If you are not familiar with the Rosendahl group of Danish design brands, you soon will be, thanks to the efforts of Thomas Miang Perez.

Perez, a veteran tabletop and housewares executive who most recently transformed the venerable Georg Jensen silver brand into something more accessible and approachable, last month joined Rosendahl Design Group to launch the company’s lifestyle brands in North America.

“I will be continuing my journey of connecting the best of Denmark with the U.S. market, which has become the passion of my life and career,” he said at the time of his appointment as CEO of the group’s U.S. division.

Perez plans to focus initially on five of Rosendahl’s eight brands: Rosendahl, a broad line of glass and ceramic tabletop and kitchenware items at a starting (though not entry) price point; Holme Gaard, a glassware brand in business since 1825; Kähler, a 175-yeard-old ceramic accessory brand; Lyngby Porcelain dinnerware and vases; and Kay Bojesen, which is known in Denmark for its wooden animal figurines and accessories. These are the five brands that Perez believes will adapt most easily to American lifestyles.

Scandinavian design has typically been marketed at the high end of home furnishings, but that has changed in recent years, according to Perez, who sees American consumers as savvier and more willing to shop around for design (a pair of Rosendahl red wine glasses retails for $30). He said he sees a lot of potential for the brands at department stores, specialty chains and independent retailers.

The U.S. may be a huge potential market, but it is not necessarily easy to break into, Perez acknowledged. It requires considerable investment, a keen understanding of the market, and finding the right people. “You can’t start small in America,” he said.

But Perez has a good track record (in addition to Georg Jensen, he led Bodum in the U.S. for 14 years), has hired two New York-based employees so far (one in sales, the other in operations), and is considering his trade show strategy (he is leaning towards markets in Atlanta or Chicago, or both, for next year). “The catalog and the product we have to offer is very competitive and great,” he said.

Nor is Perez worried about timing his brand introduction amidst talk of a potential recession and inflation. “I’m not too concerned about it,” he said. “There’s always space for new products. Our brands are more than 100 years old, but for many Americans, this is all new.”

Editor-in-Chief Allison Zisko first joined HFN in 1998 and spent many years covering the tabletop category before widening her scope to all home furnishings. In her current role, she oversees all aspects of HFN, including its print and digital products, and represents the brand at home and abroad through presentations, panel discussions and HFN’s podcast, The Inside Scoop.

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