Great Conversation with Kirsten Møller

Pictured above; The Courtside House featuring Møller 77 Dining Chairs. Captured by Tom Ross, Styling by Jess Kneebone

In 2016, you took on the role of CEO at J.L. Møller, your family’s esteemed furniture company. Now after eight years of leadership and experience, and with the delightful addition of your husband Mikkel to the business, could you reflect on your journey? Is there something that has pleasantly surprised you along the way, or perhaps an aspect of the role that you didn’t fully realise when you first started but have come to cherish?

The last three years have been so drastically different than the first five years. When I started, I spent all my time learning the ins and outs of what running the factory entailed, both in the office and in production. What were we doing, why were we doing it, what worked, and what did not work. Finding solutions to what did not work, mainly scaling the business, is what Mikkel and I have dedicated the last three years to. Making significant investments in machinery, as well as increasing our workforce two-fold, have allowed us to produce more while never compromising on what works: creating high-quality, timeless dining pieces that my grandfather so masterfully designed generations ago.

As a third-generation Møller, you carry forward a rich legacy while steering the brand into the future. Can you delve into how you strike a balance between honouring this heritage and driving the brand’s evolution? Is there anything you’ve found essential to preserve or transform?

It is truly amazing and a huge honour that I get to carry on the legacy of this extraordinary company. From my grandparents’ humble beginnings in a small workshop in Aarhus to establishing both a factory and a product that became internationally recognised in the span of just a few decades is remarkable. My father and uncle dedicated their lives to representing the company and both traveled all over the world during their careers to maintain strong customer relationships. Due to my grandfathers’ pioneering vision of combining machinery and craftsmanship, and the second generation’s strong dedication to servicing our export markets, the company was well-functioning when I started back in 2016. Striking a balance between honouring this history and evolving the brand is quite simple for me: the product and the service-minded drive that has gotten us to where we are now won’t change. We will not compromise on the level of quality of our designs, as this is what Møller products are renowned for. Our network of dealers, designers and architects have been faithful to our company for decades now and these partnerships are still valued highly within our organisation. So, we are in the process of upgrading our current setup, modernising you can say so that we can produce more and more of our signature product for years to come.

Memories of grandparents often hold special significance. Is there a particular memory or story about your grandparents that you’d be willing to share, and how has it influenced your perspective on your role at J.L. Moller?

They never fought. At least not in front of my father, who has shared this memory with me. What I have heard about my grandparents’ relationship was that they had the utmost respect for each other, both in their professional and private life.  They had a shared goal and dedicated their lives to this company that they built from scratch. They supported each other. Furniture fairs, developing new products, administration, production. International customers who visited the factory were invited back to their home, where my grandmother always had warm meals waiting for them. They did it all, and they did it together as a team. That is inspiring and I feel in many ways this has almost come full circle with Mikkel and I.

We saw a real scarcity in timber due to a number of factors from Covid to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Your grandfather famously engineered paper cord as a substitute for rubber during World War II. What do you think about the future of timber? Will things normalise or will timber become even more valuable?

Wood is a fantastic material and is the principal component of our products. What makes wood so distinctive is its ability to last for generations and change in appearance. Over time, wood will age just like we do, and with each day that passes the colouring and texture of wood changes. However, with solid wood one can sand the surface and underneath reveal another layer of fresh wood, and in essence elongate the lifetime of its purpose and aesthetic. I think timber is, and will always be, a valuable material for this reason, appealing to all who strive to live and consume more sustainably.

Pictured above; Images from the Møller archive designdaily.com

Can you tell us what inspires you in your work? Is there something or a relationship that has helped you evolve your way of thinking or creative mindset when managing the family business?

Mikkel starting in 2020 was such a game-changing event, not only for the company, but for my role as well. From the start, he really challenged me to think further out in the future than just a week at a time. This renewed mindset has not only done wonders for the organisation and formed the direction we now are headed in, but on a more personal level, it allowed me to see the bigger picture and not fret about the day-to-day operations that were draining all my energy. We work in very different manners, but the way he communicates, thinks and leads inspires me to find ways to support this approach. He brings out the best side of me and I hope I do the same.

You have beautiful taste for not only furniture but crafting interiors. Could you kindly share some valuable advice for our customers in Australia who aspire to create homes that radiate beauty, character, and comfort? Additionally, is there a sentiment or particular approach you personally embrace when selecting furniture for your own home that you’d like to share?

Less is more. I think our dining pieces truly embody this statement. A chair serves a very important purpose and is one of the most used pieces of furniture in every home. Combining a purposeful piece with timeless elegance gives you unlimited possibilities for a lifetime. And if the piece is produced with a high level of quality, then it can be gifted to the next generation and the next.