A New Life for Refurbished Danish Vintage Furniture. Lars Noah Balderskilde & David Singh
Ahoy! Vintage Danish furniture takes a voyage across the Atlantic. Lars Noah Balderskilde and his husband David Singh are concerned about the world’s landfill problems. Shifting away from the throw away society they refurbish and resell discarded mid-century Danish furniture. But they go BEYOND refurbishing and reselling. It’s about Hygge, second chances and changing the world one table at a time.
Transcript
we've found a way to have a career.
David Singh:And make a positive impact that really follows our values.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:We're also talking about democratic furniture, something that's accessible to
Lars Noah Balderskilde:everybody
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Well, hello, thank you so much for listening to all of these amazing and exceptional, positive imprints.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:I'm Catherine, your host for the podcast, your positive imprint, the variety show, featuring people all over the world whose positive actions are inspiring.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Positive achievements.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Exceptional people rise to the challenge.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Music by the talented Chris Nole., check out his music and learn so much more about his background.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Download his music and also some of his written compositions for piano.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Chris composed elevated intentions, a perfect title, which I use at the end of the show.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And Chris's music may be found at ChrisNole.com.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:that's c h r i s n o l e
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Lars Noah Balderskilde:Enjoy the show and get inspired to activate your own positive imprint.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Your positive imprint.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:What's your PI.
Catherine:When I think of Denmark, I think about the social atmosphere; the smiles of bikers passing me by and just a very contented population.
Catherine:Danes just seem lay back.
Catherine:At least the friends I know, but also very involved and concerned with what happens tomorrow- moving into the future.
Catherine:Lars Noah Balderskilde and his husband, David Singh are concerned about the world's landfill problems.
Catherine:And they stepped up with their positive imprints.
Catherine:They refurbish and resell discarded mid-century Danish furniture.
Catherine:And I am not talking a few pieces here and there, but thousands upon thousands of pieces.
Catherine:And they've influenced so many Danes to help them in their quest to locate unwanted Danish furniture.
Catherine:Taking his name he formed and opened Lanoba Design.
Catherine:David and Lars Noah are remolding what has become a throwaway society into more of a repair and reuse society where we won't need to purchase brand new products for some things.
Catherine:I'm so excited to have Lars Noah Balderskilde and David Singh on the show to share their exceptional, positive imprints, Velkommen til podcasten.
Catherine:Jeg er meget lykellig til møde dig.
Catherine:Welcome to the show.
Catherine:Oh, tak.
Catherine:Tak..
Catherine:Danish.
Catherine:I love the language.
Catherine:I speak very little of it, but it comes back every now and again.
Catherine:And so Lars, David, thank you so much for being here to share your positive imprints and amazing stories and the wonderful background and you're already influencing the world.
Catherine:Lars and David's extraordinary journey begins in Denmark with their own fairytale.
Catherine:We all know that fairy tales never really end.
Catherine:Fairytales do come true.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Uh, so we met
Lars Noah Balderskilde:in Copenhagen in 2010, uh, in the red light district, actually at the lesbian bar.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:We had a beer together and started talking and, uh, yeah.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:I think four months after we moved in together and we've pretty much been together day and night since and still going strong,
Lars Noah Balderskilde:so that's like the short version of
Lars Noah Balderskilde:how we met.
Catherine:Is a very short version.
David Singh:Yeah, so I was born in the U S and raised in Chicago.
David Singh:But I had moved to Europe, uh,, had a very corporate career, working in corporate finance and business management, uh, for many years.
David Singh:So I started out my career working in, France and in Europe, uh, and then had moved on to Denmark and Sweden and the UK working.
David Singh:So that's why I was in Denmark, through my job.
David Singh:So I had been living there for about four years when I had met Lars in a bar.
David Singh:We just kind of hit it off and spent the night talking.
David Singh:And so the next night we went out to, uh, a club opening and continued just talking all night long.
