Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen FD 146 Chair, Denmark, 1950s
View Similar Items
Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen FD 146 Chair, Denmark, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Hvidt & Mølgaard (Designer),France & Søn (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 33.08 in (84 cm)Width: 25.2 in (64 cm)Depth: 25.99 in (66 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. one small hold in fabric under the seat cushion (not visible).
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2259311102721
Hvidt & Mølgaard
Warm, exceptionally versatile and crafted with a range of appealing materials, vintage Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen furniture showcases the Danish duo’s penchant for innovation and durable design. For decades, the pair created sleek coffee tables, seductive lounge chairs and other pieces that are characterized by the practicality and elegance commonly attributed to Scandinavian modernism.
Both Hvidt and Mølgaard-Nielsen attended what is now the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, with Mølgaard-Nielsen having completed his studies under the Danish furniture design pioneer and architect Kaare Klint. Trained as an architect and cabinetmaker, Hvidt established his own firm in 1940 and taught at his alma mater for a few years. After they won a design competition held in Stockholm, Hvidt partnered with Mølgaard-Nielsen in 1944 to establish their firm in Copenhagen.
The collaboration between Hvidt and Mølgaard-Nielsen yielded more than 250 designs and lasted over 30 years. Aside from having created a wardrobe for the Queen of Denmark as well as numerous architectural structures, the pair’s flagship achievements include 1944’s teak Portex chair, which is Denmark’s first-ever stacking chair (and is occasionally attributed to Hvidt alone), and the AX chair.
A masterpiece of technical expertise and innovative woodworking, the sculptural AX armchair shares commonalities with the work of legendary Finnish designer Alvar Aalto — whose output included similarly curvaceous seating such as the Paimio armchair, often designed in partnership with his wife, Aino. It features double-curved laminated wood in the seat and back — which could be mass-produced — 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.
While vintage Hvidt & Mølgaard furniture isn’t as popular as the work of Finn Juhl, a like-minded Danish modernist who helped popularize Scandinavian design in America as well as the use of teak in furniture, the innovative AX chair is similarly as expressive and inviting as Juhl’s seating. The AX was designed in collaboration with manufacturer Fritz Hansen during the late 1940s and went into production in 1950. It gave way to a series that includes tables and other types of seating.
Hvidt and Mølgaard-Nielsen collaborated regularly with Fritz Hansen, France & Søn and Søborg Møbelfabrik. Their work can be found in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen’s Design Museum and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
Find vintage Hvidt & Mølgaard dining tables, coffee tables, modular sofas, storage cabinets and more on 1stDibs.
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.
- Pair of Lounge Chairs, Denmark, 1950s, Newly Upholstered in SheepskinBy Flemming Lassen, Viggo BoesenLocated in London, GBA super pair of lounge chairs, newly upholstered in grey / brown sheepskin, Denmark, 1950s. Fast shipping worldwide. .Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood, Sheepskin
- Arne Vodder Armchair in Original Leather, Denmark, 1950sBy Arne Vodder, Hans J. WegnerLocated in London, GBArne Vodder armchair in original brown patinated leather with rosewood legs, produced by Ivan Schlechter, Denmark, 1950s. In good original condition with a nice tone and patina. Mino...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- An Armchair, Reupholstered in Pure Alpaca Wool, Denmark, 1950sBy Märta Blomstedt, Flemming Lassen, Viggo Boesen, Fritz HansenLocated in London, GBA lovely armchair, Denmark, 1950s. Newly upholstered in a luxurious, soft, ivory pure alpaca wool. Fast shipping worldwide.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAlpaca, Wood
- Large Armchair, Reupholstered in Pure Alpaca Wool, Denmark, 1950sBy Märta Blomstedt, Flemming Lassen, Viggo Boesen, Fritz HansenLocated in London, GBA large armchair, Denmark, 1950s. Newly upholstered in a luxurious, soft, ivory pure alpaca wool. Fast shipping worldwide.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAlpaca, Wood
- Gianfranco Frattini 836 Lounge Chairs, Cassina, Italy, 1950sBy Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in London, GBA rare pair of lounge chairs by Gianfranco Frattini, produced by Cassina, Italy, 1950s. In good original condition - wooden frames and original upholstery. Fast shipping worldwide...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Outstanding, Rare Lounge Chairs, Italy, 1950s, For ReupholsteryBy Gio Ponti, Carlo Mollino, Ico ParisiLocated in London, GBAn extraordinary, rare pair of Italian 1950s armchairs. Structurally sound, but the original upholstery is worn out so the chairs are sold for the customer to recover in their own c...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood, Fabric
- Peter Hvidt& Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen FD146 Cane Back Easy Chair, DenmarkBy Hvidt & Mølgaard, France & DaverkosenLocated in The Hague, NLA Classic design by one of Denmark's greatest furniture design pairings in history- Hvidt & Mølgaard manufactured by France & Daverkosen in 1960's Denmark. Model number- 146, the cha...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWool, Rattan, Teak
- Danish lounge chairs "FD 145" by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-NielsenBy Hvidt & Mølgaard, France & DaverkosenLocated in Hägersten, SEPair of easy chairs model "FD 145" designed by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen in 1953. Produced in Denmark by France & Daverkosen during the 1950s. Solid beech frame with teak a...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWool, Beech, Teak
- Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen Long ChairBy Peter Hvidt, France & SønLocated in North Hollywood, CABeautiful Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen easy chair for France & Daverkosen made in Denmark, circa 1950s. This stunning chair was designed with the highest quality of teak. The ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsTeak, Bentwood
- Danish Minerva Sofa in Mohair by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, 1950sBy Hvidt & Mølgaard, France & SønLocated in Renens, CHA vintage Minerva sofa / daybed designed by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, originating from the early 1960s, produced by France & Son. The sofa features a teak frame, with ne...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMohair, Teak
- Boomerang Chair by Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard NielsenBy Hvidt & Mølgaard, France & SønLocated in Little Burstead, EssexThis is a very good original example of this classic chair, freshly upholstered in white boucle.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Expertly Restored -Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen Model FD-146 Lounge ChairBy Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, Peter Hvidt, France & DaverkosenLocated in Los Angeles, CALounge Chair designed by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen for France & Daverkosen in Denmark circa 1950’s. This stunning Model FD-146 features a walnut-stained beechwood frame wit...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFoam, Beech