Cultivating Personality: Montana

Pared down to essential forms, Montana’s 12mm storage system is deceptively simple. Designed by Peter Lassen, who founded this family-run Danish brand in 1982, it is the company’s most classic product. The design is neutral and discreet but more importantly comprises building blocks that lend themselves to infinite configurations and unlock every creative homemaker’s desire for self-expression. The modules come in four depths and there are several options for how they can be assembled: stacked on plinths, castors or wall-mounted.

Lassen has an impressive design pedigree, having worked with such illustrious Danish architects and designers as Arne Jacobsen and Verner Panton. He has poured his modernist sensibility into Montana’s storage system, which he originally perceived as a sculpture, softening its boxy, geometric form by removing its sharp edges and giving it a rounded profile. The resulting picture frame-like border has a neutrality that highlights the individual look and style of whatever is stored and displayed inside it.

The system is available in 40 colours and two veneers, further enriching this variety. In 2019, Montana introduced 30 new glowing hues, devised by designer Margrethe Odgaard with input from Peter and his son Joakim, Montana’s CEO. While many are zingy and energetic – such as Iris, a pastelly lilac, or the rich, ripe-looking Rosehip – others have an affinity to the natural materials found in our homes. Bearing such delicious monikers as Truffle, Chamomile and Pine, they appeal in a multisensory, synesthetic way: 'It’s important how the colours relate to other senses, such as smell, taste and touch', Odgaard says, adding, 'Just as the modules offer infinite possibilities for combination, the colours can be mixed and matched.' As such, they’re in line with Montana’s mantra – 'Making room for personality'.

© Architonic