David Singh:It became a very quick relationship, I guess, that we were together nonstop, uh, for the first few months.
David Singh:And then when we both needed a new place to live, we kind of looked at each other and four months was very quick, but we decided since we were spending every minute together of why not.
David Singh:So we move in together and, uh, we, um, no issues and we spent two years living in Denmark together, each doing our corporate type jobs.
David Singh:When I got the opportunity to move to Peru with my company, which I placed a phone call to Lars saying, do you want to make the next move together?
David Singh:The next big move together.
David Singh:And, the only response was can the cat come?
David Singh:And when he found out the cat could come and he was willing to, leave his job and come to Peru, where we spent three years living.
David Singh:Oh my gosh.
David Singh:Uh, yeah.
David Singh:And we were there for three years while I was on contract until we decided to make the move to the U S and start this business.
Catherine:I love stories like that, where it's just love at first sight, but it's not just that physical attraction.
Catherine:It was that communication.
Catherine:You spent the time communicating and talking and getting to know each other.
Catherine:It's just so wonderful when you meet somebody and you just know, you just know,
David Singh:I
David Singh:think for both of us, when you talk about, when you meet someone and you could talk all night long, and it's not this instant attraction, it's actually the shared values that you have.
David Singh:And that's why you can talk all night long and you can make plans together.
David Singh:And we really do have, uh, both a sense of adventure and wanting to educate ourselves and explore through different cultures and different experiences and all the experiences that you've come across.
David Singh:Good or bad is part of your education in life.
David Singh:I think within Denmark, it's such a small country, uh, having been there quite a long time.
David Singh:We were just seeking out, something different and outside of our comfort zone.
David Singh:I had been talking about it was time for the next step in my career, but more of the next step of my life is I needed something that was a little more challenging
David Singh:It was a big step for a lot of reasons.
David Singh:One, um, to move together to a third country, it was neither of our countries, being together, going to a developing country where that was a very new
David Singh:Also being gay where it's not as accepted in Peru.
David Singh:At the time we were not married.
David Singh:Same-sex marriage doesn't exist in Peru, so, um, you know, uh, it, it, it presents its own challenges, uh, in terms of going and working and living there.
David Singh:So it wasn't the easiest step that we took.
David Singh:And, uh, there were a lot of really great experiences.
David Singh:There were some very difficult experiences, but through that path of three years, it taught us a lot about what we wanted to do and where we were going to go afterwards.
David Singh:And while we weren't sure the exact thing we're going to do, we definitely knew what we didn't want to do.
David Singh:And after our three years, we, took out a map and looked around the world of where do we want to go next?
David Singh:And because we have a lot of these shared values and we went through this shared experience, we just started kind of checking off at least places that we didn't want to go.
David Singh:One of the things is to be, be on equal footing and have equal rights as partners or spouses.
David Singh:So that was very important with, Lars not being able to work for three years, which was the first time since he was a child not working.
David Singh:That was very important to us, but also what kind of Liberty and freedoms we want in terms of work and stress and how we wanted to approach our lives.
David Singh:So, uh, we took out the map and kind of narrowed it down and came up with a few solutions.
David Singh:But the best solution that we had that would put us both on equal footing was to come to the U S
Catherine:wow.
Catherine:What, this is such insight for me to hear and to, hear what you're saying about equal rights and choosing a place where you feel comfortable, but also, wow.
Catherine:The two of you walking that journey together and that communication, and those decisions that you're making just really strengthens and bonds the relationship.
Catherine:So I want to go to Peru, how could you feel comfortable and safe at the same time?
Lars Noah Balderskilde:We didn't really experience any bad things.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Uh, the thing is when you are in Lima, it's a big city and all bigger cities are always more tolerant to other people.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Uh, but also we were mainly, uh,
Lars Noah Balderskilde:With other expats and maybe higher level educated people.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And there was really no issues there.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And people at the David's colleagues at work knew that we were together and things, and there's never been any, been any issues.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:But of course, if you go
Lars Noah Balderskilde:out to like
Lars Noah Balderskilde:the rural areas, like the jungle and, and maybe the desert or wherever, maybe that's not where you are going to wave the rainbow flag and, and things.
