While in Copenhagen, I also visited ‘Residence’, an exhibition by Emerson Bailey, a Montana based design studio and gallery founded by Susan Weiss with showrooms in the US and Sweden. Set inside a historic apartment near Rosenborg Castle Gardens, the exhibition felt like stepping into someone’s home.
The philosophy of Emerson Bailey is rooted in the belief that historic design should be removed from its pedestal and lived with. By pairing the past with the contemporary, a mid-century chair, with an antique side table and contemporary table lamp, a tension is established that invites a new approach to each work, leveraging contrast as depth, not conflict. The focus becomes cohesion: finding a shared language in material, color palette, or proportion that allows old and new to coexist in balance. ‘Residence’ embodies this sentiment, blending decades of design to create something enduring and fresh, and challenging
A five room Residence
In Residence, Emerson Bailey created five rooms, a foyer, work room, living room, dining room, and bedroom each designed to tell a story. The exhibition explored the connection between historic and contemporary design, rooted in a Scandinavian approach but open to global influences. Visitors were invited to see how different eras can exist together, connected through material, proportion, and color.
Rather than organizing the rooms by time period or style, each space felt personal and layered. From a Swedish Rococo secretary next to a vintage Mario Bellini chair, to contemporary lighting paired with 17th century furniture, every piece played a role in a quiet conversation between past and present.
The exhibition started in the foyer, where 19th century French “witch stones” stood next to a sculptural pendant light by Andrea Claire Studio. In the work room, visitors were welcomed by scent, sound, and textiles, setting the tone for the rooms that followed. The living room featured a mix of antique and contemporary pieces, such as an 18th-century Swedish secretary, a vintage Cassina chair by Mario Bellini, and sculptural coffee tables by Hadge Architects.
The dining room combined a Gustavian centre table, decorated with many of my favourite photography and interior design books, and crystal chandelier with 1930s armchairs and a new console by Studio Khachatryan. I loved the bedroom with a large Cappelen Dimyr rug under the Hästens bed, a 17th-century tapestry and decorated with rare Baroque furniture, softly lit by Andrea Claire lighting and Studio Khachatryan’s sculptural work. It was nice to meet Susan and her team and I will definitely keep an eye on their work. As for the images, I snapped a few trying to avoid other visitors… which is always a challenge…
Images ©vosgesparis // last image by Tijs Vervecken
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