Bo Bedre: A Young 50

When Danish magazine king Palle Fogtdal launched the first issue of interior design magazine Bo Bedre in March 1961, it offered something new to Danish readers. Not only was it the first interior design magazine in Denmark, it was one of the first specialty magazines made for the general public and the biggest-circulation magazine on the market in the 1960s.

Fifty years later, Bo Bedre, owned by Bonnier Publications since 1983, still holds a special place in the hearts of Danish consumers. And with a circulation of 78,000 and 400,000 readers, it’s the most popular with nearly twice as many readers as its closest competitor. “We have more serious competitors now, but we are still unique,” says Erik Rimmer, editor-in-chief. “We focus more on design and architecture than is maybe typical for an interior design magazine, and it shows in our reader numbers, where we have a lot more male readers than is usual – 43 percent men and 57 percent women.”

Rimmer, who has been editor-in-chief since 2000, has been preparing for the anniversary with a relaunch of the magazine, a “bookazine” to come out later in May, an auction to support to young designers and more.

“We’ve redesigned the magazine,” says Rimmer. “It’s a bigger format, which gives more space for more content and to show off the photos and interiors that people want to see and gives it a feeling of exclusiveness, not to mention new fonts and new story angles. And in May, we’ll be publishing the Golden Issue, a ‘bookazine’ which will include the best Danish homes during the last 50 years, the top 50 icons from 1961-2011, how to combine classical furniture with the newest design and more.”

Bo Bedre is also working with Danish art and furniture auction site Lauritz.com as part of the anniversary celebrations. The site will be auctioning off the work of new young designers in conjunction with Bo Bedre. “It’s a way not just of celebrating our anniversary, but of supporting the design community and promising young designers who might not otherwise be noticed,” says Rimmer.

The anniversary celebrations are only part of the current happenings at Bo Bedre. The magazine sponsors monthly events such as “lamp night” where readers can come and meet designers and see new furniture, has a popular website, and sponsors design competitions, among other things. A Norwegian edition of the magazine was also launched in 2004, featuring content from the original Bo Bedre, and in 2008, the Finnish Divaani was launched, also using content from Bo Bedre.