David Singh:For us, we didn't experience a lot of problems, I think is fortunately that's not the case for a lot of Peruvians who are rejected by their families who are
David Singh:On average, I believe it's like, one, uh, homosexual teen is murdered, every week in Peru.
David Singh:Um, there's a lot of issues within the gay community, the trans community.
David Singh:Um, and it is, uh, a struggle.
David Singh:There were a lot of people who had also never probably met someone who was gay before.
David Singh:So it was also very important to just not hide it, I think, and show people that, you can be a leader, you can run a company.
David Singh:Uh, you're just a normal guy trying to do his job
David Singh:. I think it's really important that you just go and show people
David Singh:There's nothing odd.
David Singh:There's all different kinds of people.
David Singh:Uh, and we're all just trying to make it through and do our jobs and live our lives.
David Singh:So I think it was very important also just to be ourselves and show that we can integrate into a community.
David Singh:And that there's no issue.
Catherine:If I had a beer right now, I would toast to what you just said.
Catherine:That was so well done.
Catherine:Yes.
Catherine:Cheers.
Catherine:Well, put, well said and very eloquently put with your words.
Catherine:Thank you so much for that.
Catherine:And for sharing that experience, and I'm glad that you mentioned be yourself because those words be yourself are very inspiring to those who are struggling and they don't have to be gay.
Catherine:They could just be struggling in whatever suit they're wearing.
Catherine:And so be yourself are very, very inspirational and important words for the global society.
Catherine:So you took out the map and you chose United States.
Catherine:So here you are now while you were in Peru, being that it's a very much a third world country in terms of environmental law.
Catherine:Did any of that have any inspiration on your decision to move forward with Lanoba Design?
David Singh:I think there's a couple things that built our decision when you talk about the environmental, one of the things is Peru is one of the most beautiful countries in the
David Singh:There's so much in a little country.
David Singh:It's such wonderful people and such a wonderful history and culture.
David Singh:But one of the things I think that was very disappointing to us was the environmental impact that we were seeing and that there was not a focus on it.
David Singh:And knowing that, indigenous tribes were at risk that I think it was always a very sad thing for us to see, especially moving from Denmark, which is very focused.
David Singh:It's very green country.
David Singh:So for us just, it goes to the basic, the litter in the streets and the rain forest along the beaches and in this wonderful, beautiful country.
David Singh:Our feeling was also, it shouldn't just be an economic issue.
David Singh:This is something that people, if they could step up and want to create a better community for themselves to have clean community would be really important.
David Singh:And it's going to save the environment, create better lives and environment for the children and the next generations.
David Singh:It's important that we continue to focus on our values, that we really believe in this.
David Singh:And when you're in Denmark, maybe sometimes you can forget about it because everyone is thinking the same way.
David Singh:We were living in a privileged to society in Denmark concerning that issue.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:When we moved to Peru, we took everything we had.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Uh, so we packed up like a 20 foot, , ocean freight container.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And we bought paper napkins, old socks that was really just trash.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Eh, we took everything.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Eh, so when we moved from Peru, we started talking about it.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:It's like, is it really, um, environmentally friendly to take all this we have now in Peru and ship to the U S once again, because the carbon footprint we would send out would be huge.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So, uh, so we had a target.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:It's like, let's just try and get rid of as much as possible.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So if we can have a few suitcases or whatever to be shipped to the US, that would be the perfect goal.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:The ex-pat community in Lima, they have a, Facebook's site where you can sell things.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And we started maybe four or five months before we were going to move, put a few things on that Facebook group.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And people were, eager, they were very, interested in, in the things we had.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:It sometimes took like an hour and then we'd sold an old Ikea cabinet or something like that.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So that kind of
Lars Noah Balderskilde:pushed us further and let's just go all in.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And we put everything up on the Facebook group.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So over two, three months we we sold everything and, so we ended up with yeah.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:What, 10 boxes or something.
