Swedish furniture designer Axel Einar Hjorth created tables, chairs, cabinets and other pieces that were as elegant as they were functional, and he frequently worked in references to a litany of inspirations including French Art Deco, Gustavian style and modernism. Ahead of his time, his style was refined and daringly simple.
Born in Krokek, Sweden, Hjorth grew up in a foster family and at 20 moved to Stockholm where he studied architecture and design at the Högre Konstindustriella Skolan (now the University of Arts, Crafts & Design). Although he dropped out when his foster father died, he went on to work for some of the largest furniture manufacturers in Sweden during the 1920s.
Hjorth’s work was featured in the 1923 Gothenburg Exhibition world’s fair, and he exhibited a birch and cherry cabinet in the 1927 “Swedish Contemporary Decorative Arts” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His role as the head of the furniture department at Nordiska Kompaniet (NK), an upscale department store in Stockholm, from 1927 to 1938, further brought his designs to widespread acclaim, including pieces exhibited at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.
At the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition, an influential event in the emergence of functionalism in Swedish design, Hjorth exhibited a dozen room settings that featured examples of sportstugemöbler. These furniture lines were named for islands in Sweden’s archipelago — Utö, Blidö and Torö — with designs intended for cabins and vacation homes. The use of solid Swedish pine in these pieces revealed a love of traditional rustic furniture while the simple forms boldly looked to the future. He also brought his eclectic influences to armchairs formed from tubular metal, blocky case pieces made from birch and upholstered sofas with neoclassical details, each exuberantly mixing form and function.
Find vintage Axel Einar Hjorth furniture today on 1stDibs.
| Average Sold Price |
| $6,742 |
| Styles |
| Materials |
| Related Creators |
$16,328
H 56.89 in W 64.38 in D 18.51 in
An Axel Einar Hjorth Swedish Grace "Roma" Cabinet in Birch, 1920's
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in London, GB
A Swedish Grace stained flamed birch cabinet "Roma" for Svenska Möbelfabriken Bodafors, SMF. Designed by Axel Einar Hjorth. The cabinet opens by three doors to reveal and interior w...
Birch
Pair of Lovö Chairs by Axel Einar Hjorth
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Philadelphia, PA
The beautiful Lovö Chair is an exceptionally treasured vintage find. Designed in the 1930s by Axel Einar Hjorth as part of his ‘Sportstugemöbler’ (weekend cottage or lodge furniture) collection for Nordiska Kompaniet, the models in the beloved Lovö series are regarded by many as Axel Einar Hjorth's masterpieces. Crafted for the weekend cottages that were gaining popularity in Sweden at the time, each series is lovingly named after a Swedish island. Crafted from solid stained pine, their rich cherry tone exudes a timeless appeal. The green and blue floral vintage cushions...
Pine
"Utö" table by Axel Einar Hjorth fro NK
By Axel Einar Hjorth, Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Long Island City, NY
The "Utö" table designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, in 1932. Sweden. Stained pine, light scratches. Featured in the book " Axel Einar Hjorth Mobel Arkitekt".
Pine
$111,813
H 29.14 in W 66.93 in D 21.66 in
Utö Library Table by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1932
By Axel Einar Hjorth, Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Hønefoss, 30
Rare and authentic Utö library table designed by Axel Einar Hjorth, manufactured by Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1932. Wear consistent with age and use, including surface scratches, m...
Pine
"Utö" Console Table, Axel Einar Hjorth, NK, Sweden, 1930s
By Axel Einar Hjorth, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
“Utö” console table, made in pine by Axel Einar Hjorth. An iconic early modernist design. “Utö” is one of the series of furniture included in NK:s “Sporstugemöbler”, “sports cabin’s...
Pine
$2,800
H 29.53 in W 58.47 in D 35.44 in
Axel Einar Hjorth, Dining Table in Birch, Swedish Grace, Bodafors, 1930s
By Bodafors, Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Odense, DK
An extravagant Swedish Grace dining table from the early 20th century, crafted in dark birch veneer with finely carved details. The table features a richly decorated apron and legs w...
Birch
Early and important Utö table designed by Axel Einar Hjorth
By Nordiska Kompaniet, Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Long Island City, NY
Early and important Utö table designed by Axel Einar Hjorth, manufactured by Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden 1932. Stained pine . The table top have bawls-like shape, and no rim on apron ...
Pine
$58,849
H 64.57 in W 37.8 in D 15.75 in
Midcentury Modern Unique Cabinet by Axel Einar Hjorth, Sweden, 1930s
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
Unique bar cabinet by Axel Einar Hjorth, in a strikingly decorative design with elegant details. Made from mahogany with floral motif inlays in birch and rosewood. Lighting inside. M...
Mahogany
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| $6,742 |
Average sold price of items in the past 12 months |
| $354-$31,500 |
| Sold price range of items in the past 12 months |
