Thomas Dinesen
Thomas Dinesen runs Dinesen, the familyowned Danish wooden flooring company. It was founded 120 years ago and provides bespoke solid wood floors made from Douglas fir and oak. The company takes care to use raw wood from sustainable forestry in Germany and other European countries

What has been the most rewarding project you have worked on?
We have worked on thousands of diverse projects, collaborating with some of the most renowned architects and designers. But it would have to be Pawson House in 1992. It was our first project with John Pawson, and we really learned what Dinesen planks can do in a room and how planks can become a decisive design element. This has been extremely significant for us.

What has been your most challenging project? How did you overcome the challenge to produce something you were proud of?
We have worked on many exciting and challenging projects over time. Just now, the new Noma restaurant in Copenhagen is top in my mind. Working with Bjarke Ingels, David Thulstrup and René Redzepi requires great professional knowledge, direct access to the best raw materials, and much flexibility and cooperation. The result is off the scale in the same way as Noma’s menu, and we are very proud of our partnership with them.

What are your most important considerations when creating a design?
Dinesen is a place where the client’s wishes meet the possibilities of nature. We buy our wood directly in the forests and we can produce anything from a small wood block to planks that are 15m long. Our wood brings a sense of wellbeing, tranquillity and ease into a room. It can also be used as a design element that can help make glass, concrete and metal seem even sharper. So it depends very much on what the client wants and the function of the room.

How much freedom do you have on each project? Or does this depend on the client?
Many things are fixed in advance, like the thickness of the planks or the budget. As a rule, our most important task is to understand the client’s needs but also move them in another direction if we feel we can create a better solution. In the light of our long history, we have seen many exciting projects and we can pass this knowledge and experience on to new projects. As we use trees that are more than 100 years old, we must think about the durability of the design. Our raw wood is, of course, sustainable, but the real sustainability is created in cooperation with architects and designers when the result is of a quality that transcends our own time.

What for you are the key trends when designing floors in the 21st century?
Our products are not industrial but are borne of craftsmanship where the desired result is matched with clients and architects. There is a trend towards natural and honest products that do not just look like wood but really are wood. This is particularly true when we work with privileged clients to whom aesthetics and durability matter. By and large, there is much focus on aesthetic sustainability where the material tolerates wear and patinates [develops a sheen] beautifully with time.

What is Dinesen’s defining characteristic? How does its Danish character manifest itself?
As a 120-year-old family business, Dinesen is much more than a product. We are very accommodating and ready to engage with clients on all levels, from the most skilled, established architects to the youngest design students, from forest workers to estate owners. We are very privileged to have influence over our materials, following the products from the forest to the finished project. One of our most important values is that we must always strive to do better. Our clients can and must feel this. To be open and outgoing is one of the advantages when you come from a small country like Denmark. In terms of our products, we have a very Nordic expression with our light wood species.

What type of floor would you install if there were no restrictions in terms of budget or anything else? In other words, what is your fantasy floor?
There is no way to answer that as everything depends entirely on the circumstances of the individual project. But when dealing with floors, it is very important that the floor can stand alone; that it is beautiful, even in an empty room, and that you can recognise the tree in the finished plank. So, I’d say preferably very wide planks with great character, but also with the ability to subtly underline the furniture and art when the room is decorated.