Catherine:Well that is simplifying for sure.
Catherine:Absolutely.
Catherine:And, and I liked that you talked about the carbon footprint.
Catherine:Many of the world's citizens are trying to find ways to minimize our carbon footprint.
Catherine:Sometimes it gets difficult because we've got, legislation or corporate law or whatever it might be that, opposes us.
Catherine:This decision, which is a huge decision.
Catherine:What you're doing is incredible.
Catherine:I have to tell you how I found you.
Catherine:So we have a Danish furniture store here in town, Tema, and we shop there for our furniture.
Catherine:I love Danish furniture.
Catherine:In fact, my desk, here's my Danish, stand-up desk.
Catherine:Anyway, the owner happened to be there that day and I'd never met the owner Søren.
Catherine:But he said that he read an article on Lanoba Design.
Catherine:And he said, wouldn't that be great if you could have them on the show?
Catherine:I said, send me that article.
Catherine:Thank you for responding when I reached out.
Catherine:So I appreciate that.
Catherine:Yeah.
Catherine:Positive imprints are everywhere.
Catherine:And your fellow Dane loved the story oh, it's not just inspiring.
Catherine:It's something that the more you talk about it, this is something that other people around the world can duplicate.
Catherine:So, uh, okay.
Catherine:So let's talk about the big furniture idea.
David Singh:So the way we structure this is when we decided to come back to the U S and, um, what we wanted to do when we came up with the idea of the business, um, we
David Singh:So where I have a business management and corporate finance background, I can take on that side in terms of the furniture, the design aspect, um, the history, um, that w and the creative side was more on Lars.
David Singh:So we had a good balance and we could learn from each other.
David Singh:So we could both cover everything eventually, but we had our strengths so that we could, we could really build something strong we thought.
David Singh:Without having to, also to bring in investors or make it a lot more complicated.
David Singh:We thought keeping it simple was the idea of the business.
David Singh:We wanted to really bring something authentic and so we had to really own it and believe in it ourselves.
David Singh:So that was a really important aspect, uh, in terms of setting it up and establishing it.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Yeah.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:we got really the idea by going to estate sales in Chicago.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So
Lars Noah Balderskilde:since I was a little kid, my parents always took me to flea markets and
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Estate sales and things.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And we, uh, as a family always enjoyed that.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So it's been in my blood since I was born.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And then we went to some estate sales in Chicago and we saw there was a huge demand for, for the Danish
Lars Noah Balderskilde:pieces that was at these estate
Lars Noah Balderskilde:sales.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And I was
Lars Noah Balderskilde:thinking okay, a lot of people are looking for these pieces, but they have a very, very limited, uh, amount available to purchase.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So, so that's when we started talking about it, it's like, maybe we can do something like bringing some of these old pieces over from Denmark because, uh, in Denmark,
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Um, so, so we started doing some research like, where are we going to start the business up in Chicago or where would it make sense to, to start a business like this?
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So we, uh, went on some trips around and just ended up in New York and found there was a gap in the market in New York.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:We knew that we wouldn't go with the high-end pieces, like chairs that would cost $10,000 and things.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Because when we talk about Danish modern sawmills, we're also talking about democratic furniture, uh, something that's accessible to
Lars Noah Balderskilde:everybody or that's at least the philosophy behind it.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Um, and in New York, nobody was really covering this part of the market.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:It was all antique stores with very high end pieces.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Um, so, so we said okay, I think this is where it makes sense to start up the business also because in New York you have smaller apartments and small homes and Danish furniture are not big.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So they would fit into these apartments perfectly here.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So, uh, so yeah, we decided let's just go jump right into it.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And then we moved to New York.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:I went to Denmark to collect the first container of furniture.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:It took me three-and-a-half months to collect, the first container, because we had to start from scratch.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:How do we get all these?
