Hvidt & Mølgaard

Peter Hvidt (1916 – 1986) and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen (1907 – 1993) were pioneers of Danish mid-century design and the founders of Copen­hagen-based firm Hvidt & Mølgaard. Renowned for the simplic­ity of their works, the duo estab­lished a simple and precise aesthetic design­ing count­less pieces of furni­ture over the years, many of which became icons of the era. Their forward-think­ing approach to indus­tri­al­ized produc­tion paved the way for a new move­ment that drew upon clas­si­cal crafts­man­ship tech­niques to make afford­able, beau­ti­fully crafted home furnish­ings.

Both Hvidt and Mølgaard-Nielsen boasted supe­rior tech­ni­cal skills. Mølgaard-Nielsen studied furni­ture design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts under the tute­lage of Kaare Klint, while Hvidt gained knowl­edge of tradi­tional crafts­man­ship during his time study­ing cabi­netry at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copen­hagen. Today, their work can be found exhib­ited at MoMA, Melbourne’s National Gallery, and Copenhagen’s Design Museum.