Flensted Mobiles
There are few things quite as graceful and meditative as a Flensted mobile. Hang one in a room and it will slowly turn, tracing gentle, almost hypnotic, arcs through the air. Christian Flensted, who founded the company in 1953, had a phrase for it: "If you have a troubled mind, watch a mobile and unwind." Over seventy years later, it still holds.
We've stocked Flensted at The Scandinavian Shop for years, and they remain one of those brands that people return to again and again - for new babies, new homes, and for themselves. As well as the mobiles making brilliant (and very special) gifts, Flensted is a brand which resonates with us – they're a family business, making well-considered, beautiful products by hand in the same area as the company was founded – and their story is worth sharing.
It Started with a Christening Gift
In 1953, Christian Flensted needed a gift for his daughter Mette's christening. He cut three paper storks from card, mounted them on a straw, and created what would later become the Lucky Storks mobile — one of the most recognisable designs in Danish craft history.
What began as a christening gift became a company. Christian became known in Denmark as the Uromager — literally 'mobile maker', though the word uro also means restlessness, which suited him (and his mobiles) perfectly.
He and his wife Grethe spent the next 29 years building Flensted Mobiles from their home on the island of Funen, where the business is still based today. In 1956 they received their first international order. By 1966, one of their designs — Flowing Rhythm appeared on screen alongside Elizabeth Taylor in the film Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.
In 1982, their son Ole and his wife Aase took over, bringing new energy and a new design sensibility. Ole's eye for proportion and material — he introduced teak, wood, and mixed-media approaches into the range — expanded what a Flensted mobile could be. Under his stewardship, the brand became an international name in design, collaborating with MoMA in New York (their first joint piece was the Sheep mobile, designed with Christina Parrett in 1988), the Guggenheim, the Tate, and the National Gallery of Denmark, among others.
Today, every Flensted mobile is still assembled by hand, by craftspeople within 30 kilometres of the Funen headquarters. That hasn't changed since 1953.
What Makes Them Special
At the heart of every Flensted mobile is its balance. Every piece is engineered so that each element moves independently while the whole maintains harmony — a principle that takes real skill to achieve and that you experience as a kind of visual calm once it's hanging. There's a reason these beautiful mobiles outlive trends: they're simultaneously functional objects, craft pieces, and kinetic sculpture.
The range spans the abstract and the figurative, the understated and the playful. Here are (just a few of) our favourites.
Our Picks
Balloon 5 Dawn
The Balloon mobile is one of Flensted's most enduring designs, originally created by Christian Flensted in 1979. This new Dawn version has been refreshed by his granddaughter Christine Kit Flensted and her partner Mikael Hauberg, who selected a palette of 14 new colours. Five hot-air balloons drift and turn in formation — joyful, slightly dreamy, and equally at home in a ‘grown-up’ space or a child's bedroom. Flat-packed and lightweight, it's also easy to post – which makes it a great choice for a present.
UN17 Balance
Born from a collaboration between the Royal Danish Academy Institute of Architecture and Technology and designers Rose & Rose, the UN17 Balance was created to raise awareness of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The result is a softly coloured, quietly sophisticated mobile in tracing paper, silicone, and stainless steel — a gorgeous piece in its own right with a serious concept behind it that rewards a closer look. At 65cm wide, it makes a considered statement in any room.
Flying Swallow 5
Designed by Christian Flensted himself, the dynamic Flying Swallow looks like it's mid-movement even before you hang it. It features five swallows in flight, balanced with characteristic Flensted precision — and is a classic for a very good reason. Light, elegant, and beautiful, it’s one of our most popular mobiles. We also have a Flying Swallow 3.
Drifting Clouds
What could be more relaxing than lying back and just watching the clouds drift by? Ole Flensted's serene design has natural wood cloud forms on gilded stainless steel and, at 80 x 100cm, this is a piece that earns its place in a room. The movement is especially slow and deliberate, which gives it an almost hypnotic quality, very appropriate for its name. Drifting Clouds is the kind of considered and beautiful piece that Flensted does best. There's also a version in black.
3 Baby Elephants Teak
Originally designed by Ole Flensted in 1976 as The Elephant Party and reimagined for 2020 in collaboration with Danish luxury textile designer Michala Stigkjaer. The elephants are laser-cut from teak, so each one is naturally slightly different in tone — with leather ears that add both texture and additional movement. At 73cm wide, it's a statement piece with a mid-century flavour and we think it’s one of the most beautiful in the collection.
Giraffes on the Savannah
Also from Ole Flensted and Michala Stigkjaer, this Giraffes on the Savannah has a quiet trick: look closely at the tree and you'll notice it's an upside-down giraffe. That kind of gentle wit runs through a lot of Flensted's animal work. At £27, it's a brilliant gift – unique, charming and timeless.
We struggled to restrict ourselves to only list a few of our favourites - there are so many others we wanted to include (like Pixies in the Forest and Natural Symphony) – we’d recommend you have a look through the range for yourself...