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Because we didn't want just to call somebody a wholesaler or something we wanted to go out and meet the people that we were going to buy the pieces from, get their stories, how they bought the pieces.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So we could bring that story to the people that would purchase it in the US.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Um, so, um,
Catherine:Oh wait, wait, wait.
Catherine:So, okay.
Catherine:Something Lars that you said.
Catherine:You said, you're getting stories about the furniture.
Catherine:This is going right down to grass roots of furniture.
Catherine:I mean, this is fantastic because people who go into an antique shop, they do want to know the story.
Catherine:Who's great great, great, great grandmother sat there and,
Catherine:I think it's very noble of you to want to spend that much time away from your husband in order to get this going and get the stories.
Catherine:So can you share a couple of the stories of pieces and kind of describe the pieces?
Catherine:I just think this would be so cool.
David Singh:So I'm going to just do one thing first.
David Singh:So in starting the business was also.
David Singh:Thinking about one of the things that we enjoy in life is experiences.
David Singh:And so when you're buying something, yes, you need a table.
David Singh:Yes.
David Singh:There's needs, we have in our lives, but filling a need and getting an experience out of it, I think makes it even more enjoyable.
David Singh:A table can be a table and you can like a design or something.
David Singh:But that was part of the thing is we wanted to continue the longevity of the products, but also be able to pass on an experience.
David Singh:And we thought that was a very important thing in terms of creating something that was a little different than out in the market that just buy an old table.
David Singh:And we thought that would really, motivate people to switch from just clicking a cart on Amazon or Walmart and rather taking vintage products into their home because
Catherine:Oh, I love this.
Catherine:Absolutely love this.
Catherine:So Lars,
Lars Noah Balderskilde:in my hometown of Fredericia, um, I met a old guy.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:I think he was 80 or 82 years old and I can't even remember how I met him, but, uh, he said that he had some teak furniture down in his basement.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:If I could use that then I could come and have a look at it and we could discuss from there.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So I went over to him and we, took a tour of his house and he started telling me about his life and things and, uh, and, and, and he had some very nice pieces of teak furniture and we agreed on a price.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:He thought that the pieces are going to be sold in Denmark.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And I tell him, no it's going to our business or to our shop in New York.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And he just got all
Lars Noah Balderskilde:white in his face.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:He wanted to spend those money that he earned from selling these pieces on a plane ticket to go to the U S.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:It's always been his big dream to go to the U S so it was just like, uh, yeah, financing his plane ticket to come to the U S and he wanted to go to New York.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So when he heard that those pieces of furniture of his were going to get a new home in New York, he was
Lars Noah Balderskilde:so happy.
Catherine:Oh, for someone who has been dreaming something all your life.
Catherine:Wow.
Catherine:I love that.
David Singh:These two brothers, uh, contacted Lars because he was looking for furniture and he had been in the area.
David Singh:So he went out to visit them and, they had a few pieces and they were kind of clearing out, everything they had and Lars was asking, okay.
David Singh:But they had a table, uh, and they had started talking and uh, he asked, well, why are you selling these things?
David Singh:They said, We have a dream.
David Singh:We want to start a business and Lars said, well, I'm starting a business.
David Singh:That's why I'm buying this furniture.
David Singh:And they said, well, this is really going to help us out because we have a dream of creating, a Christmas museum that's open every day of the year.
David Singh:They love Christmas.
David Singh:They're on the Danish news every December with an update on how they're growing their museum.
David Singh:But this was before it had opened.
David Singh:So there was selling off things just to get enough money, to keep expanding, to build a little houses, to hold all their ornaments and things like that.
David Singh:From us buying from them, that was the start of them raising enough money to start their business.
David Singh:And it was the start of our business.
