Børge Mogensen, Danish pragmatism

Børge Mogensen (1914-1972) belongs to that handful of Danish designers who defined the very idea of Scandinavian furniture. A friend of Hans Wegner and trained under Kaare Klint, he developed from the 1940s onwards furniture of Shaker and Japanese inspiration, where robustness matters as much as beauty. His obsession? To design furniture that lasts a lifetime, that everyone can buy, that you're never ashamed to sit in. Edited by Fredericia and FDB, his armchairs, sofas and sideboards became the backbone of the Danish school.

The Spanish Chair (1958), the J39 and the Mogensen sofas remain his most recognised pieces. Solid wood, patinated leather, braided leather straps: an honest material vocabulary that has crossed seven decades without ageing. Scandinavian vintage furniture to hunt with eyes closed.