Fjord is a designer-curated brand and concept store that supports the slow-living lifestyle philosophy. Launched in 2019 by designer Anna Örvarsson, Fjord is a collection that draws on the designer’s background in anthropology and design. How we choose to live is a fascinating topic that affects us all. How do you live?

“Wild and free” describes designer Anna Örvarsson’s vision for Fjord. Born in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Anna spent much of her time as a child and young adult outside of the city in nature. With nature comes freedom, courage, and inspiration. The slow-living movement inspired Anna to open a sustainably responsible home decór + lifestyle store and brand after her move to Iceland with her husband and children in 2015.

“One of my first memories was more of a feeling than an event. It was the feeling that I did not belong, that I was displaced. But once I began to travel, I started to feel what I had always imagined HOME should feel like. Warm, familiar, kind, inspiring. But it wasn’t until I visited Akureyri, a village in north Iceland, that I felt something different: roots. It seemed unimaginable that I could feel so at home in a place that I had never heard of, until I found myself standing at the edge of the frozen fjord in the pink winter light on that cold December day in 2002. 

Seventeen years later, Fjord was born. In those years between, I traveled, studied, worked hard, designed houses, started a family of my own, and in 2015 we moved house from Los Angeles to Akureyri. It was a giant leap of faith into the unknown. Then the concept of slow-living came into my realm. I had always supported living in balance with nature, but developing this concept as a lifestyle choice seemed like a magnificent challenge. What if I could share this idea with other people? What if Akureyri was the perfect place to practice Slow-Living?”

I welcome you into my world, into my home. Walk gently and with intention. Make a better world for our children and live by example. Slow down. Shop responsibly. Live well.

-Anna