The New Outdoor Collection that Børge Mogensen Designed For Himself
For the past couple of years when the weather gets warmer, Carl Hansen and Son emerges with some outdoor companions that have us rethink the ways that furniture can live outdoors. Building off of the warmth of the Bodil Kjær series launched last year, this spring season is no exception as CH brings us designer revivals made from sustainably-sourced teak to live amongst our gardens or patios. New England Winter? Don't know her! Summer, we're skipping spring and coming for you.
Børge Mogensen has made so many of our favorites like the Spanish Chair or the J39 The People’s Chair and was one of the most influential designers in shaping Danish Modern design, most known for his practical, restrained aesthetic. This new collection was originally designed by Mogensen in the late 60s, early 70s, and drew inspiration from the Shaker Design community in the US. If you’re not familiar, the American Shakers were quite the purists about utility and simplicity, present-day minimalism has a lot to thank them for. In Europe, the Shakers were one of the major sources of inspiration for the functionalist movement that Mogensen was part of.
The BM1871 Bench and its pair the BM1771 Table
The BM4570 Dining Chair and BM3670 Table
Inspiration aside, he designed this collection for his own outdoor spaces – to inhabit his balconies, patios, and backyard. He wanted designs that were comfortable and quick to move around at a moment’s notice. Because of this, every piece of the collection folds and is light-weight.
The BM5568 Deck Chair
This relaunch also marks a reconsideration of materials, the collection is now made out of FSC-certified teak that is untreated, so it will patina and better withstand the outdoor elements. The only design change that was made from the original 1971 designs was CH increased the height of the table and benches slightly to accommodate the average height today. That, and some glorious Sunbrella cushions for better sun-bathing and lingering summer meals (ahem, please note those are our desired usages).
Another part of this new collection that has reimagined materials is the release of the outdoor version of the Cuba Chair! Instead of its traditional oak and cotton webbing, the outdoor version is comes in teak with a tighter, flat-woven charcoal rope meant for the outdoors. The chair was originally created in 1997 by the Danish designer Morten Gøttler, and the coolest thing about Gøttler is that he was actually a self-taught designer and architect. He developed an expertise in woodworking and the Cuba Chair was born!
We're obviously lovers of the original Cuba Chair and are already speccing the outdoor version in some very exciting upcoming projects (shh, we'll tell you soon enough).