Aksel Entryway

Danish designer Aksel Kjersgaard founded his eponymous furniture manufacturing company in 1952. Revered by mid-century furniture lovers for its straightforward approach to design of its classic mirrors, which are frequently framed in teak or rosewood — or the graceful, angular forms of its vintage case pieces and storage cabinets — Aksel Kjersgaard is eminently collectible today. It is among the manufacturers that popularized Scandinavian modernism on an international scale, and the popularity of the brand endures.

A master cabinetmaker, Kjersgaard had spent three years traveling through Europe and Morocco toiling in other workshops before he opened his own factory. When he returned to Odder, in his native country, he was eager to start creating his own furniture, and his sleek, minimalist dressers, sideboards, cabinets and wall mirrors debuted in 1955. The factory quickly gained a sterling reputation for its focus on craftsmanship and Kjersgaard’s reluctance to embellish his handmade pieces with ornament or unnecessary decorative flourishes.

Kjersgaard attracted many talents of the Scandinavian modernist movement (and continues to do so today). Known for his Chair #42, which he created with Schou Andersen, designer Kai Kristiansen worked with the company through the 1950s and 1960s, and his side tables and chests became a hallmark of the brand. During the 1970s, architects and former Rud Rasmussen cabinetmakers Søren Nissen and Ebbe Gehl brought their expertise to the manufacturer, introducing a Shaker-influenced line that represented the start of what is now the very popular Naver collection, which is offered by way of a collaboration between Gramrode Møbelfabrik and Aksel Kjersgaard A/S.

Find vintage Aksel Kjersgaard mirrors, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs. 

Scandinavian modernism is perhaps the warmest and most organic iteration of modernist design. The work of the designers associated with vintage Scandinavian modern furniture was founded on centuries-old beliefs in both quality craftsmanship and the ideal that beauty should enhance even the humblest accessories of daily life.

ORIGINS OF SCANDINAVIAN MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN 

• Emerged in the 1930s 
• Originated primarily in Denmark, Sweden and Finland
• Introduced in the United States in mid-20th century
• Informed by the Bauhaus and modernism; influenced American mid-century modernism  

CHARACTERISTICS OF SCANDINAVIAN MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

• Bold, clean lines and simple, sturdy symmetries
• Use of natural materials — native woods such as pine, ash and beech
• Open, airy spaces
• Promotion of functionality
• Emphasis on craftsmanship; rooted in cabinetry profession and traditional construction techniques
• Minimal ornamentation (little to no embellishment)
• A neutral or light color palette owing to prominence of light woods

SCANDINAVIAN MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

• Alvar Aalto
• Hans Wegner
• Kaare Klint
• Arne Jacobsen
• Greta Magnusson Grossman 
• Finn Juhl
• Arne Vodder
• Verner Panton

ICONIC SCANDINAVIAN MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS

• Ant chair
• Grasshopper table lamp
• Wishbone chair
• Stool 60
• Artichoke lamp

VINTAGE SCANDINAVIAN MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The gentle, organic contours that are typical of Scandinavian design appear in the furnishings and decor created by Danish, Finnish and Swedish designers not as a stylistic gesture, but rather as a practical, ergonomic — and, as importantly, elegant — response to the human form.

Each nation produced exceptional talents in all areas of the applied arts, yet each had its forté. Sweden was home to Greta Magnusson Grossman and Bruno Mathsson — creators of the classic Grasshopper lighting series and Berlin daybed, respectively — but the country excelled most notably at ceramics. In the 1920s at the great Gustavsberg porcelain manufactory, Wilhelm Kåge introduced pieces in the Scandinavian style based on influences from folklore to Cubism; his skills were passed on to his versatile and inspired pupils Berndt Friberg and Stig Lindberg.

Likewise, Finland produced a truly ingenious Scandinavian modern furniture designer in the architect Alvar Aalto, a master at melding function and artistic form in works like the Paimio chair, created in collaboration with his first wife, Aino. Yet Finnish glassware was pre-eminent, crafted in expressive, sculptural designs by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarpaneva.

The Danes excelled at chairs. Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen were exemplars of the country’s facility with wood, particularly teak. 

Wegner created such iconic pieces as the Round chair and the Wishbone chair; Jacobsen — while the revolutionary architect and furniture innovator produced the best-selling plywood Ant chair — designed two classic upholstered pieces of the 1950s: the Swan chair and Egg chair. The list of great Danes could go on and on, including Finn Juhl, a stylistic maverick and maker of the bold Chieftain chair; Poul Kjaerholm, with his lean metal-and-rattan aesthetic; and Verner Panton, who introduced a vibrant Pop note into international design.

Today, decades after their heyday, the prolific, ever-evolving Scandinavian modernists continue to amaze and delight, and interior designers all over the world use their pieces to bring warmth to any given space.

On 1stDibs, you will note both instantly recognizable vintage Scandinavian modern chairs, sofas, rugs and tables — those that have earned iconic status over time — and many new discoveries.