A CONVERSATION WITH JANUS LARSEN
When you step through the door of Noyer, you're greeted by a warm scent of wood that evokes thoughts of nature and the forest's towering, solid trees. In the background, the hum of machines fills the air, and a fine dust from a large table being polished lingers in the space. The workshop on Trekronergade is filled with craftsmanship and creativity.
In this interview, we meet Janus, who founded Noyer 10 years ago. Noyer, which is the French word for walnut, is also the only type of wood Janus uses in his furniture designs. With a playful approach to design and a deep appreciation for the qualities of walnut wood, he explores how craftsmanship can lead to timeless, unique furniture. With a focus on freedom in the workshop, sustainable materials, and dream projects, he provides insight into how his passion for wood has shaped both his work and his life.
Can you tell us a bit about your background, and what initially drew you to the world of wood?
My background is that I am trained as a carpenter, but I've been building things since I was a child. We lived in a house where I was given a third of the backyard to build hideouts in, and I had a room that was constantly being remodeled. At one point, I built a bar down through the room, and at another time, I created a home theater. I’ve always been building things, so it was very natural for me to pursue an education in craftsmanship. Once you get hooked on wood, it's hard to let go, because it's an incredible material. If you have the right skills, you can build anything from a large Swedish church to a small pipe. It's incredibly versatile, and I think it's the endless possibility to create new things that attracts me.
How would you define your style, and where do you get your inspiration from?
My style is very personal, so it always starts from something I find cool and exciting. I consider it an advantage that I’m not formally trained as a designer. It makes me stand out because I haven’t been schooled in the same traditions that many designers are. My approach is much more influenced by craftsmanship than theory. I don’t seek inspiration from the market or timeless classics. I try to keep the process as free as possible, so my ideas typically come directly from the workshop. They arise from new ways of working with wood or other materials. A few years ago, for example, we visited a foundry in Sweden that looked like something out of Flashdance, with sparks flying everywhere. They cast in sand molds, and that inspired me to rethink something in our own process. Inspiration can also come from a new router bit for a machine or a new technique I want to explore. Fundamentally, my curiosity about the material is what drives me.
What’s your favorite part of the design process? And do you have a design process?
Of course, you end up having some kind of process. I love the starting phase, when I get a relatively clear idea of what I want. I often have very clear “drawings” in my head of the finished piece. I make the first loose prototypes 1:1 in the workshop by putting things together with duct tape and strips just to get a feel for the shape. Everything has to be playful. That phase is really fun. I almost don’t work with drawings at first. The only drawings I make are the technical ones, and they come later. So, I see it a bit like having an "adult hideout," which is a natural continuation of how I built things as a child. Now I just have better tools and more experience.
Your tables have a very unique shape. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Yes, the shape is very unique, and it’s rare to be able to introduce an entirely new design for a table that doesn't resemble anything else. But that’s what we’ve done. We are a niche brand and don’t have ambitions to be in every Danish home. When the design comes from your own taste instead of feedback from classic design principles, you often end up in a niche. We stand by ourselves and our expression, and fortunately, that resonates with a lot of people.
How does sustainability and material choice play a role in your work?
I think we can be proud that we work with solid wood, which is inherently a sustainable material. We use very clean materials, and I try to avoid turning sustainability into an empty buzzword. For me, it's about creating furniture that lasts 100 years, and that people actually fall in love with. If someone buys a table and says, “This is the last table I’ll ever buy,” that really means something. It’s a great thought to know you're creating something that will be a long-term investment.
Noyer means walnut in French, and you only produce in walnut. That can’t be a coincidence?
No, it's not a coincidence. I’ve worked with many different types of wood, and we still do from time to time, but all our collection pieces are in walnut. It’s simply because I think it’s the most beautiful. Every time I consider using another type of wood, I return to walnut. It’s also a wood that’s fantastic to work with. You can achieve a very high finish, and once you have the experience, it's relatively easy to handle. It always ends up being walnut again.
Do you have a dream project you would like to realize?
I have total freedom today, so if I have a dream, I just go ahead and realize it. When we started over 10 years ago, freedom was exactly my goal, and I’ve achieved it. In terms of furniture, we just design and build whatever we feel like. But I would really love to make summer houses or some sort of ‘tiny houses’ – maybe flexible box structures. I want to take the best of furniture craftsmanship and combine it with my experience as a carpenter. The craftsmanship industry is very conservative and can be hard to change, but I think there’s a gap between prefab houses and expensive architect-designed houses with large windows and black facades. There’s room for a super-luxurious segment at a reasonable price, and that’s something I’d really like to explore.
You’ll have to contact Fantastic Frank when it’s time to sell them!
Photos by Pernille Greve
Styling by Lone Moana