A passion for surface design: File Under Pop Studio in Copenhagen

Josephine Yaa Akuamoa, your Copenhagen studio recently underwent a major transformation. What inspired this change, and how did you shape the new direction?

Every year, for 3daysofdesign, we renovate the space. It’s an ever-changing project – we introduce new colours and repaint everything: the wooden panels, the windows, the ceilings, the walls. But this year, we went through a more significant shift, transforming our very intimate studio into a multibrand space. We partnered with V-ZUG, Agape bathrooms, Davide Groppi and Garde Hvalsøe, inviting them to bring the studio to life with their products. At the core of our work lies craftsmanship, along with a constant search for timelessness, and our goal is to create connections. The studio now offers a much more accurate impression of our surfaces – more like a real-life sense of what’s possible when there’s connectedness between furniture, objects, lighting and kitchen appliances. It feels more complete. It’s a studio full of character that truly reflects my values.

What are your values, and which ones matter most when it comes to working with the partners you mentioned? 

Values are really the core of my work – they’re my personal motivation. I think important values for me are trust and professionalism. A huge amount of respect, of course, and admiration for each other’s products. A sense of timelessness. In the end, I would also say friendship, which is what makes it easier to go further and to push boundaries together.

How did you design the Studio interior?

First of all, I stripped it down to the bone. We kept the walls and the beautiful windows, saving the old glass. I always work layer by layer, so I was able to work with the different elements – surfaces and materials. We mounted a lava stone flooring, which blends with the original wooden herringbone flooring: we added the glazed lava stone tiles only where the original floor was missing. We combined the old and the new through our own DNA.

Why is the kitchen important in a Studio like yours? 

It’s the kind of place where everyone naturally comes together. People can take a short break, and have both big and small conversations. It’s a very important space in the apartment – a place that invites us to pause, to step back for a moment. Of course, we have flagship spaces like the showroom, and our offices where we focus and get work done. But then there’s the kitchen – the warm heart of the whole space.

One of the kitchen worktops is made of bold, red glazed lava tiles – a material that’s central to File Under Pop’s work. What can you tell us about it?

Yes, they are glazed lava stone tiles sourced from Mount Etna. We cut them from the volcano, 10 to 20 metres below the surface, which is quite different from accessing a marble or granite mountain. You have to go deep into the earth to extract this lava stone that has been lying there for thousands of years. That’s extraordinary: we’re not producing a new material, it’s already there. And we are transforming a destructive volcano into something both beautiful and functional for everyday life – an aesthetic product. It’s not easy work. Usually, when we work with clay tiles, we know exactly what's inside the mould and the proportions of each ingredient. But with lava stone, we never know how much of each mineral is present. It’s like taking a piece of nature and giving it a human touch, a kind of dance in search of balance.

What sparked your fascination with lava stone, and how did you come to make it part of your creative language?

I suppose it’s been the love of my life. I’ve been working with it for 24 years. When I started, the only thing that was done with glazed lava stone were Mediterranean-style table tops, decorated with lemons and grapes. What I did was bring a whole new perspective into this world, translating it into the contemporary through patterns and a new visual language.

How do you usually approach colours and textures? 

It’s a difficult question to answer, because my work is very intuitive. It comes very easily to me to balance different materials and colours. I have a Ghanaian background, and I was born in Denmark. I carry these two very different worlds within me. I would say it’s very natural for me to embrace powerful, bold colours and, at the same time, this minimalistic Scandinavian tradition. It's like I have the two extremes of the colour spectrum within me, and it feels natural to combine them. Even though I think it’s not so easy to work with colour – because colour isn’t just a surface, it’s meant to add texture – I don't think you should follow too many rules. I always experiment and go with my gut feelings. That’s the only advice I can give: take your time, follow what you feel like, and don’t listen to all the rules too much.