Danish Modern Furniture History

Danish Modern furniture has its roots in the 20th century. Its development coincides with World War I and the Industrial Revolution. It reached its height in the 1950s and 1960s, when wealth and optimism seemed to reign, and young people wanted to forget the war-torn past and look to the future. Does this Spark an idea?

Famous Designers

Danish modern furniture designers include such famous names as Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Borge Mogensen and Poul Kjaerholm. Many of these designers were architects who created furniture designs as a branch of their business.

The Style

Many contemporary furniture pieces feature cold, stark materials such as steel. Danish Modern set itself apart with its use of natural materials such as leather and wood, particularly teak, to create furniture with clean lines that also were warm and comforting.

Famous Pieces

Hans Wegner created The Round Chair, sometimes called The Chair. It has a curved seat back and a continuous semi-circle of wood as an armrest. This chair was used in the Kennedy-Nixon debate, according to New York Times reporter David Coleman. Wegner also designed the Wishbone chair, a Y-shaped chair.

Its Popularity

Danish Modern pieces are comfortable yet futuristic. The style was at its height in the years following World War II. Post-war families were looking to move away from the past and into a brighter, more optimistic future. Furnishing their home with Danish Modern pieces was one way of moving into the future.

IKEA

Furniture retailer IKEA has been around as long as its Danish Modern design. Its Swedish founder Ingvar Kamprad began opening showrooms as early as the 1940s. The store did not become a household name until the 1980s, when it began to expand globally. It currently furnishes affordable Danish Modern pieces to the masses.