&Tradition Brings Back Danish Designs from the '50s

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August 28, 2020

Though we're fans of the new, the weird, the reinvented, there's something incomparable about designs that span decades. Pieces that have universal appeal outside of their window in history are their own type of magic. It's why we care so much about authenticity within design – compare it to the expertise of a musician behind your favorite song or the notoriety of a prolific book. Though there are many covers and reproductions, the original piece will always transcend.

The VP9 FlowerPot Table Lamp from Verner Panton

Recently &Tradition decided to re-release designs from Copenhagen-based, Danish design and architectural firm, Hvidt and Mølgaard. Founders Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen were pioneers within Danish mid-century design known for their use of laminated wood and innovations to furniture production. Their work can be found exhibited at the MoMA, Melbourne’s National Gallery, Copenhagen’s Design Museum, and now at Lekker! Let's meet their designs, shall we?

HM1 Boomerang Lounge Chair

Hvidt and Mølgaard were known for their no-frills, streamlined approach to design, perfectly encapsulated here with the Boomerang.

HM2 Boomerang Lounge Armchair

The slender metal legs and hand-polished wooden frame are characteristics of both the HM1 Lounge and HM2 Armchair, with the only difference being armrests on the HM2.

HM3 Drawn Chair

Most pieces from this newly acquired collection were designed in 1956, following a multifunctional approach or including practical variations like the Drawn Chair coming with or without armrests.

HM4 Drawn Armchair

For fans of the classic seat of the Wishbone Chair by Carl Hansen, the seat of the Drawn Chair is also composed of handwoven natural paper cord, over 100 meters of it, in fact.

HM5 Drop Leaf Lounge Table

The tables designed by Hvidt and Mølgaard perhaps best communicate the versatility of their entire &Tradition collection, being organically shaped after, you guessed it, a leaf, as well as collapsable. The HM5 Lounge Table is completely foldable, making it an ideal side table for smaller spaces.

HM6 Drop Leaf Dining Table

The HM6 Dining Table, on the other hand, has two hinged sections that fold down from the fixed center, transforming it into a makeshift sideboard or smaller table that can abut flat against a wall.

HM7 Pinwheel Table

The two departures from the pieces designed in pairs are the HM7 Pinwheel Table, and the only lighting in the collection, the HM8 Tripod Floor Lamp. The HM7 Pinwheel Table can function as a standalone piece or be fit together to form a larger unique design only limited by your imagination.