On Essentials — A Conversation with Daniel Schofield

09.01.2023

Trained in graphic design and carpentry, and based between London and Copenhagen, Daniel’s approach to design finds beauty in simplicity. Whilst exploring materials and industrial processes, his work searches for reason, and places emphasis on what is essential.

To highlight the Norse SS23 Essentials range, we visited Daniel at his studio to have a conversation about the appeal of reduction and finding functional parallels between design objects and clothing.

“Sometimes, I see a small opportunity, or maybe there is a problem to solve. With my stools, for example, I wanted to keep them narrow, so that when you push them up to a bar or something, they don’t stick out too far. I first did them in ash, and then when Please Wait to be Seated came along and wanted to put them in production, we decided to do them in local timber to reduce the carbon footprint. I always start with an idea though and then try and pare it back to the point that it’s all it needs to be. But then it still has to have that little something about it that draws you in and makes it interesting.”

“I think my approach to style echoes what I try to achieve in design, clean lines, quality, simplicity, and then thoughtful details that can elevate something and give it that little bit of personality.”

We outfitted Daniel with garments from the Essentials collection that reflected the purist elements of the brand and mirrored Daniel’s approach to design and functionality. “I think my approach to style echoes what I try to achieve in design, clean lines, quality, simplicity, and then thoughtful details that can elevate something and give it that little bit of personality.”

“I like this idea of making something all it needs to be. I don’t know, the world is hectic enough at the best of times, so I want the things I surround myself with easily understandable, I think there is a real beauty in that directness. That’s probably where a lot of it comes from, trying to make something that’s calm yet engaging. I think what I also like about simplicity is that it doesn’t try to impose itself, two different people can interpret it each in their own way, leaving room for self-expression.”

“I think simple objects last the longest, they are usually well made and stylistically don’t pander to trends, essentially simplicity for me is an effort to make something timeless and lasting, and in doing so is inherently sustainable.”