Brdr. Krüger

Following the IMM Cologne taking place this week, 15 to 21-01.2018, we bring you the interview with Jonas Krüger, Creative Director of Brdr. Krüger.

— Interview —

For someone that still hasn't heard of Brdr. Krüger, how would you describe the company and more specifically the work you do that defines and makes your pieces of furniture so special?

Brdr. Krüger is a family-run design company founded in 1886 by brothers Theodor and Ferdinand Krüger. The company started as a woodturning workshop and is today a self producing design company that celebrates classic Danish design values and reinterprets them for a contemporary audience. Our commitment to quality and craftsmanship has been nurtured for five generations, ensuring the same high quality in every piece that leaves our workshop in Denmark.

The Brdr. Krüger approach - Can you describe your approach on every new collection, as well as the selection of designers that work with Brdr. Krüger.

We have a long-standing relationship with the highly respected architect Hans Bølling— he worked with my grandfather, my father and I have also worked with him in recent years. Last year we brought Hans' TRIIIO table into production, a product he first sketched in 1958. We also have a strong relationship with renowned designers OEO Studio as well as talents, Rasmus Baekkel Fex and Sverre Uhnger. We are deeply involved in every stage of the design process, from the first idea to the final design— a rewarding and progressive way of working that has been at the heart of the company’s approach to craftsmanship since our early beginnings.

Being a family company, with such a distinctive path, how do you articulate international contemporary design with your brand’s Danish identity and craftsmanship?

We will always stay true to our design DNA which is born out of the aesthetics of the mid-century Danish modern movement, but we strive to produce pieces that have a timeless quality and appeal to a contemporary and international audience.

What can we expect from Brdr. Krüger at IMM Cologne, and what are your favorite designs on the show?

For IMM Cologne, Brdr. Krüger will be launching a new version of OEO Studio's Ferdinand lounge chair with an enriched and textured smoked oak finish and brown leather seat. We will also be showing our much-loved classic designs: Theodor dining chair, Bølling tray table, TRIIIO table series, F chair, Pauline bar stool and the Lune table and pendant lamps. I can’t say I have a favorite – I am proud and admire all the pieces in the collection!

As a creative director and as someone that grew into the family business, how do you see the company evolving from here, and what can we expect?

We will remain dedicated in producing high quality design and continue to seek out creative partnerships with a range of upcoming and established designers and architects. We are looking forward to presenting new pieces during the Stockholm Furniture Fair and have a very exciting project coming up in February in Copenhagen - it is confidential at the moment but I am looking forward to sharing the news with you soon!

— JONAS KRÜGER —

Jonas Krüger is the fifth generation of the Krüger family and runs Brdr. Krüger with his sister, Julie Krüger. As Creative Director and a member of the management team, he continues to safeguard and communicate 130 years of proud craftsmanship and strong values of this family run business.

Before joining the family business in 2014, Jonas lived in New York, Stockholm, Berlin and Istanbul, exploring a diversity of cultures and expressions. Not only is he a trained graphic designer, he also studied photography, journalism and filmmaking, and initiated several cultural projects and events within the music industry. He has worked in film, television and commercial production, as well as a manager of the creative team at MTV Nordic for three years in Stockholm.
Jonas also ran his own company specialising in animated graphic design.

Jonas Krüger developed a passion for storytelling, communications and branding, and his inspiration and experiences led him to see the potential of the family business in Denmark. From his first entrepreneurial involvement in a new graphic design of the website and catalogue, it became evident that creative direction, communication and the future development of Brdr.
Krüger was to be his contribution to the family business.

— Brdr. Krüger —

A FAMILY HISTORY
Founded in 1886 by brothers Ferdinand and Theodor Krüger, Brdr. Krüger began as a Danish woodturning workshop that has passed down the generations. Now run by Niels Krüger, who is fourth generation, Jonas Krüger and Julie Krüger, who are fifth generation, this family business has a focus on craftsmanship and quality.

Jonas and Julie Krüger have had the opportunity to explore and learn skills which they are using to transform the family business into a design brand with substance and integrity. Their parents, Niels Krüger and Jyliane Krüger, who are the present owners, are involved in everyday operations: Niels Krüger as the experienced master craftsman in the workshop, and Jyliane Krüger manages administration and sales.