SCANDINAVIAN MANUFACTURING #GREATDANETRAVELS
The final part of our Scandinavian design adventures with the Arent&Pyke team saw us packing up our suitcases and traversing the great Danish countryside by car!
With the weather on our side – we were repeatedly told by our hosts how lucky we were to experience such warm sun in the middle of February – we departed Copenhagen in search of the heart of Danish manufacturing.
We were welcomed into some of the most important and historically rich places for Scandinavian furniture making. The dk3 factory where our Tree Table and the Poul Cadovius Royal System are manufactured is the oldest operating timber workshop in Denmark. Dk3 owner Jacob Plejdrup talked passionately about their love of the natural form of timber. Dk3 celebrate the unique nature of each piece by observing each plank’s original knots and integrating them into the final design.
The Le Klint light factory which has been in operation since 1943 (P.V. Jensen-Klint, famous for designing Grundtvig's Church in Copenhagen was the first to come up with the pleated design); is most famously known for its uniquely constructed paper shades. We were told it takes about a year to master each design and were in awe of the delicate way each fold was created. As part of our tour, we were provided with a sheet of embossed unfolded shade to practice on... We did our best to impress but were out shun by the graceful Le Klint pleating ladies!
At J.L. Møller the new generation – Grand Daughter of Founder Niels Otto Møller and daughter of Jørgen Henrik Møller has recently taken the reigns of running the workshop. Bringing with her degrees in economics and environmental affairs, her love for the timber workshop she has called home since birth is contagious to say the least.
To enter the PP Møbler workshop, is to get as close Hans Wegner’s legacy as one can possibly get. Yet another family-operated workshop, PP Møbler has been the birthplace of so many Wegner designs. Vintage posters of film stars and American presidents alike sitting on PP Møbler furniture line the walls of the buildings. Three generations of the PP Møbler family still visit the workshop every day to make sure the production of each chair bench or table is constructed just the way Hans Wegner had originally instructed.
We hope you've enjoyed visiting Scandinavia through our eyes this year. It's been a dream of us to show you more of the Scandinavia we have come to love and bring you the stories of our dedicated partners and the many friends we have made over the years. We're looking forward to bringing you lots of new pieces and stories in the remainder of 2017!
Hej hej!
PLANKS ON ARRIVAL AT DK3
MARKINGS ON PLANKS OF TIMBER AT DK3
METERS OF SMOKED OAK TIMBER AT DK3
OUR FRIEND JACOB TALKS US THROUGH THE DELICATE PLANK SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE TREE TABLE
THE NATURAL EDGES OF THE TREE TABLE
WE HAD A CRASH COURSE IN PAPER LANTERN SHADE PLEATING AT LEKLINT
LE KLINT WORKSHOP
LOOKING FORWARD TO RECEIVING OUR LE KLINT STOCK THIS YEAR
ARENT&PYKE'S JULIET LEARNING FROM ONE OF THE MASTER PLEATERS AT LEKLINT
IT TAKES ONE YEAR TO LEARN HOW TO PLEAT THE PAPER SHADES AT LEKLINT
SARAH JANE FROM ARENT&PYKE WAS A NATURAL!
THE PATTERN EMBOSSING ROLLERS DICTATE EACH FOLD ON THE LEKLINT SHADES
LE KLINT ENTRANCE
COFFEE AND CAKE WITH THIS WARM VIEW
NOTHING GOES TO WASTE AT LEKLINT - BRASS SHAVINGS READY TO BE RECYCLED
ONE OF OUR OLDEST FRIENDS IN DENMARK, A PLACE WE FEEL AT HOME, J.L. MOLLER CHAIR MILL
TIMBER BEING SHAPED INTO #77 CLASSICS
KIRSTEN MOLLER IS PART OF THE THIRD GENERATION IN HER FAMILY TO WORK WITHIN THE WORKSHOP. WE CAN'T WAIT TO WORK WITH HER AND SEE WHERE SHE TAKES THE BRAND IN THE COMING YEARS
IN HOUSE JIGS MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR EACH DESIGN OVER THE DECADES
EACH CHAIR IS WORKED BY HAND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
PAPER CORDING IS A UNIQUE SKILL WHICH HAS BEEN MASTERED BY THESE CRAFTSMEN. THE NEW AND OLDER GENERATION SIT SIDE BY SIDE PERFECTING THIS CRAFT
THE DANISH SUN FALLING ON SOME CHAIR PARTS AT J.L. MOLLER
NEXT STOP WAS PP MOBLER. ANOTHER LONG SERVING FAMILY OWNED WORKSHOP
HANS WEGNER'S CIRCLE CHAIRS IN PRODUCTION AT PP MOBLER
A PAPA BEAR CHAIR BEING LOVINGLY UPHOLSTERED
INGENIOUS AND INNOVATIVE TIMBER MANIPULATING METHODS AT PP MOBLER
EVERYWHERE WE LOOKED WAS HAND FINISHING. EVEN THE SMALLEST DETAILS REQUIRE THE UTMOST ATTENTION
WALL DIAGRAMS AT PP MOBLER
DRYING AND STORAGE ROOM PP MOBLER
KARINA FROM PP MOBLER WALKS US THROUGH THE MAGICAL WORKSHOP
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