VE2
FUNDAMENTALLY SIMPLE
Hugo Dines Schmidt and Morten Lauritzen are behind the award-winning bath range Ume, in which soft and round shapes – combined
with lower and wider proportions – ensure a harmonious and balanced expression.
Through the gate, across the courtyard, round
to the back of the building and up to the
second floor. This is where you’ll find VE2 – a
small, dedicated team of designers led by Hugo
Dines Schmidt and Morten Lauritzen.
Our highest ambition is to create a sense of unity. The design must be functionally justified and able to blend in aesthetically with the users’ universe.
Featured Products
Waste sorting is in vogue
The first step along the way was our bio waste bin, which was well received. Now we’re launching four elegant bins in the CIRCULAR range, in sizes ranging from 15 to 35 litres. By design, there’s no need to hide them away under the sink.
Clean lines, pure pleasure
This is your everyday kitchen essential, pared back to the bone. The dishwashing set includes a brush, dishcloth and caddy – nothing else. The handle can be placed in three positions: upright for carrying, tilted to the front for hanging the cloth to dry, or tilted down the back to save space.
Organic and practical
A real beauty has been born. The organic new addition to the UME series makes light work of dealing with laundry. It’s easy to remove the lid, but you don’t always have to. Socks and other small items can be posted through the hole in the middle. On the side are two smaller holes that serve as handles for moving the laundry basket around. Choose from seven different shades.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH - then step in…
The TIME bathroom range definitely invites a second glance. Zone Denmark has brought a whole new material into play. Three of the four products in the range – the soap dispenser, toothbrush tumbler and toilet brush – are made of concrete with just a few plastic details added.Our ideas and solutions must relate to the space or the architecture
“Our greatest ambition is to create a sense of unity. The design must have a clear functional justification and must blend in aesthetically with the users’ universe,” Morten Lauritzen explains. Everyone on the team has a background in architecture specialising in industrial design, so they come with a highly developed awareness of shape and space.
And so out of the synergies between furniture and product design and professional interior spaces such as offices,shops and exhibition stands, new ideasgrow and develop.
“It adds something to the process that we’re all used to stepping back and looking at the space or environment where our solutions need to work. We work with a wide range of projects both large and small. From utility designs to furniture for urban spaces. That’s why, for us, it’s all about context,” Hugo Dines Schmidt explains, and continues: “We approach projects enthusiastically and in close dialogue with our customers and partners. As a team, we work towards a common goal and listen to one another’s good ideas and constructive contributions.” Morten Lauritzen nods, adding: “Our ideas and solutions must relate to the space or the architecture.
Stylistically, we make a virtue of seeking simplicity and paring back to the bone.”
The team spends a lot of time and energy making function and aesthetics add up to a greater whole. New designs should not be seen in isolation, but must be capable of interacting with other products and changing contexts.
“Bathrooms, for example, tend to be full of products with very diverse functions. We’ve put together the Ume bathroom range as a distinct design universe – because design must have both a clear functional justification and be a natural part of the users’ universe,” Morten Lauritzen says.
The initial U of the name of the range ties in with the soft curves of the products, which are easy on the eye and easy to clean. “We’ve deliberately worked towards lower and broader proportions to achieve a harmonious effect,” Hugo says. Ume, incidentally, means ‘plum tree’ in Japanese and is a symbol of the elegance, courage and strength that is always reflected in the design of VE2.