Frits Henningsen
Encyclopedia
Frits Henningsen was a Danish furniture designer and cabinet maker who achieved high standards of quality with exclusively hand-made pieces.
Henningsen, who was probably born around the turn of the 20th century, was both the proprietor of a furniture-making workshop with a team of cabinetmakers in central Copenhagen
as well as the designer of his own products. An active member of the Cabinetmakers Guild from 1927, he was admired by his peers for the high quality of his craftsmanship. Many of his pieces were crafted in exotic woods such as palisander and mahogany
. All his furniture is hand-made in line with traditional, labour-intensive methods from the 19th century. His pieces are noted for their elegance, above all for the soft curves in the arms of his chairs and sofas, demonstrating his traditional approach aiming to combine style and comfort.
In 1942, Henningsen distanced himself from the younger designers of the day who increasingly used straight lines in their work, believing furniture design needed to maintain curvature which contributed to a homely look.
Henningsen, who was probably born around the turn of the 20th century, was both the proprietor of a furniture-making workshop with a team of cabinetmakers in central Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
as well as the designer of his own products. An active member of the Cabinetmakers Guild from 1927, he was admired by his peers for the high quality of his craftsmanship. Many of his pieces were crafted in exotic woods such as palisander and mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
. All his furniture is hand-made in line with traditional, labour-intensive methods from the 19th century. His pieces are noted for their elegance, above all for the soft curves in the arms of his chairs and sofas, demonstrating his traditional approach aiming to combine style and comfort.
In 1942, Henningsen distanced himself from the younger designers of the day who increasingly used straight lines in their work, believing furniture design needed to maintain curvature which contributed to a homely look.