Recently I travelled to Copenhagen. Whenever I travel, I try to notice how different cultures approach everyday life. I take notes on how people use space, the materials that appear throughout a city and the ways food, clothing and architecture reflect broader cultural values.
Copenhagen had long been a dream destination because of its design culture and lifestyle. I came home with plenty of references, but more importantly, a clearer idea of what I want Found to value.
The difference is noticeable as soon as you arrive. Copenhagen Airport has timber floors, artworks and carefully selected furniture layered throughout what is still a highly functional space. That same attention continues into the city, where design does not feel confined to galleries or expensive stores. It permeates through cafes, restaurants, clothing, public spaces and ordinary routines.
Visiting Designmuseum Danmark gave this a deeper historical context. Danish design is often reduced to pale timber and minimalist interiors, but there is more substance behind it. The focus is usually on understanding an object’s purpose and then improving its proportions, construction or material. It is a useful reminder that innovation does not always require inventing something entirely new.
Food, Cafes and Everyday Design
One of our favourite ways to experience a new city is through its food and cafe scene, and in Copenhagen this was where its design culture felt most tangible.
The food and cafe scene brought this philosophy to life. At Mad & Kaffe, we built our own Danish-style brunch board from smaller classic dishes, moving easily between the considered interior and tables outside. Dallas Coffee was simple but memorable, with great coffee, a granola bowl and a small but delicious cardamom bun.
Atelier September was one of the highlights. Its almond pancakes and morning plate showed how far a few good ingredients can go. Amator took this simplicity even further: one communal table, a record player setting the atmosphere and a menu centred around one of the best omelettes I have eaten. From the furniture and cutlery to the complimentary bread, everything was well thought-out.
Not everything was quite so restrained. Poulette served one of the best chicken sandwiches of the trip, intensely spicy but worth it. Next door was Pompette, where we could eat the sandwich with a glass of wine. That combination captured something I liked about Copenhagen: refined restaurants, bakeries, wine bars and casual takeaway spots all felt part of the same city.
Copenhagen may also be the best pastry city I have visited. We loved Hart and BUKA, particularly their cardamom buns. The pastries were buttery and rich, but rarely so sweet or overloaded that the dough itself disappeared. Even a grain roll with butter and cheese felt special because the ingredients were good enough to stand on their own.
At Nr.30 Spisested & Vinbar, this respect for ingredients appeared through a direct farm-to-table approach. Much of its produce comes from the restaurant’s farm outside Copenhagen, allowing the available ingredients to guide the menu. We had an incredible Danish steak, but what stayed with me was the clear connection between the restaurant and the origins of what it served.
La Cabra was another favourite. The coffee was excellent, but the space was equally memorable. Brick, concrete and timber had been introduced without covering up the character of the existing building. Copenhagen seems particularly good at creating something contemporary without making everything around it feel new.
Copenhagen in Summer
One of our favourite days was riding bikes along the water to Reffen, a street-food market built largely from repurposed shipping containers on a former industrial site. Rather than hiding the area’s history, Reffen uses it to create something social and energetic. The bike ride there was as memorable as the destination.
Summer amplified that energy. The days seemed to last forever and when the weather was good, everyone was outside. People ate and drank on the street, sat beside the harbour and made use of the city instead of just moving through it. Nyhavn was crowded but electric, while La Banchina allowed us to sit beside the water with a drink and swim in the harbour.
We still visited the expected landmarks. The Little Mermaid was, predictably underwhelming, while Tivoli Gardens, the world’s third-oldest amusement park, was something I would not miss. Still, most of my favourite memories came from the time between those places: riding beside the water, eating outside late in the evening and continually finding another good cafe.
Lessons from Danish Fashion
This philosophy also appears in Copenhagen’s fashion scene. The most interesting Danish brands do not all share one look, but they often share a commitment to practicality and material.
Sunflower works with familiar menswear pieces such as jeans and leather jackets. The distinction comes through fabric, fit and styling rather than an unnecessary number of features. For Found, it shows how an established garment can still feel original when the proportions and construction are right.
Berner Kühl combines technical fabrics with classic menswear silhouettes. Its clothing is functional without looking like conventional activewear. This is particularly relevant to the direction I want to take with Found’s outerwear, where performance should support the garment rather than dominate its appearance.
mfpen takes a different approach, reworking European tailoring through relaxed silhouettes and deadstock materials. What I find most useful is its focus. The brand does not need an endless catalogue to make its world feel complete. It goes deeper into a smaller number of ideas.
Together, these brands demonstrate that Danish fashion is not simply beige minimalism. It can be technical, relaxed, tailored or expressive. What connects it is a sense that every decision should earn its place.
What We Can Learn from Danish Design
Australia has exceptional designers, restaurants and cafes, but these areas do not always feel connected to the same continuous tradition. Our design culture is younger and more fragmented. In Copenhagen, good design felt less like a specialist interest and more like an inherited cultural habit.
The lesson for Found is not to reproduce the surface appearance of Copenhagen. The opportunity is to translate its philosophy to Sydney: designing for our climate and way of life while treating materials, construction and everyday experience with greater care.
I returned thinking less about a particular Copenhagen look and more about the discipline behind it. Travel is most useful when it changes what you notice, not just what you want to imitate.
Best Wishes,
Found Team.