In one of our previous posts, we discussed the arrival of IKEA to Ho Chi Minh City. This will be a ground-breaking moment for many people in need of reliable furniture and lots of friends are awaiting their arrival, expected in 2015, to Vietnam.

While we, over here at Luxury Furniture in Vietnam, unconditionally admire the huge success of this Swedish brand and also have a few items in our own houses (lamps, mirrors and even a wonderful cheese-grater), we consider our range of Scandinavian (Danish in our case) furniture to be entirely different from IKEA so we are aiming for an entirely different audience, the people in Vietnam who love designer and luxury furniture.

Today we will present another Scandinavian brand that is present in Vietnam, in this case, the designer and contemporary lines that are typical of Scandinavian and Danish design are truly present. All of those who are passionate about design bounced with joy when Bo Concept opened its first store in Saigon (HCMC), Vietnam, a few years ago.

While the products are definitely beautiful and truly designer and high-end furniture items, the price tags in this store are not for the faint of heart and this is why we aim to bring an alternative to shopping for designer and luxury furniture, in particular Danish (Scandinavian) furniture to Vietnam, wherever you may be, in Saigon, Hanoi, Nha Trang or elsewhere.

Bo concept was founded in 1952 by Jens Ærthøj and Tage Mølholm, both were accomplished carpenters, craftsmen and cabinet makers. The first production runs involved cabinets made with oak veneer and walnut.

After two years of activity, in 1954, Bo concept consisted of the two original owners and their four employees. These first two years (1952-1954) of activity enabled them to move into a new factory which they named the ‘Ærthøj-Jensen and Mølholm Møbelfabrik’.

Commercial success followed their industrial innovation in the furniture sector as well as their enormous creative talent which reflected the trend of functional furniture that was prevalent in the Danish design of their time. In 1962, spurred by their success, the founders of Bo Concept inaugurated a 1300 square meter factory that is still to this day, one of their main locations. Wall applications as well as dining-room furniture were the main products being produced during that period.

In the early 70’s, bed-room furniture is incorporated into the range of products made by this innovative Danish designer furniture company and the employee structure is doubled due to ongoing success.

Bo Concept’s original names go from A/S ÆJM (when it was became a  limited company) to Denka in the late seventies. Under the name Denka, numerous innovations come to light such as modular furniture (bookshelves) which enable the customer to choose their own composition.

Modular furniture is a recurrent concept in Scandinavian furniture, the possibilities are infinite and they involve from bookshelves, kitchen layouts to sofas. Check out our Danish modular sofa here.

In 1984, the company went public and was listed in the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. It is also the advent of knock-down furniture, a type of furniture that has made Swedish furniture giant IKEA famous the world over. Knockdown furniture is also essential for many retailers due to the enormous savings achieved when shipping these items from the furniture factories (mostly in Asia) to the different furniture outlets around the world and, finally, to the customers’ residences.

In 1993, Bo Concept appears as a commercial brand and a concept store in Paris, France. Seven more stores are opened in France, China and the USA, enabling the owners to test their concept across three continents and three significant consumer markets, with very different tastes, across the globe.

Bo Concept arrived in Vietnam very recently, to the delight of all of us who love furniture and are passionate about designer and contemporary styles.

Their first store (actually a franchise run by AA Corporation, one of the major actors in the furniture industry in Vietnam) is located in downtown Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam:

BoConcept Ho Chi Minh

68-70 Dong Du

Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Ho Chi Minh City

Tel. +84 8 3824 6604
Tel. +84 935 18 3799

Photo credit of Foursquare user (Pearl N.)

After visiting the store in HCMC, definitely the furniture on display is eye-catching and I would love to have a few pieces in my home  😀 ! After conversing with the staff in the shop, I learned that the wooden furniture is made in Denmark, in their own factory, wow, imported furniture all the way from Denmark, that is true luxury. Regarding the upholstered furniture (sofas, armchairs, etc.) it seems it is made in China. I imagine this implies huge customs duties upon import to Vietnam. It is not clear whether the factories in China producing these furniture items are the property of Bo Concept or if they are mere subcontractors. However, it does seem clear that high standards of quality are efficiently managed as the products really look and feel perfect. The price tag is very steep though, probably out of reach for many Danish and Scandinavian furniture lovers in Saigon (HCMC), Hanoi or anywhere else in Vietnam.

This is one reason we aim to bring Danish furniture online to Vietnam that is of the highest quality (above including what you will see in Bo Concept and in our case, produced by a Danish owned factory in Saigon belonging to a Danish furniture producer with more than 60 years experience in producing luxury and designer sofas) and of Scandinavian contemporary design. Check out our range of high-end Danish designer sofas, now available online in Vietnam and compare this other option for purchasing contemporary and designer Danish (Scandinavian) furniture online.

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