Danish retailer Vipp has expanded into the hospitality industry – it is now offering guests the opportunity to stay in a prefabricated micro dwelling in a Swedish forest, or in a loft apartment on top of its Copenhagen headquarters.
From 1 November, fans of the brand best known for its pedal-controlled metal waste bins can book a night at the Vipp Hotel, which the company described as "an untraditional hotel concept".
"The minute you check in at the Vipp Hotel, it's fully booked," the brand explained, "because the Vipp Hotel is not a hotel in the traditional sense. Instead of offering many rooms in one location, Vipp offers one room at different destinations."
There are two destinations currently available. The first is a 55-square-metre cabin on the shore of Sweden's Lake Immeln – a model for the company's range of modular, prefabricated houses for sale.
The second is a 400-square-metre space designed by Danish practice Studio David Thulstrup, located above the Vipp headquarters in Copenhagen's Islands Brygge neighbourhood.
A night at the compact Vipp Shelter cost €1,000, while the Vipp Loft is €1,500 per night.
"Our destinations all share the same goal," said Vipp CEO, Kasper Egelund. "We want to invite people to experience firsthand our philosophy of good design in a place [that is] out of the ordinary."
Vipp – which also designs and manufactures a range of products for the home, including kitchen and bathrooms accessories, lamps and complete kitchens – started producing prefabricated homes in 2015.
Described as "a battery-charging station for humans", the factory made, metal-and-glass Vipp Shelter was designed by the firm's creative director Morten Bo Jensen. It is kitted out entirely with Vipp products.
The cabin provides a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape from the open-plan living area, thanks to large sliding windows. A bedroom is tucked away in one of two chimney-like chambers protruding from the roof, with the other containing a skylight.
The cabins are prefabricated just north of Copenhagen and cost €485,000 (£410,700) to buy. Guests staying at the Vipp Hotel cabin are provided with a fridge stocked with free bottled water and champagne, and have access to a private pier so they can swim in the lake.
Vipp Loft is located in the same building as the company's Copenhagen headquarters – an old printing factory in the industrial area of Islands Brygge.
The firm employed Studio David Thulstrup to create "a multi- functional and holistic home environment" beneath the original oak rafters of the factory's loft area.
The space is large enough to accommodate a mezzanine containing a study and library, which are connected by a bridge to dark, secluded bedroom.
The open-plan living area is arranged around a freestanding Vipp kitchen. Vintage furniture and diverse artworks create the feel of a "mini museum of contemporary art and design".
Vipp was founded more than 75 years ago by Holger Nielsen, who developed the first bin for his wife's hair salon. The pedal bin is now in MoMA's permanent collection and the company is run by Holger's daughter Jette Egelund, along with her two children Kasper and Sofie. It has 45 employees.
"Our ambition is to have a wide palette of destinations with rooms curated to people who seek a one-off design experience, or customers who want to try to live with the Vipp kitchen in a home-away-from-home setting," Kasper Egelund added.
"A Vipp kitchen is for life, but you can start with just a weekend."