Danish Modern Furniture

First seen in the United States in the 1930’s, Danish Modern furniture was a drastic departure from the traditional and Art Deco styles prevalent at that time.  With its clean, uncluttered, fluid, modern lines, it grabbed the attention of an American public that was ready for a change from the fussier, more ornate, furnishings their parents owned. It was new, young, and fresh, echoing the feelings of optimism and prosperity of a country coming out of the Great Depression.

Some believe the style was a natural evolution of the Craftsman Era, and functioned as the catalyst that led to the birth of Mid-Century Modern architecture. This may have been the first time in history that a furniture style gave rise to a new architectural era. Mid-Century Modern homes matched their Danish inspirations. Most of what we consider modern today can be traced back to early Danish roots. Shaker was a definitely American trend that resembled the style but it never became universally popular.

Vintage Danish modern furniture pieces can still be found today. There are avid collectors and prize pieces can be very expensive. Prices are high for good reason. Many original pieces were Scandinavian manufactured, and still carry their maker’s marks. They were made of beautiful solid woods like teak, rosewood, and maple and built by true craftsmen. It is not surprising many of these pieces are still in use today. It is sometimes difficult to tell the originals from later copies but the craftsmanship and quality of the materials is usually the determining factor.

The style’s bedroom perhaps represented the biggest change in American preferences. Older style bedrooms were overstuffed and chock full of bric-a-brac. Modern bedrooms were simple and uncluttered, almost empty in contrast to their predecessors. In reality, new bedrooms had more storage and closet space than ever. A lot of the storage was built-in with that clean unobtrusive Mid-Century Modern flair. The modern furniture added more storage than ever before with the simple style allowing function to follow form. Even though the finished room looked spare, very little space was wasted.

The American homemaker of the 1950’s loved Danish Modern bedroom furniture, because it was easy to clean and maintain. Clean lines collected a lot less dust. For the first time in modern history, a room could be redecorated by changing out the accessories for a whole new look. The furniture itself was timeless.  It would enhance almost any decorating scheme with its beauty, simplicity, and quiet elegance. This is still true today as evidenced by the fact that the style is again becoming more popular and is in high demand.

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