Cross Reference: Danish Design with Talia Mayden
A *new* collaborative series investigating the spectrum of personal taste
I've always been fascinated with personal taste, especially in the context of vintage shopping. How two people can explore the same flea market, thrift store, eBay, or Etsy, and return with completely different yet equally incredible items, while still leaving plenty of treasures for the next person. We all come to the table with different perspectives, continuously shaped by our unique experiences, ideas, whims, explorations, and observations. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.
That's what sparked the idea for my new collaborative series: a gamified "thrill of the hunt"—an exercise in taste where I invite a friend whose aesthetic sensibilities I admire to join me on a parallel sourcing journey. We’ll start with a shared prompt, then each venture off to curate our own Etsy favorites within the theme.
And who better to be my guinea pig than Talia Mayden, who has been thoughtfully exploring both Etsy rabbit holes and the concept of taste on her TikTok and Substack, There Y0u Are. I pitched this treasure-hunting concept to Talia during a Zoom call, and she enthusiastically agreed to partake in my experiment. From a list of prompt suggestions, Talia chose "Danish," and we each set off on our independent quests. How would our collections compare? Would we have any overlapping picks? Only time would tell! (Spoiler: we both love Louisiana Museum exhibition posters).
Lindsay’s picks
I began my exploration just as I do most vintage missions: by starting broad, casting a wide net with a simple “vintage danish” search filtered to the Home category. From there, I branch off, pulling on threads. When something catches my eye, I scan for notable keywords, using the designer name, material, or technique as a launchpad to unearth related items. A search for Arne Jacobsen surfaces the Stelton Cylinda collection, which leads to Danish stainless steel, which leads to Danish salt and pepper shakers, and so on. A few other favorite rabbit holes: Danish studio pottery, Danish pendant lamps, Le Klint lighting, Danish candlestick holders.
I also tend to discover the best hidden gems by clicking through from an item to browse a shop's entire collection. Diving into shops enhances serendipitous discovery, but with the guardrails of a seller's singular curated perspective.
When all was said and done, I was surprised by how delicate my assortment turned out. Considering Danish design is predominantly known for clean lines and a neutral palette, I managed to find soft, rounded whimsical shapes, with plenty of blues and pinks throughout my selections.
Talia’s picks
Having followed Talia for a while now, my favorite part was seeing how her selections felt distinctly her. Isn't that the ultimate goal of developing personal taste? Despite working from the same prompt, Talia's curation takes a bolder approach, featuring vibrant primary color splashes and more masculine-leaning elements.
“One of the most pretentious things about me is that I studied Nordic Minimalism in Copenhagen in college. The experience shook me awake, and for the first time, I began to have words for what I liked and why. Smooth teak, simple forms, emphasis on hygge just felt like the epitome of cool to me, and name dropping Alvar Aalto and Fritz Hansen put a feather in my cap. Even as the MCM and Scandi craze has come and gone, I still consider Danish furniture the absolute gold standard.”
Danish furniture is classic for a reason: it perfectly balances timeless aesthetics with exceptional craftsmanship and functional design that prioritizes human comfort and needs. A simple stool, like the Aalto that Talia included in her selections, has been reimagined countless times over the years, yet never strays far from the original concept. “Aalto stools, especially in this color, make any space feel design-forward.”
I adore all the design books Talia selected, with my favorites being this copy of Noma: Time and Place and, as she aptly noted, a perfectly weathered Aalto book from 1938 that could easily serve as a piece of art itself. “I'd buy this even just to salvage the weathered cover and put it in a frame.”
And, *drumroll*… our overlaps!
Considering I had no idea how this experiment would unfold, I was thrilled to discover that Talia and I had independently selected six of the same favorite items. As much as I trust my own eye, there's something undeniably validating about having your taste cosigned by someone with style as cool as Talia's.
It turns out we both quickly zeroed in on exhibition posters from the Louisiana Museum, each adding multiple to our selections. “I'm constantly singing the praises of the Louisiana museum, and their poster selection is like a cheat code for chic art around the house.” The Louisiana Museum is a modern art museum just north of Copenhagen, and one of my favorites in the world.
We also had several overlapping kitchen picks—Danish design is a treasure trove for colorful cookware, cozy stoneware, and sleek storage containers. I found myself particularly drawn to the Dansk Kobenstyle pots, a unique alternative to the ubiquitous Staub or Le Creuset dutch ovens, available in a variety of chic colors.
All of our picks can be found here, and for a deeper dive, check out these standout shops from our selections:
FORMhjem- lighting and decor
finartprints- art prints and exhibition posters
LeKrazyHorse- lighting
VintagebyRiis- lighting and decor
cherrycargo- furniture
HappyMooseVintage- kitchen and drinkware
FeelingofDejaVu- decor and collectibles
Midtage- teak lighting
BeautifulArtPosters- art posters
DanishFleaMarket- lighting
SMEDEGAARDdecorates- art and art objects
MaltVintage- ceramic lamp bases, decor
Major thanks to Talia for coming along on this adventure with me— be sure to check out her Substack here. Who should be my next “taste tester”?! Comment your suggestions below :)
xx Lindsay
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brilliant concept. honored to be your guinea pig and even more honored to have overlap in our picks!
Stunning finds from both of you! More of this!