Danish Modern Drop-Leaf Oval Teak Dining Table by Peter Hvidt for France & Son
View Similar Items
Danish Modern Drop-Leaf Oval Teak Dining Table by Peter Hvidt for France & Son
About the Item
- Creator:Peter Hvidt (Designer),France & Søn (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Width: 64 in (162.56 cm)Depth: 55 in (139.7 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1962
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Lafayette, IN
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2680324840852
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.
- Rare 10ft Walnut Mid-Century Modern Conference Dining Table by Giacomo BuzzittaBy Stow DavisLocated in Lafayette, INAs seen on the Apple TV limited series "Lessons in Chemistry" This actual table was featured in several pivotal scenes in the conference room at Hastings Labs. Table is a model 2612...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBrass
$5,999 Sale Price25% Off - Pair of Midcentury Danish Modern Teak Dressers / NightstandsLocated in Lafayette, INWonderful matching pair of Danish dressers/nightstands. Dressers feature gorgeous teak veneer, sculpted teak drawer pulls and plenty of drawers (5 & 3 respectively)! With their soft ...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsTeak
$999 Sale Price48% Off - Mid-Century Modern Chinese Chippendale Dining Room Table & Chairs DIABy Design Institute AmericaLocated in Lafayette, INWonderful set of 6 Chinese Chippendale chairs and matching table by Design Institute of America (DIA). Set features six matching ch...Category
Vintage 1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
MaterialsChrome
$3,499 Sale Price65% Off - Set of 8 Mid-Century Modern Walnut & Gray Leather Dining Chairs by GunlockeBy Jens Risom, GunlockeLocated in Lafayette, INFantastic set of 8 model 21C armchairs by the Gunlocke Chair Co. of Wayland, N.Y. Chairs feature solid walnut frames, floating back-rests, new gray leather upholstery and one of the ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Walnut
$4,499 Sale Price / set25% Off - Pair of Mid-Century Modern Green Leather Oval-Back Armchairs Chair by Jens RisomBy Jens RisomLocated in Lafayette, INA fantastic pair of Mid-Century Modern green leather and walnut club chairs by Danish American designer Jens Risom. From the 1960s, these chairs are in very nice vintage condition. C...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood, Walnut
$2,099 Sale Price / set25% Off - Mid-Century Modern Bookcase Display Case Cabinet by Michael Taylor for BakerBy Johan Tapp, GumpsLocated in Lafayette, INWonderful Model 2589 Cabinet designed by Michael Taylor for Baker Furniture as part of the Far East Collection. This piece features solid walnut construction, adjustable shelves in t...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsWalnut
$2,999 Sale Price62% Off
- Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard Nielsen Teak Drop Leaf Dining Table For France & SonBy France & SønLocated in Norwich, GBStunning large teak drop leaf oval dining table, designed by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard. Made in Denmark for France & Søn. Maker's label. Circa 1950-60s. The table shows sculptural...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Drop-Leaf Table by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-NielsenBy France & Søn, Hvidt & MølgaardLocated in Sagaponack, NYA drop leaf table in solid teak wood designed by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mölgaard-Nielsen. Table can be used with one or both sides raised and features sculptural legs and brass fittings....Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Danish Modern Teak Drop Leaf Dining Table, 1960sLocated in Asaa, DKDanish modern teak drop leaf dining table, 1960s Large dining table with drop leaf extension. Extension leaf can hang on one end or be stored un...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsTeak
- 1960s Danish Peter Hvidt Drop-Leaf Dining Table in Teak and BrassBy Peter HvidtLocated in Pasadena, TXPeter Hvidt drop-leaf desk or dining table in teak and brass Denmark, 1960s Versatile drop-leaf teak desk or dining table with brass elements by Peter Hvidt for France & Son, Denmar...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Drop-leaf and Pembroke Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Vintage Danish Teak Drop Leaf Dining Table, 1950sBy Børge MogensenLocated in Asaa, DKVintage Danish teak drop leaf dining table 1950s Beautiful and very elegant Mid-Century Modern dining table with two drop leaves. This design is very much in the style of Børge Moge...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Drop-leaf and Pembroke Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Danish Drop-Leaf Table by Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard Nielsen for France & SonBy Hvidt & Mølgaard, France & SønLocated in St. Louis, MOBeautiful 1960s teak drop-leaf table designed by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard Nielsen for France & Sons and imported by John Stuart Inc. The sculptural legs of this convertible tabl...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBrass