Inside the Whimsical World of Helle Mardahl: Candy-Coloured Glassware and Playful Design

Words: Andrea Greig

Photography: Simon Baungård

Welcome to the whimsical, fantastical, candy coloured world of Helle Mardahl. Step inside her fairy-tale-like boutique in Copenhagen, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve wandered into an old-fashioned sweet shop.

Asymmetrical glassware line the shelves and drips from the ceiling in the form of pendant lamps. The palette? A playful wash of pastel hues – think peach sorbet, mint cream, and raspberry mousse – all rendered in glossy, molten glass.

It’s a sensory experience that sits somewhere between design gallery and childhood dream. (And on the theme of design and interiors why not take a look at the best under-the-radar brands to elevate your home here).

A Playful Fusion of Fashion, Craft and Colour

A multi-dimensional creative, Helle Mardahl brings together a background in fashion (a graduate of Central Saint Martins in London) with a deep, playful fascination for form, colour, and craftsmanship.

The result is her eponymous brand: a universe of fun yet purposeful glassware, where each piece is hand-crafted and limited to small batches of production.

From Bon Bons to Tableware: A Candy-Coated Collection

Bringing together the decorative and the practical, Mardahl’s collections span everything from bulbous bon-bons to elegant tableware and lighting. The variety is wide.

Her signature touch is evident in every piece – slightly off-kilter, artistic yet functional, defined by globular shapes with soft, fluid silhouettes. These forms are brought to life in a palette of serotonin-boosting colours, each piece a burst of vibrancy.

Craftsmanship at the Heart of the Process

There is a certain edible aspect to the pieces – her work teeters between the delicious and the delicate. But beneath the sweetness lies rigour. Each piece is mouth-blown in Denmark, using traditional glassmaking techniques honed over centuries.

It’s slow, exacting work – but in the age of mass production, that’s precisely what gives it weight. No two are exactly alike, and the slight imperfections are part of the charm – evidence of the hand, and the time, behind each piece.

A Joyful Rebellion Against Scandinavian Minimalism

There’s something disarming about objects that feel slightly off-balance. That sentiment runs through every piece, giving her work warmth, approachability, and character – a counter to the cool, minimal design often associated with Scandinavia.

Take her signature Bon Bon jars – sculptural tributes to childhood confections like toffee and caramel. Rendered in delicate pinks, soft greens and sky-toned blues, they’re transportive, evoking memories of sweet shops and glass jars on the kitchen counter.

Her glassware, meanwhile, offers a spirited alternative to the formality of traditional stemware. Smooth, vibrant, and full of character, each piece brings a sense of personality to the table. And then there’s the lighting: suspended from the ceiling in soft, irregular forms, the pendant lamps filter light in a way that feels both gentle and atmospheric.

Design That Evokes Emotion and Nostalgia

There’s also an undercurrent of nostalgia in her work. The pieces recall the glass candy dishes and heirloom tableware of a slower, analogue world – elevated through a contemporary, almost cartoonish lens. Mardahl’s work lives at the edge of maximalism.

Her palette is joyful, her forms bold, yet her ethos is deeply aligned with values of individuality, and emotional resonance.

From Paris to Seoul, her pieces now sit in the homes of those with a taste for the unexpected – a soft rebellion against the sterile. Helle Mardahl, in her sugar-spun way, is reminding us of the joy in indulgence – and the power of objects that make us smile.

Shop with Helle Mardahl today here