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 chairs, sofas and other 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, Mogensen’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.
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.
Find vintage Børge Mogensen dining tables, bookcases and other Scandinavian modern furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Børge Mogensen Danish Modern Large Wall Shelving System in Oak & Teakwood, 1956
By Børge Mogensen, Erhard Rasmussen
Located in Odense, DK
Important large wall shelving system in oak and teakwood designed by Børge Mogensen in 1956. This rare and early edition was made at cabinetmaker ...
Oak, Teak
Vintage Set of Five Wall Shelves by Børge Mogensen for Erhard Rasmussen c1949
By Børge Mogensen, Erhard Rasmussen
Located in Uxbridge, GB
A rare and beautiful set of five shelves by Børge Mogensen for Erhard Rasmussen. This early collaboration brought together two highly regarded figures of Danish furniture making: the...
Beech, Teak
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph A, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph B, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph C, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph H, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph F, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph G, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Pair of Blue Velvet Wall Shelves or Brackets
Located in New York, NY
Pair of blue velvet wall shelves or brackets. Handmade and covered in silk-rayon velvet. Measures: 12" x 6" x 9" H each.
Velvet, Wood
$1,251 / set
H 13.78 in W 11.82 in D 31.5 in
Marcello Siard for Kartell Set of 6 Black Plastic Shelves, Italy 1970s
By Kartell, Marcello Siard
Located in Naples, IT
Set of six shelves with asymmetrical plastic profile in black, designed by Marcello Siard for Kartell in the 1970s, are of two sizes 4 small (cm.35x44x30) and two large (cm. 35x80x30...
Plastic
A Pair of Carved Gilt Wood Wall Shelves
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A pair of giltwood wheat motif wall shelves, Italy, mid 20th Century, the good size measuring 15 inches high, 12.5 inches wide, and 6 iches deep.
Giltwood
$8,855 / set
H 120.87 in W 79.53 in D 12.8 in
Large 1950s Italian Mid Century Teak Maple Freestanding Shelving System 18 Piece
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
Recently imported from Italy, this is a good example of post war Italian Avant Garde design. Measuring an impressive 3-metres from floor to ceiling – a common height in Italian apartments – with opportunity to arrange the shelves to suit. This impressive freestanding storage...
Brass
$3,129
H 78.75 in W 64.57 in D 13 in
Poul Cadovius Freestanding Modular Wall Unit System for Royal System, 1960s
By Poul Cadovius, Royal System
Located in The Hague, NL
Original freestanding wall unit designed by Poul Cadovius, model Royal, in the 1960s for Royal System, Denmark. Freestanding wall unit consists 3 black metal uprights, one cabinet an...
Metal
$1,536
H 59.06 in W 33.86 in D 13.78 in
Danish Vintage Reol Shelve Wall Unit by Kai Kristiansen for Fm Møbler, 1960s
By FM Møbler, Kai Kristiansen
Located in Breda, Netherlands
Meet a true icon of Danish modern: the reol (shelving) system by Kai Kristiansen. Clean lines, clever proportions, and that effortless Scandinavian cool—this modular system is everyt...
Rosewood
$29,742
H 92.92 in W 138.19 in D 14.18 in
Wall shelves 'Mi 1050' Designed by Bruno Mathsson for Firma Karl Mathsson
By Bruno Mathsson, Firma Karl Mathsson
Located in Stockholm, SE
Model Mi 1050 is a wall-mounted shelving system designed by Bruno Mathsson and produced by Karl Mathsson in Värnamo during the 1960s. Crafted in birch and pine, the system is defined...
Steel
$4,382
H 81.89 in W 46.86 in D 20.48 in
Børge Mogensen Oak Cabinet, Scandinavian Modern Design, Sweden, 1950s
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Berlin, DE
Shelving and storage cabinet in oak by Borge Mogensen.
Wood, Oak
Framed Photograph by John Patrick Dugdale
By John Dugdale
Located in Atlanta, GA
Artist: John Patrick Dugdale (New York, b. 1960) Title: The Spirit Eye Medium: Cyanotype Year: 1998 Edition: number 3/12 Measurement: H 14", W 11"...
Wood, Paper
$2,300
H 37.5 in W 33.5 in D 11 in
Antique English Plate Rack Wall Shelf Hanging Wall Decor Carved Oak 19th C
Located in Tyler, TX
CHARMING Antique English Oak Hanging Wall Shelf Plate Rack~~19th Century The perfect decorative accent piece for displaying your favorite Imari, Majolica, Staffordshire or other an...
Oak
Pair Of Italian Gilt Rope And Tassel Wall Shelves
Located in New York, NY
Pair Italian Gilt Rope and Tassel Wall Shelves with new glass. Scrolled sides. Perfect for bathroom, Very sturdy and stylish
Iron
$4,900
H 69 in W 79 in D 12 in
Danish Modern Poul Cadovius Cubex Pine Modular Wall Unit Shelving System 1960's
By Cado, Poul Cadovius
Located in Lutz, FL
Danish Modern Cubex Nordic Pine Modular shelving system Designed by Poul Cadovius c.1960’s. A highly customizable system, can be configured as one wall unit as shown or multiple smal...
Plastic, Pine
$2,500
H 36 in W 18.5 in D 8 in
Antique English Pair Bookcases Plate Racks Wall Shelves Hanging Wall Oak 1920-30
Located in Tyler, TX
CHARMING Antique English Pair of Oak Hanging Bookcases or Plate Racks~~ The perfect decorative accent piece for displaying your favorite Books, Imari, Majolica, Staffordshire or ot...
Oak
$4,810
H 90.5 in W 27.5 in D 10 in
Contemporary Asymmetrical Bookcase with Teak Wall Panel and Aluminum Shelving
By Tisettanta
Located in Chicago, IL
Bookcase unit to be horizontally or vertically positioned. Shelves in aluminium varnished folded sheet metal. Back panel in teak wood. Designed by Giuseppe Vigano for Tisettanta ...
Aluminum
Large Vintage Galvanized Wall Shelf
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Large Vintage Galvanized Wall Shelf. Shelf can be powder-coated in any color per buyer request.
Iron
Floating Shelf by Børge Mogensen - Circa 1960s
By Børge Mogensen
Located in San Diego, CA
Floating Shelf by Børge Mogensen — Circa 1960s. A refined example of Mogensen’s understated Danish modern sensibility. Crafted in warm solid teak, the shelf appears to “float” on the...
Teak
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph H, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph G, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph E, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph D, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph B, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Børge Mogensen - Framed Photograph A, 1960
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful framed photograph depicting Børge Mogensen's house at Soløsevej in Gentofte, Denmark. Picture frame by Børge Mogensen in solid oregon pine with brass corner details made in...
Wood, Paper
Sold
H 17.72 in W 27.17 in D 11.03 in
Scandinavian Modern Wall Shelves in Pitch Pine by Børge Mogensen, 1963
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Odense, DK
Pair of rare Børge Mogensen wall shelves "Model 700" from the "Asserbo" series made at Karl Andersson & Söner in Sweden in 1963. Executed in beautiful solid ...
Pine
Sold
H 57.09 in W 50.01 in D 15.75 in
Børge Mogensen Danish Modern Wall Shelving System in Oak & Pinewood, 1956
By Børge Mogensen, Erhard Rasmussen
Located in Odense, DK
Rare large wall shelving system in oak and pinewood designed by Børge Mogensen in 1956. This early edition was made at cabinetmaker Erhard Rasmuss...
Oak, Teak
Børge Mogensen Danish Modern Wall Shelving System in Oak, 1956
By Børge Mogensen, Erhard Rasmussen
Located in Odense, DK
Rare and important wall shelving system in oak by Børge Mogensen made at cabinetmaker Erhard Rasmussen in 1956.
Oak
Book Shelves Designed by Börge Mogensen for Erhard Rasmussen
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Stockholm, SE
Book shelves designed by Börge Mogensen for Erhard Rasmussen, Denmark, 1950s. Oak and teak. Measures: H 136 cm/ 4' 5 1/2'' W 154 cm/ 5' 1/2'' Depth of the upper shelves 24 cm/ ...
Oak, Teak
Borge Mogensen Wall Shelf in Teak
By Drylund, Børge Mogensen
Located in New York, NY
Two-drawer hanging shelf or cabinet of teak with dovetail joint details and finger pulls on the floating drawers. Designed by Borge Mogensen and made by Drylund, Denmark, circa 1960s...
Teak
Borge Mogensen Shelving
By Børge Mogensen
Located in New York, NY
Hanging bookshelves and desk by Borge Mogensen made for Illums Bolighus, circa 1960s. Solid oak shelves and risers offset by solid teak desk component. ...
Oak, Teak
Wall Shelves By Borge Mogensen
By Børge Mogensen, Illums Bolighus
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A wall-mounted shelving unit having a solid oak frame, solid oak shelves and a teak bottom shelf.
Teak, Oak