Side Table by Peter Hvidt for France & Sons
View Similar Items
Side Table by Peter Hvidt for France & Sons
About the Item
- Creator:Peter Hvidt (Designer),France & Søn (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 23 in (58.42 cm)Width: 28 in (71.12 cm)Depth: 25.5 in (64.77 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1955
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Costa Mesa, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU92201247974
Peter Hvidt
One half of the influential Danish furniture duo Hvidt and Mølgaard, architect and designer Peter Hvidt created shapely works in teak and rosewood that could be mass-produced and transported at a scale rarely seen before his time. Alongside his business partner, Aalborg-born designer Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, the pair crafted furniture which stands today as a masterclass in the combination of elegance and practicality that is typical of Scandinavian modernism.
Hvidt was born in Copenhagen in 1916. He studied architecture and cabinetry, and graduated from the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen. Hvidt established his own design firm in 1940 and taught for three years at his former school, during which he designed the teak Portex chair — Denmark’s first stacking chair (this design has alternatively been attributed to Hvidt’s partnership with Mølgaard-Nielsen over the years).
The exceptional collaboration between Hvidt and Mølgaard-Nielsen took shape in 1944. A student of pioneering Danish modernist designer and architect Kaare Klint and fellow graduate of the School of Arts and Crafts, Mølgaard brought his technical prowess and eye for practical design to the partnership. Together, for more than three decades, Hvidt and Mølgaard would produce over 250 furniture designs, a legacy that included the iconic AX chair.
A masterpiece of technical expertise and innovative woodworking, the sculptural AX armchair was designed in collaboration with manufacturer Fritz Hansen during the late 1940s. It features double-curved laminated wood in the seat and back, and is an early example of knock-down furniture. This meant that it could be easily dismantled and assembled at its destination, which rendered the chair economical for transport on cargo ships and therefore could reach a worldwide audience. The AX went into production in 1950 and eventually gave way to a series that featured tables and other seating.
Hvidt’s proclivity for forward-looking design was typical of the venturesome furniture makers of the mid-century modern era. This extended to textures and materials, too — he believed that a tasteful combination of materials could add character and visual intrigue. With Mølgaard-Nielsen, Hvidt designed streamlined coffee tables, rosewood chairs upholstered with sumptuous black leather and teak side tables with cane shelves (teak was a sought-after material for designers at the time).
The duo’s work with celebrated manufacturers Fritz Hansen, France & Søn and Søborg Møbelfabrik has been a part of exhibitions at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen’s Design Museum and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Peter Hvidt seating, tables and case pieces.
France & Søn
Danish manufacturer France & Søn is best known for its prolific output of elegant mid-century modern furnishings in teak and leather, yet its multinational beginnings took shape during the 1930s.
After businessman Charles William Fearnley France (1897–1972) moved from his native England to Denmark in 1936, he began to operate a small mattress factory alongside his friend Eric Daverkosen, a Danish cabinetmaker, under the name France & Daverkosen. Shortly afterward, Daverkosen passed away, and when Denmark was invaded during the Second World War, Charles was captured and sent to a prison camp in Germany. When he was released, the British entrepreneur set out to produce furniture in the early 1950s, setting up a shop in Hillerød to manufacture the kind of sleek beech and teak goods that were gaining widespread acclaim around the world. In 1957, France’s son James joined the business, and the company changed its name to reflect the addition.
Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, France & Søn produced a stunning array — and staggering quantity — of designs, with elegant modernist lounge chairs and armchairs, teak and rosewood dining tables and other furnishings by the likes of Finn Juhl, Grete Valk, Ole Wanscher, Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen all gracing its catalogues.
Even as there was a focus on mass production at France & Søn — and the brand doesn’t quite enjoy the same renown as fellow mid-century Danish furniture makers such as Carl Hansen & Søn — Charles France believed in making quality furniture, and the company’s offerings evoke the warmth of the handcrafted work that is typically associated with Scandinavian modernism.
In the 1960s, the company was bought by Danish designer Poul Cadovius, who folded it into the operations at CADO, a company he founded during the 1950s. Surviving examples of early work from the brand as well as modern icons by the likes of Verner Panton that followed in later years continue to be in demand.
Find a collection of France & Søn furniture on 1stDibs.
- Peter Pepper Products Black Marble Bowl, California, c.1975By Angelo Mangiarotti, Sergio Asti, Peter Pepper ProductsLocated in Costa Mesa, CAPeter Pepper Products Black Marble Bowl / Catchall, California, c.1975.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
MaterialsMarble
- Stuart Barnes Brass Table Lamps for Robert Long, circa 1970By Robert Long, Stuart BarnesLocated in Costa Mesa, CAStuart Barnes brass table lamps for Robert Long, circa 1970. This pair was handcrafted at the Robert Long studio in Sausalito, California. Each lamp measures: 5" Diameter 1...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Jane & Gordon Martz Ceramic Table Lamps for Marshall Studios, circa 1965By Marshall Studios, Gordon & Jane Martz, Gordon MartzLocated in Costa Mesa, CAJane and Gordon Martz Ceramic Table Lamps for Marshall Studios, circa 1965. Measures: 29.63" To the top of the socket. 22.38" To the top of the ceramic. 8.38" diameter (The lamp ...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsCeramic, Walnut
- Jens Quistgaard Rosewood Box for Dansk, Denmark, c.1960By Dansk, Jens QuistgaardLocated in Costa Mesa, CAJens Quistgaard Lidded Rosewood Box for the Dansk Rare Wood Collection, Denmark, c.1960.Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsWood
- Evelyn Ackerman Tapestry for ERA Industries USA, 1962By Era Industries, Evelyn AckermanLocated in Costa Mesa, CAEvelyn Ackerman Tapestry for ERA Industries USA, 1962. Signed EA.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tapestries
MaterialsWool
- Early Finn Juhl Bench for Bovirke, Denmark, circa 1953By Bovirke, Finn JuhlLocated in Costa Mesa, CAEarly Finn Juhl Bench for Bovirke, Denmark, circa 1953. New Expertly Upholstered Cushion in Kravet Couture Green Wool Fabric. Makers Mark to the Bott...Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Benches
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Danish Midcentury Side Table "Minerva" by Hvidt & Mølgaard for France & SonBy France & Søn, Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, Peter HvidtLocated in Göteborg, SESide table "Minerva" in teak and rattan by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard Nielsen for France & Son, Denmark. Measure; Height 64 Width 76 Depth 76 cm The table ...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsRattan, Teak
- 1960s Teak Side Table by Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard for France & Son DaverkosenBy France & Søn, France & Daverkosen, Hvidt & MølgaardLocated in Kirchlengern, DETeak side table. Designed by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard. Produced by France and Son and France & Daverkosen, 1960s. This original teak side table was made by France & Da...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood, Teak
- Scandinavian Modern Teak Side Table by Peter Hvidt for France & DaverkosenBy France & Daverkosen, Peter HvidtLocated in Brooklyn, NYScandinavian modern, solid teak side table by Peter Hvidt for France & Daverkosen features tapered legs and edges.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Peter Hvidt Modular Teak & Brass Coffee Table for France & SonBy Peter Hvidt, Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, France & SønLocated in Los Angeles, CATransforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Minerva side table by Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard Nielsen for France & SønBy Hvidt & MølgaardLocated in Kiel, SHBeautiful square Side table in solid teak designed in 1957 by Designer Duo Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard Nielsen manufactured by famous company France & Son conical legs and two she...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen Teak Side Table for France & DaverkosenBy Peter HvidtLocated in Montreal, QCPeter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen teak two-tier side table for France & DaverkosenCategory
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsTeak