It’s not always easy to find a home design and furniture style that takes away the focus on aesthetics. And in the modern world, we all need a functional home that will remain timeless and furniture pieces to provide comfort.
Danish Modern is the key to creating a space that strikes an ideal balance between beauty and functionality.
But, what is Danish modern? And what makes this aesthetic so highly coveted?
Think warm teak floors and ergonomic and sleekly designed furniture pieces. The Danish Modern boasts a harmonious fusion of old and new, form and function. It is a movement that favors the use of natural materials and fine craftsmanship. It’s the epitome of timeless elegance.
However, while clean lines and minimalism dominate the aesthetics, it uses organic shapes and smooth silhouettes to balance the look. Below, we’re going to define Danish modern design, its key characteristics, and the iconic figures that helped shape the movement.
When Did Danish Modern Start?
Hailing from its origin country Denmark, Danish Modern or Scandinavian Modern is a movement that emerged in the mid-20th century. However, its heydays didn’t rise until the postwar years of the 1940s to 1960s. While it originated from the southern Nordic country, the aesthetic was embraced by many throughout the world.
In the early 20th century, Europe saw dramatic changes in the areas of art, and culture, and innovations were the rage. Denmark birthed Danish modernism as an artistic response to those changes. This movement also reflected the country’s ethos of functionality, practicality, and simplicity.
The Danish modern design is rooted in nature, to create harmonious aesthetics that connect people to it. This design style is beautiful, but it is more than just a feast for the eyes. Its concepts are meant to enrich everyday lives.
Danish Modern shaped the broad mid-century modern design movement of the century, eventually inspiring Danish designers and architects to collaborate on practical ideas and creations that are modern, beautiful, and functional.
Notable Figures of the Danish Modern Movement
The Nordic aesthetic has redefined the broad mid-century modern movement. Well, we can all thank the important figures who paved the way to the design style that we love and appreciate today.
Kaare Klint
Danish architect Kaare Klint laid the groundwork for ergonomic and durable furniture pieces. Klint is regarded as the father of modern Danish modern furniture design because of his meticulous approach to crafting Danish modern pieces designed to be functional.
Kaare Klint’s safari chair and Church Chair are some of the most iconic Danish modern furniture designs.
In 1924, established a furniture school at the Royal Danish Academy of the Fine Arts in Copenhagen. It’s the same school that Danish modern designers Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, and Børge Mogensen attended.
Arne Jacobsen
Simple and well-designed chairs are synonymous with Arne Jacobsen. The Danish architect and furniture designer used his forward-thinking approach to create one of the most iconic chairs, The Egg.
Most of Jacobsen’s creations include chairs with organic forms. He relied on innovative techniques such as bent plywood. A true visionary, he also used molded plastic to sculpt his Egg chairs. This pushed the limits of form and material.
Hans J. Wegner
Danish furniture designer Hans J. Wegner is the master of chair design. He turned furniture-making into an art, introducing simple and innovative chairs with ergonomic forms. The Wishbone Chair is one of his most iconic works. It became synonymous with the Danish Modern style.
You’ll also see his commitment to woodworking and ergonomic comfort through the hundred chair designs he meticulously crafted.
Finn Juhl
You can’t create innovative chairs without a rebel in the group, and that’s Danish architect and interior designer Finn Juhl. His furniture pieces have human-centric designs, with playful shapes and sculptural forms. Juhl broke away from Klint’s practical construction, which made him stand out among his Scandi and Danish peers.
He created Danish modern furniture designs that were colorful and sculptural. Some of his famous creations are the 45 Chair, Poet Sofa, and Chieftain Chair.
Børge Mogensen
Simple and practical. Those are two grounds set by Mogensen in creating the Danish modern furniture pieces. His creations are simple yet beautiful and functional, with a strong focus on sturdy construction. Some of his iconic designs are the Spanish Chair and Hunting Chair, both of which exude durability and timeless aesthetic appeal.
What Are the Characteristics of Danish Modern?
Key characteristics of Danish modern design include:
Functionality
While the design movement boasts a distinct aesthetic, Danish Modern favors functionality over forms. It has a strong focus on making everyday life easy. So, furniture pieces were designed to be comfortable and with ergonomics and practicality in mind.
They are also designed with clean lines and no unnecessary ornamentation. Spaces were also maximized and decorations were used sparingly to avoid clutter. In Danish modern design, everything has to serve a purpose.
Minimalism
Danish modern aesthetic epitomizes an elegant minimalist aesthetic. Everything is straightforward, from furniture pieces to color palettes. A space that rocks this design should have sleek, clean lines and simple forms and silhouettes.
Use of Natural Materials
The philosophy behind the Danish modern design movement is to create a space showcasing nature’s beauty. Using natural materials such as wood, leather, and wool adds a touch of inviting feel to the space.
Danish modern furniture pieces were made of warm woods including teak, beech, oak, and rosewood. Teak and rosewood were especially popular during World War II due to the scarcity of overseas supplies at the time. Plus, these woods are durable with inherent beauty.
Organic Shapes
Clean lines dominate Danish modern spaces, but the introduction of organic shapes is important as well. The Danish modern style often incorporates organic, sculptural forms inspired by nature. Danish modern furniture designers adapted innovative techniques such as bentwood and molded plywood to create organic forms.
In Danish modern designs, you’ll see smooth rounded contours, soft curves on the backs of chairs, and flowing table legs. The goal of incorporating organic shapes is to inject balance and harmony. It also creates a stunning visual interest.
Superb Craftsmanship
Danish modern design puts a strong focus on high-quality craftsmanship that is deeply rooted in traditional Scandinavian crafts. Furniture pieces during that era were created painstakingly, with high attention to detail, quality, and precision.
It favors traditional woodworking techniques to make durable pieces that will remain timeless and stand the test of time.
FAQs
What Type of Wood Is Danish Modern Furniture?
Wood furniture pieces are a staple in Danish modern interior design. The style utilizes Scandinavian craftsmanship, which has sleek and clean lines and is comfortable and cozy. Light-colored timbers such as teak, beech, rosewood, and oak were used for crafting tables, chairs, and other pieces.
Teak, especially, was popular in woodworking in Denmark during the mid-1900s. You can see some of the most iconic teak furniture pieces designed by Kaare Klint, who is also known as the father of modern Danish furniture design.
What Colors Are Danish Modern?
Because the Danish style favors simplicity and the use of natural materials, the design requires warm tones to complement those elements. Neutrals and earthy tones including beige, gray, and warm browns lend an inviting feel to the Danish modern space.
However, white tends to be the dominant color. It provides a simple and clean backdrop and you can build from it. If there has to be a specific color palette, Danish modern designers often incorporate black and white or gray and white to achieve the desired look. But, these colors still fall under the neutral tones.
Wrap Up
Danish modern design is absolutely beautiful, which is why it continues to gain popularity even in the contemporary world. It creates an ideal balance of practicality, beauty, and nature’s touch. So, whether you choose to fully embrace its elegant minimalist design or only take its core principles, try to find a balance.
We hope you’ve found this post helpful, and if you have any questions, let us know and we’ll be happy to help. Thanks for reading!
