Børge Mogensen Seating
Among the great mid-20th century Danish furniture designers, Børge Mogensen distinguished himself with his faith to traditional values of craftsmanship and honesty of materials.
While peers such as Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl and Arne Jacobsen designed some of the most striking and now iconic furnishings of the era, Mogensen focused on making pieces that were simple, durable and comfortable — and in the long run perhaps more useful and better loved.
Mogensen studied under and later worked for Kaare Klint, a master cabinetmaker whose chief tenets were quality of construction and simplicity of line. Klint was a classicist, who believed that furniture forms should evolve from those of historical models. So, too, in his way was Mogensen, as two of his best-known earlier pieces attest. His 1945 Spokeback Sofa, with hinged arms that can be lowered to facilitate lounging, is a reinterpretation of the venerable Knole settee. With the oval silhouette of its plywood backrest and waterdrop-shaped cutouts, Mogenson’s Shell chair, designed in 1949, can be seen as a novel take on early 19th century Empire side chairs.
Yet Mogensen shared the aesthetical sensibilities of his most forward-looking colleagues. His cabinets deploy the same spare geometries and lushly figured woods as those of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and his disciple Florence Knoll, the chief difference being that Mies and Knoll used chrome steel for the frames and legs of their pieces. The brawny oak frames and slung leather seats and backrests of Mogensen’s Hunting chair (1950) and Spanish chair (1958) display the same hefty construction and appreciation of natural materials seen in the work of Charlotte Perriand and Sergio Rodrigues.
As you will see from the furnishings on 1stDibs, Børge Mogensen designed for function more than sculptural effect. While his chairs may not be the first pieces in a décor to draw the eye, they are often the first to draw in those looking for a comfortable seat.
1950s Danish Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Oak, Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Børge Mogensen Seating
Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Børge Mogensen Seating
Cherry
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Fabric, Ash
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Børge Mogensen Seating
Papercord, Beech
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Teak
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Walnut
1950s Danish Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Scandinavian Modern Børge Mogensen Seating
Teak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Wood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Wood, Beech
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Oak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Teak, Leather
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Seagrass, Pine
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Teak
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Brass
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Wool, Oak
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Børge Mogensen Seating
Glass, Wood, Teak
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Cherry
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Fabric, Wood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Fabric, Oak
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Canvas, Beech
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Wood, Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Oak
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Wool, Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Wool, Wood
1960s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Oak
1960s Danish Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Beech
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Canvas, Mahogany
1960s Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather, Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Børge Mogensen Seating
Leather