At Home with Iohan Ørum & Yujung Kim
Finn Juhl's furniture was never meant to be static design objects – they are active participants in the homes and lives they become part of. In this series, we explore how his pieces continue to take on new and unexpected expressions in homes shaped by personal choices, moods, and meaningful connections.
Between Copenhagen's inner Østerbro and the newly developed harbor district of Nordhavn, Iohan Ørum and Yujung Kim have made a bright, welcoming apartment their home. After years spent living in Melbourne and Seoul, the couple has now settled in Copenhagen for good – and are in the process of creating their first real home together.
"We've actually lived together for quite a while," says Iohan. "But we always knew it was temporary, so we never really invested in furniture." His interest in furniture design began when he helped launch April Coffee in Copenhagen – back then, the entire space was furnished with pieces by Finn Juhl.
"The idea was that our furniture should be of the same high quality as the coffee. Back then, I didn't know much about Finn Juhl, but later I realized that my mother actually has a Pelican Chair at home."
In their ground-floor apartment in Østerbro, Iohan and Yujung have been furnishing slowly but steadily – choosing to invest in one quality piece at a time and living with half-empty rooms in the meantime, rather than filling the space with items of shorter lifespan.
In the living room, Finn Juhl's Sideboard, Table Bench, 108 Chair, and Reading Chair stand alongside contemporary designs by emerging talents and vintage finds from Mies van der Rohe, Alvar Aalto, and Isamu Noguchi.
One of the latest additions is a delicate cherrywood stool by the Danish-Egyptian designer Salem Charabi, which the couple bought during a visit to his workshop on the outskirts of the city. The stool features painted surfaces and decorative carvings.
"I'm very fascinated by the details – that's also what first drew me to Finn Juhl's furniture. The Reading Chair has always been my favorite, especially because of the way it combines different types of wood," explains Iohan, who cares deeply about both aesthetics and durability.
"For both me and Yujung, it's important to know that we'll have our furniture for many years. It's the same approach we take to clothing, coffee gear, camera equipment – really all aspects of consumption."
– Iohan Ørum
