CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP

Lone Monna and Pernille met by chance around 10 years ago through a mutual acquaintance. They instantly felt like working together, but Lone was doing interior styling, and Pernille was in advertising photography, so it wasn’t until Lone needed a photographer for a home styling feature that their two worlds merged.

”We realized that we had a really good chemistry. One task turned into several, and we grew frustrated with being based in separate locations. So, we decided to share the same studio – first with a few others and later in our very own studio. This room is part of an old print shop that had been abandoned for some time, so it took quite some work to make it perfect for us,” Lone and Pernille explain.

FUSING FORM AND FUNCTION

Contact Copenhagen’s studio is an open, high-ceilinged space where light floods the room through large factory windows. While the open layout is fantastic and offers many possibilities, there are times when clearly defined zones are necessary to optimize the space or set the right scene for a photoshoot. This is why the idea of flexible room division with curtains arose. And Contact Copenhagen turned to Stilling for help with such a solution.

“We use the studio for numerous photoshoots and to style a wide variety of cases with different expressions and styles. With different spatial needs, we couldn’t divide the room with fixed walls. The space called for something flexible, so that’s where curtains and specially designed curtain tracks came into play” they say.

37 METER CUSTOM CURVED TRACK

In collaboration with Stilling’s technicians, Contact Copenhagen has crafted a bespoke, gracefully curved and ceiling-mounted AP 1100 curtain track, extending over an impressive span of 37 meters. This elegantly designed curtain track traces the room’s perimeter before bending into a spacious square area, serving dual purposes as a versatile meeting room and an ideal photography setting. To add an innovative touch, the extended curtain track concludes with a meticulously milled circular feature, providing an artistic frame for product displays and close-up photography shots.

“We call the small circle the rosette, and it creates an intimate space within the room. We use it to encircle and showcase design objects, art, or furniture. We also use it, for instance, to cover half of a sofa or chair, highlighting  both the fabric and the object.”

CONTEMPORARY STUCCO

Contact Copenhagen sketched the shaping of the track, marrying practical functionality with the creation of exquisite ceiling patterns. Like a contemporary stucco, created by the discreet track with gracefully curved wings that harmoniously resonate with the curvature and flow of the wave curtains it supports.

Stilling’s technicians then devised the curtain system’s functionality, ensuring that the curtains can move freely along the entire track, easily transitioning from being parked along the wall to serving as a meeting room or a backdrop for a photography project. The AP 1100 track effortlessly supports both light and heavy curtain fabrics. It is made of 75% recycled aluminium, and has the Stilling SUSTAIN™ label.

SOFT BACKDROPS & VISUAL CALM

For their studio, Lone and Pernille selected fabric series from Danish Pagunette, all tailored into curtains with Stilling’s ‘Perfect Wave™’ system. This ensures that the fabric has beautiful, uniform waves which fall perfectly every time the curtains are drawn open or closed.

“It adds some essential tactility to images when there are textiles in the background. We chose our curtains in heavy linen, satin, and very thin voile – and in five different colours. With their soft, flowing design language, the curtains create beautiful backdrops and frame our studio, allowing us to effortlessly create separate spaces when we have clients visiting. It’s fantastic, even when we’re alone – the studio is a very large space, and with the curtains, we can shield off and create a cozy atmosphere around us,” says Lone, while Pernille adds:

“And we can hide my photography equipment, which is placed on open shelves for easy access. It brings visual calm to the room.”

IMPROVED ACOUSTICS

In addition to functioning as flexible room dividers and creating different moods, the creative duo’s new curtains have also had a significant impact on another critical aspect that often poses problems in an open office: acoustics.

“During our photoshoots, we typically have up to eight people present, including clients, assistants, and various others, and this could lead to a considerably high noise level in a large space with bare floors and lofty ceilings. In the past, this expansive room reverberated with sound, but since the introduction of these curtains, it has been transformed into a remarkably comfortable environment. The impact on acoustics has been significant, not only in reducing overall noise levels but also in enabling us to establish quiet zones for meetings and discussions by utilizing the room-dividing curtains.”

TACTILE TRENDS

There’s no doubt that curtains are popular not only for styling tasks but also in private homes, Lone and Pernille says:

“Curtains are so popular because they add something beautiful and soft, a tactile contrast to hard materials like marble and stone. But functionally, there’s also a great need for them. They’re needed to improve acoustics, especially now that many have replaced wall-to-wall carpets with concrete or stone floors – and to control the increasing amount of light coming in through windows in modern buildings. ‘Hygge’ is a significant trend in interior design. We want cosiness in our homes, and the soft fabric curtains, preferably in multiple layers, provide just that.”

PROFOUND IMPACT

Contact Copenhagen also chose double-layered curtains, also known as ‘hotel curtains’ for the large factory windows facing the street. Mounted on two parallel AP 1100 curtain tracks the double curtains allow Lone and Pernille to control the light, filter it, and completely block it when needed.

“The solutions we’ve selected have had a profound impact on our space. Our curtains effortlessly glide along the extended track with almost silent grace, enabling us to transform the room instantly while preserving its aesthetics. Moreover, the presence of these beautiful, flowing curtain fabrics creates a sense of luxury and warmth that is truly inviting,” Pernille and Lone conclude.

MORE ABOUT LONE MONNA

Lone Monna has a degree in fashion design from the Danish Design School. After many years in the fashion industry, Lone now brings an innovative approach to interior styling, with a penchant for colours and modern design.

Lone works with styling, creative leadership, and visual identity. She has a minimalist approach and a unique sense of colour. Thanks to her design background, she has a deep understanding of materials and fabrics.

MORE ABOUT PERNILLE GREVE

With an education both in graphic design and from the Copenhagen Photography School,  Pernille Greve has a keen eye for visual elements. Pernille has extensive experience with high-end photography for advertising, corporate identity, branding, product campaigns, magazines, and portraits.

Pernille’s primary focus is on still life and interior photography with the personal goal of presenting her clients’ objects in the most beautiful way possible.