Table of Contents

- Re-examining Products as “Works of Art”
- Embedding Richness in Stillness
- Materials: Moving from Explanation to Experience
- Immersing in the Brand’s Universe
- "Layers of Meaning" Born Through Layering

3daysofdesign, an event where visitors can experience the forefront of Nordic design trends that continue to attract global attention, was held again this year in Copenhagen, Denmark, from June 10 to 12. Copenhagen in June usually offers a refreshing pre-summer climate to enjoy, but with visitor numbers growing year after year, this edition saw a particularly notable increase in exhibitors and attendees from Japan.
This year's theme was "Make This Moment Matter". Spanning eight Design Districts, over 460 brands participated and hosted more than 600 events. What stood out across the venues was the dedicated effort to convey brand values as immersive "experiences"—leveraging materials, light, sound, fragrance, and craft.
More than ever, this year’s 3daysofdesign featured exhibitions that were carefully designed not only in terms of what to display, but also how visitors would receive and absorb it. Here is an overview of 3daysofdesign 2026, shared through the lens of TOPPAN.

Re-examining Products as “Works of Art”

The first striking element was how exhibitions detached furniture and lighting from everyday living scenes, directing focus toward the forms and underlying narratives themselves.

HAY chose the contemporary art institution O–Overgaden as its venue, placing past, present, and upcoming designs within the same space. By allowing products from different eras to resonate with one another, the curation encouraged visitors to consider not just individual forms, but the relationships between designs. Vitra and Fredericia similarly displayed new pieces alongside archives, presenting the time accumulated by their brands as a singular narrative.

Rather than competing over "what is new", these brands layered the past with the present to bestow new meaning upon familiar products. The exhibition spaces served as quiet stages for deciphering brand history.

Embedding Richness in Stillness

Exhibitions by brands like Audo, &Tradition, and GUBI brought forth images of serene, refined living. Muted color palettes, soft lighting, natural materials, and ample negative space created an elevated atmosphere—not through overt flashiness, but through the seamless harmony of furniture, lighting, and architecture.

The foundational palette relied on neutral tones such as warm white, sand beige, greige, and stone gray. Subdued accents like butter yellow, dusty blue, and oxblood were layered in, adding a gentle rhythm to the space without compromising the natural texture of the materials.

Future luxury may lie not in eye-catching opulence, but in a quiet stillness that invites you to stay longer.

Materials: Moving from Explanation to Experience

A clear shift was also evident in how materials were presented. Søuld presented acoustic panels made from eelgrass as a light-and-shadow installation. Dinesen seamlessly extended timber from floors to walls and ceilings, while MUTINA utilized three-dimensional ceramics for wall surfaces, partitions, and fixtures.  A notable characteristic this year was that many brands let materials define the space, rather than merely lining them up with explanatory labels.

In CMF (Color, Material, Finish), priority shifted from introducing entirely new materials to drawing out the expressive qualities of existing ones. Deep brown and black wood grains, oil finishes offering a subtle sheen, and mirror accents contrasting with matte textures were prominent. In kitchens and bathrooms, combinations of black stone, timber, and Taj Mahal quartzite achieved a balance of solid weight and natural warmth.

Materials are no longer just specifications to be read; they are meant to be touched and felt through the shifting play of light. This method of communication itself became the spatial highlight.

Immersing in the Brand’s Universe

An increasing number of exhibitions moved away from reproducing practical domestic setups, choosing instead to abstract brand values into immersive installations.

TEKLA used patchwork quilts and timber frameworks to evoke domestic memories and the transmission of craftsmanship. Bang & Olufsen transformed a historic mansion into a stage for listening sessions and live performances, making a lasting impression by focusing on the emotions and time experienced beyond the products themselves. FRAMA treated fragrance as a spatial design element, crafting a unique world where order and intentional discord coexisted.

Understanding a brand through light, sound, scent, and touch—exhibitions are evolving into experiential platforms designed to imprint a brand's philosophy deeply into memory.

"Layers of Meaning" Born Through Layering

What emerged across this series of exhibitions was a consistent commitment to re-layering existing values from new perspectives.

"Time"—layering heritage masterworks with new designs. "Materials"—layering sheer textiles and light colors over substantial wood and stone. "Culture"—reinterpreting Japanese and Asian elements through the lens of Nordic design principles. Japanese books, Go boards, and washi paper lighting were integrated naturally—not as exotic decorations, but as subtle components building the room's atmosphere.

3daysofdesign 2026 demonstrated that creating experiences where meaning gradually emerges is far more powerful than loudly declaring value. Thoughtfully editing familiar materials, heritage, and accumulated time to unlock undiscovered value offers invaluable inspiration for the future of spatial design.

This concludes TOPPAN's report on 3daysofdesign 2026.
This year's event strongly communicated the quiet, gentle, yet deeply grounded resolve of Nordic brands rooted in accumulated history. The living-oriented designs felt both novel and comforting, with multi-layered values bringing added depth to every concept.
Offering a distinct charm compared to Salone del Mobile, 3daysofdesign is scheduled to return during the same period next year. For those interested, planning a visit is highly recommended—you may just find design inspiration that stands unaffected by fleeting trends.

If you are interested in the details of this report, please feel free to contact us.

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