Tucked away in a quiet corner of Copenhagen, you'll find the singular studio of Selma Lamai, Head of Art Direction at Muuto. Come spring, the doors of the mere 12 sqm space open onto a backyard that hosts dinner parties, playtime, and laid-back weekends with family and friends.
“MY HUSBAND, our two sons, and I live in one of two apartments in a house in Frederiksberg. The space is constantly in flux, as we live with young children who have loads of energy, play ball, and build tipis in the living room”, Selma Lamai says.
She has always been a collector – it runs in the family. Her parents and grandparents, too, amassed cherished items like upholstered buttons, bookbinding tools, pieces of Carrara marble, and Moroccan clay tiles.
When creating a distinctive oasis for work and leisure in the backyard of their Copenhagen home, Lamai knew she wanted it to house her many collections.
A shelf hidden behind a curtain helps her organize and tuck away items, “allowing only the objects in focus or in use to be present, whether for work or play.”
“After working from home for several years during the pandemic, I realized we needed a ‘getaway’, a space for focused work or simply a change of scenery with the kids. The studio is originally a garage that we rebuilt and renovated. Putting a personal stamp on it was important to me,” Lamai shares.
“The studio is originally a garage that we renovated. Putting a personal stamp on it was important to me.”
“Yes, it’s a delightful home office, but it’s also a place where we’ve ended up spending a lot of time as a family. Here, I can roll out a huge sheet of paper and work on a massive drawing with my eldest son. I can bring out my old letterpress and experiment freely. These projects can stay out for weeks, no need to clean up or pack them away.”
Lamai notes that her projects often evolve as sprawling, ongoing works in progress. “This space accommodates all the activities and things the apartment can’t.”
Essentially a wooden box, the studio is imbued with warmth thanks to its materiality and the abundant daylight streaming through two skylights. There’s ample work light as well, ideal for Lamai’s graphic design practice, which frequently takes physical form through test prints, embossments, material explorations, and color mapping.
A small, custom-built reading nook clad in Raf Simons for Kvadrat upholstery invites quiet contemplation. Below it sits a Muuto Stacked shelving system, reconfigured many times over the years, now with a new home.
Lamai’s work at Muuto explores the intersection of color, materiality, and medium. Even when the final output is digital, she thrives on working with the physical – bringing her signature sense of tactility and texture to every detail, from campaigns and catalogs to displays and packaging.
This hands-on approach, along with her particular flair for color, is playfully reflected throughout her personal space. “While my exploration of color at Muuto is more conscious and systematic, the studio has become an absolute free space – somewhere I can experiment unrestrained and try out new ideas.”
“The wooden wall by the kitchenette is stained with dark green linseed oil to create a more tactile feel. Textiles add another layer of texture. I like the contrasts between light and dark, combined with colors that are a bit ‘off’, yet somehow feel just right in here.”
“I took an intuitive and joyful approach to adding color to the studio.”
“I took an intuitive and joyful approach to adding color to the studio. It was easy, thanks to the superb light and beautiful materials. I chose a few calm tones for the backdrop, like the pinboard and curtains, and contrasted them with more vibrant hues on objects and details. I don’t like it when things get too matchy-matchy.”
Right outside the studio is the family’s patio and garden. When the door is open, the space feels seamlessly connected to the outdoors. They’ve planted an almond tree, which bore fruit for the first time this year, and Lamai and her son have turned it into a shared project to discover the best way to crack open the almonds.
Flexibility has been key – the studio can easily be transformed into a home cinema or dining room. A vermouth bar, built by Lamai and a friend and gifted to her husband for his birthday, sits in one corner. It often makes an appearance during festive gatherings throughout the year.
“While it was meant to be a workspace, we’ve ended up spending so many days here together. This place has made me rethink how many square meters you really need to enjoy life,” Lamai concludes.
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Text and images: Muuto Edit: Mikko Vaija
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