Hej, I’m Pia

Danish Design Space is a small Toronto based shop devoted to Danish and Scandinavian design, with a particular love for independent makers and objects made by hand.

I grew up in Copenhagen, where good design was simply part of everyday life. It was only after leaving Denmark that I began to appreciate how much those surroundings had shaped what I notice and value.

Today, I choose pieces for their craftsmanship, simplicity and character, but also for how naturally they can become part of daily life. Objects to use, live with and enjoy for years to come.

From Copenhagen to Toronto

Growing up in Copenhagen, I was surrounded by objects and interiors that valued simplicity, usefulness and good materials. I hardly thought of it as Danish design. It was simply what I knew.

Living abroad changed that.

While working for a Danish furniture and design company in Tokyo, I began to see something familiar through other people's eyes. The things I had largely taken for granted growing up were distinctive: the attention to proportion and materials, the balance of beauty and function, and the idea that well designed objects could make ordinary life a little better.

Years later, after settling in Toronto, I found myself returning to that connection.

I travelled back to Denmark and visited independent makers in their studios and workshops. I was drawn to the smaller collections, the objects that still showed the hand of the person who made them, and pieces that were often difficult to find outside Scandinavia.

In 2016, that idea became Danish Design Space.

Ten years later, the collection remains deliberately small. It includes ceramics, glass, tableware, candles and objects for the home, chosen individually rather than simply because they belong to a particular brand or trend.

That is still the way I choose today.

What guides me

I am drawn to objects with restraint and character. Pieces where form, material and function feel naturally connected, and where the hand of the maker is still present.

I look for things that can be used and enjoyed often, mixed with what you already own and appreciated beyond a single season. Nothing needs to match perfectly. It simply needs to feel at home.

I select every piece personally and keep the collection here in Toronto. If you have a question about a piece, its maker, colour or scale, you are always welcome to ask.

Ten years on, I am grateful to everyone who has discovered the shop, returned over the years, sent a kind note or simply shared my appreciation for things made with care.

I hope you find something here that becomes part of your own everyday life.

Warmly,

Pia
Founder & Curator
Danish Design Space