Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen

The company was established in 1944 when the two designers joined forces. It was usual for designers to collaborate on projects but as they were such a perfect match, they entered into a partnership together.

Peter Hvidt (1916-1986) was born in Copenhagen and attended the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen. Having worked at several studios he set up his own company in 1942 whilst also around this time was a tutor at the School of Arts and Crafts.

Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen (1907-1993) was born in Aalborg, Denmark. He studied furniture design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts under world renowned and much respected Kaare Klint.

The pair had a prolific success rate of design to production and between them made hundreds of items. They rapidly built up a reputation keeping with the simplistic styles - smooth, clean lines and practical pieces were at the forefront of what they did. The AX chair was a prime example of this, the success with this design, which was produced by the furniture maker Fritz Hansen, went stratospheric - they adapted and remodelled several versions such was the popularity of the piece. The innovation to use laminated wood meant the chair could be reproduced easily and thus the chair was being exported worldwide.

As well as furniture designers Hvidt & Mølgaard also worked together with Hans Kristensen, on more architectural projects – these ranged from office designs and factories.

Hvidt & Mølgaard furniture has been exhibited in numerous places including the MoMA in New York and closer to home at the Danish Museum of Art & Design in Copenhagen. They were highly decorated through truly successful careers. Recognition of their achievements were noted through their careers. Hvidt receiving the Diplôme d'Honneur at Milan’s Triennale twice, firstly in 1951 and then again in 1954. Mølgaard-Nielsen received the iF Product Design Award for the Safari lamp. The couple retired in 1975, the company continued until 2009.