple lines and not much frills. This approach as well as the fact that we manufacture for ourselves definitely helps guide our design process.
7. Who/what are your biggest influences? Or your greatest inspirations?
We are influenced by production a lot, we really enjoy finding new methods or ways to exploit materials – we rarely look beyond this for inspiration.
8. What has been your biggest achievement thus far as a brand?
Running a sustainable business that employs people and creates an opportunity for others to grow within it has always been our measure of success. It’s not always easy but the challenge of doing so without compromise is what keeps the blood pumping.
9. What are your future hopes for you business?
We aim to own our whole production process, this will help us compete in many ways with imported products and have more control on aspects such as quality and lead times. Looking further ahead we would like to see our business as an established part of the design industry that helps create awareness of the value of buying local design, employs people in a sustainable way and helps to grow the design industry as a whole.
Remember, we are running a competition where you can stand the chance to WIN a kid’s bedroom makeover worth R20 000! (Like the one pictured above!) Pedersen and Lennard have generously sponsored a storage bin and bedside lamp to make up part of this awesome prize! Click HERE to follow the easy steps for entry.
GOOD LUCK!!! ♥
Hi I’m Leigh! Did you enjoy reading this post? I really hope so and would love you to stick around a little longer! Please feel free to browse my blog for other articles or to keep up with all the latest news and to be the first to hear about some great competitions, come and find me me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email me directly at leeloobaggins@hotmail.com or simply subscribe below and never worry about missing out!
Loved what I read especially the growing the design industry as a whole .
That storage bin is so cute! I think I would have to get one for my boy and one for me