One of the reasons I’m drawn to Scandinavian design is its timeless appeal. Rather than slavishly following the latest trends, it’s often intended to last for decades and even be passed down through the generations. In fact many of the most popular Scandinavian pieces were created back in the 1950s and 60s, but they’re just as relevant today as when they were first launched.
Few brands embody this more than Danish companies Fredericia and Georg Jensen, as I discovered earlier this month when I joined a small group of fellow bloggers for a two-day tour of their Copenhagen HQs. Although they make very different products – the former furniture, the latter jewellery and silverware – they both share a commitment to high-quality craftsmanship and enduring design.
I’ll cover my time with Georg Jensen in a separate post, but first I want to focus on Fredericia, whose stunning showroom was the setting for our first day. Occupying the upper floors of the former central post office and Royal Mail museum, it’s a soaring, loft-like space that’s bathed in natural light, complete with a roof terrace gazing out over the city. I loved the crisp white walls, the pale floorboards and the way curtains had been used to zone the vast space, and it’s a fitting home for a brand that has been responsible for some true design icons.
First founded in 1911 by entrepreneur N.P. Ravnsø, Fredericia takes its name from a small town on Denmark’s Jutland peninsula which hosted the Nordic International Furniture Exhibition from 1910 until the 1980s. The company soon developed a reputation for well-made pieces but it was during the 1940s and 50s, after it was acquired by Andreas Graversen, that its fortunes really took off. Graversen was a huge admirer of the functional, modernist work of architect Børge Mogensen and invited him to collaborate, resulting in the creation of some of Fredericia’s most famous designs.
Graversen’s family still owns the company today and we were shown around by his son and current owner Thomas and grandson Rasmus. They explained that Mogensen’s aim was to make modernist design accessible to all by creating high-quality, long-lasting pieces at a reasonable price. The epitome of this is the ‘J39’ chair, also know as the ‘People’s chair’, which he designed in 1947. Consisting of a wooden frame and a paper-cord seat, it was intended to be a simple and sturdy piece for everyday life and can be found in homes and businesses around the world.
Among other things, Mogensen was also responsible for the ‘Søberg’ chair (1950), whose moulded plywood form has inspired countless others, and the understated ‘2213’ sofa (1962). The prototype of the latter now takes pride of place by the showroom entrance after sitting for decades in Mogensen’s own home, and the leather has only become softer and more characterful with use – proof that good design really does stand the test of time.
But staying true to its heritage doesn’t mean that Fredericia has remained static, and over the years it has collaborated with a raft of renowned names to produce innovative new designs. These include Thomas Pedersen’s eye-catching ‘Stingray’ chair, Jasper Morrison’s circular ‘Pon’ side tables, Welling/Ludvik’s understated ‘Mesa’ tables and Space Copenhagen’s clean-lined ‘Spine’ seating series. The company was also responsible for producing Nanna Ditzel’s celebrated cut-out ‘Trinidad’ chair, first introduced in 1993 and now considered a modern classic (more on that to follow in another post).
What’s more, many of its existing pieces have been relaunched with contemporary twists. The latest to undergo an update is Mogensen’s ‘Spanish’ chair, an oak and leather design with wide armrests that was inspired by traditional chairs found in certain parts of Spain. This year it celebrates its 60th anniversary and to mark the occasion a limited-edition version in olive green has been released.
We were lucky enough to be given an insight into the chair’s production thanks to a craftsman from Swedish tannery Tärnsjö Garveri, who travelled to Copenhagen to demonstrate how the leather is cut and trimmed. The care and attention to detail were certainly impressive, and the leather was beautifully soft and smooth to the touch.
We returned to the showroom in the evening for sunset drinks and dinner hosted by leading appliance company Electrolux, whose in-house chef whipped up a seasonal four-course feast using its steam oven. It’s designed to enable home cooks to experiment with restaurant techniques like sous-vide and the results were delicious. Candles flickered, food and wine flowed, and Georg Jensen cutlery and vases sparkled on a table brimming with flowers – a wonderful end to a very inspiring day, and a hint of what was to follow the next. More on that soon…
My trip to Copenhagen was hosted by Fredericia and Georg Jensen, who covered my travel, accommodation and expenses. As always, all words and opinions are my own.
All photography by Abi Dare
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