DETJER: A LESSON IN CLASSIC DESIGN

You’ve probably seen the furniture around without knowing it. Timeless design, good quality and even better materials – that’s DETJER in a nutshell.

What is DETJER?

On their website, the company states that DETJER was established in 2019 out of love for the trade as well as the environment.

Before the start of DETJER, Bjorn Thomasse – founder of DETJER – had worked in the fashion industry as the owner of a clothing store for more than 20 years. As that came to an end, Bjorn was looking for something completely different – a furniture store was the way to go. He had always had an interest in interior design, so the venture seemed like an obvious choice. “As it happens, a friend invited us to visit a workshop in Indonesia where hardworking craftspeople build the most stunning handmade furniture” and Thomasse was quickly convinced that this was what he wanted to do.

Today, you can buy DETJER furniture all over the world. When you go to their website to find a store, the map lights up like a Christmas tree. North America, South America, Europe, South Korea and Africa – you can find a DETJER retailer anywhere which speaks to the popularity of the brand.

Shining a light on design

In short, DETJER wants to share their love of classic design with anyone who’s interested.

The designers at DETJER find inspiration from the Chandigarh style from the 1950s to create their mid century modern furniture. DETJER furniture is manufactured in the factory in Indonesia by experienced craftsmen. This is done with love and respect to the manufacturing process and with an eye for details. Bjorn is proud of this process and we understand why.

When talking about their bestsellers, Bjorn says, “our chairs are indeed the favorite among our customer”. These too are based on the Chandigarh style. Bjorn believes the perpetual nature of the chairs has influenced their popularity because they fit with every type of interior.

Sustainability and DETJER

Bjorn emphasizes multiple times in our interview, that DETJER focuses a lot on timeless design. He thinks this is valuable for multiple reasons, one of them being sustainability. Because of the timelessness of the pieces, they all fit well with different interior styles. If you combine this with the great quality of the pieces, you have a piece of furniture that’ll last a lifetime and can be passed on for generations.

"We do our best to show that our furniture is not subject to trends and fits well with different interior styles."

BJORN THOMASSE, FOUNDER OF DETJER

When asked about sustainability, Bjorn replies, “we certainly think sustainability is an important issue and we, too, would like to take responsibility in this regard”. Besides focusing on the timelessness of the design, DETJER is also very focused on quality which is briefly touched upon above. All DETJER’s handmade chairs, cabinets and other pieces are made from Mindi wood and all bear the FLEGT label – FLEGT meaning Forest Law Enforcement, Governance & Trade. This means that all handmade DETJER furniture is recognized by the EU as made from legal wood complying with the European Timber Regulation. Besides this, Bjorn also mentions that Mindi wood comes from oak from Indonesian plantations and is known for its beautiful grain – as a man with a passion for furniture, this is definitely worth mentioning.

The idea of sustainability doesn’t stop at the wood used for the furniture however. The material used for DETJER’s outdoor cushions is made from fabric normally used on luxury boats. This means that it can endure all types of weather conditions making the cushions highly durable.

Bjorn also points out that sustainability is important in more than one sense. He brings up the relationship DETJER has with their retailers but also the relationship they have with their factory in Indonesia. “We’ve been working with the same manufacturers and customers from the very beginning of DETJER and do our best to invest in them”, he says.

Bjorn says that “it’s not for nothing that it’s ‘hot’ again” when talking about shopping secondhand. People are becoming more aware of their shopping and spending habits, which he thinks is amazing. “There are still so many beautiful items that deserve a second, third or even fourth shot at life”, he says and explains that he also likes when an item has a story to tell which is the case with secondhand items.

When it comes to secondhand shopping, a furniture lover like Bjorn can’t believe his luck when he stumbles upon a design classic. This is however the exception more than the rule, so his best advice for shopping secondhand furniture is to look for something beautiful that compliments your current interior. His most important tip however, is that you should already know where in your home, you want to place your new piece. If you don’t, it might not be the right fit for your space and instead end up in the attic – and that’s not sustainable.

Bjorn ends the interview by saying, “how cool would it be if someone later on has a DETJER chair in their house which was passed on by a grandparent?”, and this is exactly why we love secondhand and vintage items – great quality never goes out of style.

You can read the original interview here.