For Dennis Marquart, designer of the Gab Lounge and Spire Coffee Table, the past greatly influences his contemporary design practice bringing forward a Modern aesthetic into his range of products. Having originally trained as a blacksmith, a craft with a long history, he continued his studies at the Copenhagen Design University.

His aim in designing furniture is to create simple products that focus on balance with a selected group of materials. Informed by his education, Dennis has a particular focus on metalworking – “Most of my designs have something with steel. I am influenced a lot by my background as a blacksmith but it is also so easy to make products with steel, partly because I know the material so well. Wood is more complicated because if you cut it wrong, you have to replace it whereas steel you just weld a new piece together with the old, and then it’s brand new.”

When asked about the design of the Gab Lounge, Dennis comments: “I wanted to make a chair that was made of wood with a simple, sleek design. The chair needed to have a small footprint but still suitable for its purpose of being a lounge chair. Of course, I was also inspired by the history of Danish design, looking back to the designers of the Modernist era who created some amazing, inspiring pieces. I wanted to take their heritage with me and create a chair that looked back to them but also looked forward.”

Sleek, uncomplicated products with great sensitivity to his heritage are his trademarks – “I am inspired by the history and the designers before me. For example Hans J. Wegner, his wishbone chair is inspired by a Chinese design of which he adapted the design to create a chair that was suitable for his contemporary Danish audience. Sometimes I find I work like that or I see a little detail I find interesting, or a detail I think could be improved and develop a concept like that. I believe you should use your limited time here to do something good and improve the lives around you.”