BEST OF DANISH DESIGN - Finn Juhl






























Finn Juhl was a Danish furniture designer and architect. He was educated at the Academy of Fine Arts 1930-1934. He worked as a teacher at the School of Interior Design 1945-1955. Finn Juhl is probably is the most recognised of Danish furniture makers and also internationally for his organic, sculptural idiom and for the fruitful cooperation with cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, which resulted in pioneering methods and techniques for the manufacture of furniture in teak. Finn Juhl’s furniture is characterized by a strong feeling for the material qualities and properties. The Guild Exhibitions was an important venue for the young designers who sought to renew Danish, turning their backs on the traditional historicist styles, heavy and with ornaments and plush, instead creating modern furniture which fitted the new trends in architecture. The projects was highly controversial and Juhl's first work met much criticism. His Pelican chair, designed in 1939 and first produced in 1940, was descriped as a "tired walrus" and "aestetics in the worst possible sense of the word". In spite of the initial criticism, Juhl'shis work began to have an impact on the style of homes abroad throughout the 40s. Still his popularity in Denmark did not reach that of his peers, Børge Mogensen and Hans Wegner, who were less redical in their designs and relied more on Kaare Klint, leader of the furniture school at the Academy and the nestor of modern Danish furniture design..His work also invluded numerous assignments within the field of interior design. Shortly after opening his own office, he received several commissions to do interior design at some of the premier addresses in Copenhagen, Bing & Grøndahl's shop on Amagertorv (1946), now housing Royal Copenhagen, and Svend Schaumann´s flourist´s shop on Kongens Nytorv (1948. In 1951–52 he designed the Trusteeship Council Chamber in the United Nations headguarters in New York City. He also collaborated regularly with companys such as Georg Jensen and Scandinavian Airlines, jis work for the latter including both ticket offices and interiors of planes. He also had many assignments as an exhibition designer. Besides furniture exported Finn Juhl also applied art in glass and wood and also fitting tasks. Many of Finn Juhl’s furniture is represented in museums, several are still in production and sold mainly in USA and Japan. In 2003 indstiftede Wilhelm Hansen Foundation Finn Juhl Prize given to persons who have made a special effort within the furniture architecture. In the 60s and 70s he experienced a declining interest in his designs. In the 80's and 90s the interest resurged. In 2010 one of his sofas, produced by Danish furniture brand OneCollection. n 1942 Juhl designed a house for himself, today known simply as Finn Juhl's House, and had it built for money inhered from his father. Over the years it was increasingly furnished with creations of his own design. He married Inge-Marie Skaarups on 15 July 1937 but they later divorced. From 1961 he lived in a common-law marriage with Hanne wilhelm Hansen,[6] a member of the family behind the Edition Wilhelm Hansen music publishing house. She survived him but after her death in May 2003 their home, which she had left unchanged after his death, was made into a [[historic house museum, today operated as part of the Ordrupgaard Art Museum whose premises it adjoins.

THINGS IN MY HOME- MY LIVING ROOM












So in July I moved once again to a rental home. It is a classic 3 bedroom stone built victorian semi detach, that you get so many of up here in Yorkshire. I have repainted all the walls, but as its a rental cannot touch the flooring and fittings etc. I am hoping to buy this next year so more improvements will be done. Hope you like it as it is so far. The walls are painted in french grey, which can look a little blue in certain lights. The sideboard is maple with a marble top, there is a collection of Aldo londi's Bitossi pottery. The side table is from habitat with a Conran Beep table lamp. The sofa is a leather goosedown corner sofa from Mogens Hansen, the rug is a tapestry by Bayer. The other side table is Penguin Donkey by Isokon, Eames fiberglass chair, an Oak Niels Moller desk, with a Kaiser Idell lexus Lamp. More various Bitossi and John Clappison pottery for hornsea.

THINGS IN MY HOME- GERMAN WOODEN FIGURES (NUTCRACKERS)




Hi all I haven't done a posting on anything in my home. I have recently moved again so will be posting a full home tour soon. I bought these little 'crackers' from an antique shop a couple of months ago, I love them.

The history of the wooden Nutcracker starts in 16th century in Germany. And of course it predates the ballet. Nutcrackers showed up in Germany's Erzgebirge region in 1725. Other estimations - like te town Seiffen - claim the nutcracker's official birth year as 1879. By teh way, Seiffen in Germany was home to many of the world's most famous toymakers.
Nutcracker's Legend

Erzgebirge legend: Long ago there lived a hardhearted and wealthy farmer. He promised a reward to anyone who could crack his walnuts. One day, a carver came from Seiffen and surprised the farmer with a wonderful wooden puppet. It was colourful painted with strong jaws, powerful enough to crack walnuts. Grateful, the miserly farmer rewarded the entire village.

According to another legend the nutcracker might also be symbolic. Erzgebirge residents suffered Germany's early political repression. So, toymakers constructed a wooden figure whose only military purpose was to crack nuts on command.

NEW SHOWS COMING UP AND OLD FAVOURITE



It is the season for shows and fairs...


NEW ON THE BLOCK

The Vintage Furniture Flea
http://vintagefurnitureflea.com/





AND OLD FAVOURITE

MIDCENTURY MODERN

http://www.modernshows.com/docs/shows/index.html

SOMETHING NEW - BEST OF BRITISH - MADE.COM





I have being seeing alot press on Made.com and after looking at their website and products, I think they are onto a winner!. So refreshing to see modern furinture, well crafted and made at an AFFORDABLE price!. I hope they continue to be able to source desirable ranges. Particularly love their Boundary collection. Also even though the name is very close to mine, it dosen't bother me. I have thought many times about selling modern furniture as well as vintage and am hoping to do so one day and also to be able to offer it at good prices.

www.made.com

BEST OF DANISH DESIGN - Illum Wikkelsø ILLUM WIKKELSO



























Wikkelsø, Illum 1919-1999. One of the great danish designers Illum Wikkelsø (pronounced Vikkelsow) remains one of Denmark's best kept secrets very little is to be found on him except, after graduating from The School of Arts & Crafts in Copenhagen, Illum Wikkelso was employed by fine cabinet maker Jacob Kjaer and the architectual firm of Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard-Nielson where he made his considerable mark on the danish modern design world and carried on to produce some of the countries most striking and beautifully crafted furniture. Second hand sofas and chair can still fetch over a thousand pounds in Denmark. Here is a list of some of the top danish manufacturers he produced furniture for. C.F. Christensen, N. Eilersen, Holger Christiansen, Komfort/Dansk Form, Søren Willadsen Møbelfabrik, Hjørring Møbelfabrik.