David Singh:So it was a very nice, a warm feeling that we could grow two businesses at the same time.
David Singh:And we were both at the infancy stage.
David Singh:We've watched them grow over the past five, six years.
David Singh:And so it's been a very nice way, that we can both, uh, start something new and fulfill our dreams,
Catherine:um, continue to be part of it.
Catherine:Yeah.
Catherine:So fulfilling your dreams, but also continuing to watch there's.
Catherine:Uh, another one, do you have another one?
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Well,
Lars Noah Balderskilde:I went to buy a desk, and, when we were carrying out the desk from the house, a Bible fell out from, from the desk and, it turned out that, it was, uh, a guy that was the priest of that little village.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:I asked the daughter don't you want your Dad's old Bible?.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:No, she had so many of his Bibles because he's been a priest
David Singh:and things.
David Singh:So, so that Bible
Lars Noah Balderskilde:came with the desk.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So when we sold it in the U S the desk, it, it came with the Bible.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And that story,
David Singh:Whoever got it, even though they couldn't read Danish, that, uh, the Bible would stay with the desk and there was some coins and things.
David Singh:It was, uh, one of his main writing desk.
David Singh:I think he had a few desks.
David Singh:And one of the things also that was on the desk is he was left-handed I believe.
David Singh:He wrote every Sunday sermon there, there was kind of the mark from where his hand, had been writing and the oils natural oils.
David Singh:So there was a mark there.
David Singh:Even when it was refurbished, you could still see it because after 52 years or something of writing his sermons there, uh, it was there.
David Singh:And it was just the story also about, how dedicated he was to writing on this desk and the Bible there that he always referenced when he was, writing every sermon.
David Singh:So we thought this all goes together and it goes with the history and that someone will appreciate that and maybe carry it on for the next 50 years.
Catherine:Oh, I would love that desk.
Catherine:Anybody would love that desk?
Catherine:Just because of the, the past.
Catherine:It is like getting it from a museum, but wouldn't you like to know some of his sermons, just, uh, so this is something that's not known that you do.
Catherine:For me, this is an imperative part because we talk about reuse and you're refurbishing, but also you're taking those stories and you're weaving them into your work.
Catherine:And so a person gets the whole package.
David Singh:Yeah.
David Singh:Yeah.
David Singh:I think it's, it also goes both ways of a lot of people are very excited and they're happier to sell it to Lars in Denmark
David Singh:Because it's very exciting that their furniture is going to take a voyage also and live a very different life.
David Singh:Uh, whether it be in New York or gets shipped to California, um, and some people follow along and they're amazed that it can be restored because it's just been sitting in their basement for years and years and years.
David Singh:And they will ask us
Lars Noah Balderskilde:to send them pictures when it's repurposed, eh, and tell them what kind of home it went into and where like, did it go to Brooklyn or to downtown and things.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And, and we do that.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:We send those stories back to Denmark and the people are very thrilled about getting that feedback that maybe a coffee table they had in the family for 50 years suddenly have a new life in a young home in Brooklyn.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Uh, so a lot of times people, are Ecstatic about that , we, uh, uh, sending these pieces to the US.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:It's much more interesting for them than going to another home in Denmark.
David Singh:I think like with the older generation, some of them have not grown up with the ability to travel the world like we have.
David Singh:And so for them, it's a way of just exploring and, and sending their furniture out in the world.
David Singh:And it's a, it's a journey for them.
David Singh:And it's very exciting for them to know that it's in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
David Singh:Also a lot of the pieces that we buy are from the original owners.
David Singh:So they're, they're older.
David Singh:For them, a lot of times you'll hear a very common story that it was, a wedding gift, a house warming gift.
David Singh:It was one of their first pieces of furniture that they ever had, when they were establishing a house.
David Singh:So for them, it's also a way of extending longevity and extending the story is because it's also going to, a lot of our customers are new families.
David Singh:They bought their first house, they're having their first child and it's part of their establishing story of their family.
