Christian Halleröd: Crafting Minimalist Spaces that Matter

Who? Christian Halleröd is not like most interior designers. Working across the retail and private sectors, he designs spaces which tempt passers-by not with a clutter of colour and activity, but rather through the absence of it – natural stone, large wooden surfaces, muted light and perpendicular forms are just a few of his many signatures. He has become best known for his work in retail, creating environments for the likes of Acne Studios, Byredo and Frame Denim, among many others. “My job is to make the brand three-dimensional, in a way,” he explains over the phone from his studio in Stockholm – and while his clients’ understanding is his priority when working on a new project, he never compromises on his own values.

Halleröd began his career working with furniture, when his eye for minimalist design was spotted and promptly picked up by Acne Studios, for whom he set about designing the in-store furniture. Before long, his view had widened; rather than designing singular pieces to fill a retail space, he was designing the space itself, with a painstaking attention to detail and a passion for materials which would set him head and shoulders above his competitors. Nowadays, Halleröd designed stores are unmistakeable, distinctly channeling the Nordic minimalism which has made his aesthetic so sought after. 

What? “I am super interested in materials in general – I think it's important to find the right materials for the right purpose or client,” says Halleröd of his focus when it comes to starting a new project. “My background is in furniture, as a carpenter, so I have always been working with a lot of materials, and I’m interested in their tactile quality; I love working with wood, for example, because that's my background. I think a natural material is the key for me.” As such, sustainability plays an important role in Halleröd’s many creative concepts. Most importantly, however, he seeks to create an environment which will outlast many other shop interiors, which are often stripped and recreated on every couple of years: “My intention is that it will last a longer time than that.”

He finds inspiration for his interior concepts everywhere, from art institutions to ambitious private homes. “I’ve been looking a lot at what’s done in Japan in the 1980s – Tokyo is amazing, It's simply inspiring," he says, “but also at a lot of older references, more classic interior architects. I’m always looking at restaurants, exhibitions, galleries and stuff like that.” His very favourite place is not indoors at all, but outside, looking on at the wildlife of Stockholm’s archipelago – Halleröd is a keen birdwatcher. “I love being out for a while looking for birds in the Spring and in the Autumn, when they are moving from the North to the South. I think it's amazing!”

Why? This month sees Halleröd introduce his newest project – the inaugural flagship store of Swedish brand Axel Arigato, whose minimalist footwear has accrued something of a cult following over the years since its launch. Located on Broadwick Street in Soho, London, the space is a concrete, metal and mirror-dominated tribute to a clean aesthetic. It is flanked by four metre-tall windows, presenting its product not on cluttered plinths or under garish strip lighting, but on a series of unique 450-kilogram white tables which were carved from a boulder of terrazzo stone. "We needed a minimalist palette because the products we offer are so diverse and individual," creative director Max Svardh explains of the collaboration with Halleröd. "Instead we started looking for different surfaces that could add depth to that tonality." The result is a retail space which might equally be mistaken for an art gallery or architectural project – one which allows customers to wander in curiously, and leave satisfied. A dream collaboration indeed.

Alex Arigato’s London store is open now at 19-23 Broadwick Street, London.