OYOY sees a future in nostalgia - New Danish brand at Lampemesteren

12 September 2022
OYOY sees a future in nostalgia - New Danish brand at Lampemesteren
If you visit an airport in Denmark, you’ll quickly notice that all the civilian airplanes have something in common. Aside from wings, engines, and tails, one thing always features on Danish aircrafts—the letters OY written along the side.

Since 1929, it has been a requirement to write an aircraft’s registration code along its body, and if the airplane is Danish, this code must start with the letters OY.

There is no official explanation as to why the 15th and 25th letters of the alphabet were chosen to represent Denmark and Danish aircrafts, but the letters ensure that you can always see if an airplane belongs to Denmark. That’s where the brand OYOY Living Design gets its name.

Ten years in the making


The seeds for OYOY were planted 10 years ago in the circular buildings of the TEKO Centre, a stone’s throw from Herning. The designer Lotte Fynboe created the iconic Pif Paf Puf hanging bowl in connection with a project at design school, and on 12 January 2012, she founded OYOY Living Design.

In 2018, Søren Anker Hansen joined the team as co-owner and navigator, but Lotte Fynboe remains at the creative helm of the ship that is this designer brand. Diving into OYOY’s collection of home accessories, you’ll undoubtedly notice that Fynboe’s name keeps popping up.

Recall childhood memories and create new ones


When you scratch the surface of OYOY Living’s big portfolio, you are guaranteed to discover a feeling of nostalgia. An elegant familiarity that the modern family can use as an anchor and with which it can surround itself. Stunning, creative settings that bring to mind childhood memories and fill the stage on which life unfolds.

The entire stunning collection is inspired by Danish design tradition, including the brand using the OY. It is clear to see that OYOY Living Design creates Danish designs, and there is no doubt that the brand’s products belong to Denmark—just like the airplanes that have OY written down the sides.

Take the Toppu collection, for example, which includes a vase, tray, bowl, and lamp. Toppu is made of stoneware and painted with stripes, giving the different objects in the collection a recognisable and beautifully graphic expression. The warm colours and shapes result in quaint home accessories that contribute a light, elegant touch in true Scandinavian style. The classic lines of Lotte Fynboe are timeless and without features tying it to a specific era. It is hard to tell whether Toppu was designed in the 60s or in the year 2022.

The Toppu objects are available in various earthy tones, and they are easy to combine as you see fit. The artisanal execution is impeccable, and it is clear to see that Lotte Fynboe and Søren Anker Hansen’s OYOY Living Design creates some of the best home accessories currently available on the market. With that in mind, it is no surprise that Toppu means ‘to strive for the best’ in Japanese.

The small imperfections of the handmade products ensure personality and exclusivity. ‘In crafting there are no mistakes, just unique creations’, it reads on OYOY Living Design’s website, and these Bob Ross-esque imperfections and ‘happy accidents’ breathe humanity and soul into the Danish brand’s products.

Discover OYOY Living Design’s home accessories here