David Singh:So it's getting this second life with a second family that will hopefully live another 50 years and then the grandchildren will inherit it or, or such.
David Singh:So I think it's very exciting for them to see that another family it's helping build their family, uh, in the next steps.
Catherine:I really liked the way you have structured this, because it, it is not only green, but it's green with a story.
Catherine:You've already gone places with this and it's exciting.
Catherine:So, Lars, are you the one that does most of the refurbishing.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Uh, no, uh, in
Lars Noah Balderskilde:the beginning I was, uh.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:We had a loft space in, in Jersey city, in downtown Jersey city.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And the first container when we, uh, we got that in, we would have a bed over in the corner and then the rest of the space would just be stacked in with furniture all the way up to the ceiling.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And then one piece at a time we took that out to the kitchen and, I had to teach David how to do the refurbishing and slowly he started helping.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:In the beginning he was oiling the pieces pretty much.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Yeah.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:But now he's fully educated and can do pretty much everything with refurbishing pieces of furniture
David Singh:Lars, is a, like he said, he started out very young going to the flea markets and that with his family, but he also learned how to refurbish
David Singh:So, you know, Lars especially the high end pieces.
David Singh:He's always the one who takes those on he's the one who has the depth of knowledge of decades of refurbishment.
David Singh:he's been the one who's been able to teach how to treat the products, right?
David Singh:Because that's another thing.
David Singh:We wanted to focus on something that we knew and that was Danish furniture.
David Singh:So we do anything mid-century modern.
David Singh:When, you know how to do something and you do it well, uh, that, I think that's the really important part.
David Singh:So Danish mid-century, it was about knowing how to refurbish those pieces, those materials, and doing it as best as possible.
David Singh:When you start kind of diversify too much, you kind of lose that expertise.
David Singh:So it was important for us to know physically how to do it, that we know the history behind it and be able to research not only the personal stories, but the manufacturing, the design, and the ability to do that.
David Singh:, I think it's a beautiful story of how mid-century modern furniture really came to be.
David Singh:And it's a long and rich story that it just didn't come out of one designer coming up saying, we need to build a lot of furniture.
David Singh:There was, the story of the war and coming out of that and why we needed to build this kind of furniture.
David Singh:So for us, in order to go deep into something we needed to focus on one thing.
David Singh:And what Lars knew was Danish furniture, the materials, how to refurbish it and the history of it.
David Singh:So I think that's really, what's been helping us, grow and be better people better refurbishers better at storytelling, and help build a business.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:And it's also important for us that when we have the customers at our place, uh, to tell them about the science and teach people about Danish design, that
Lars Noah Balderskilde:So we do a lot of things to, uh, to make people feel welcome, to spread some hygge.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:In the years after World War II Danish furniture makers work became known around the world as it was very distinct, yet simple.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:The period around 1940 through the 1960s was considered the era of Danish modern furniture.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Next week Lars and David explain how they refurbish furniture with the environment and small carbon footprints in mind.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:More of their positive imprints next week.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:To learn more about Lars and David's work you can go to LANOBAdesign.com, L a N O B a D E S I G n.com.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Don't forget to hit that download, subscribe, or follow button now, and please leave positive reviews.
Lars Noah Balderskilde:Your positive imprint.
Wow! These fellows are so creative and so wonderful for listening to each owners story. I love that about them. They are educators and craftsmen. Loved this interview and will listen to the next one. As you can see, Catherine, I’m catching up on the interviews. I love them.
Terry, catching up is fun because there’s that anticipation for the next positive imprints. Thank you for listening Terry. Yes, lars and David are pretty amazing with how they go about refurbishing and purchasing items. I enjoyed the historical segments too with regard to WWII and the craftsmen of yesteryear. Lars and David certainly honor the workers who built the furniture they are refurbishing. I’m glad I could share their story and positive imprints. Thank you Terry for listening.