Niels Otto Møller, a renowned mid-century Danish designer, and the founder of the successful furniture manufacturing company, JL Moller

 

Niels Otto Møller, a Danish designer and cabinetmaker, was raised in a family deeply rooted in furniture craftsmanship. Following his father's path, he completed his cabinetmaking apprenticeship in 1939 and pursued additional training at a design school in Arhus.

Filled with a reservoir of creative ideas, Møller was eager to bring his designs to life with uncompromising quality and meticulous technical oversight. In 1944, he founded JL Møller Møbelfabrik, naming it after his father's joinery business established in the 1920s, which unfortunately had to close during the depression.

From the outset, Niels Møller embarked on designing and producing various furniture lines, particularly focusing on dining chairs and tables. JL Møller swiftly gained recognition for its unwavering quality and enduring modern designs. Notably, the period between 1951 and 1959 saw the creation of highly successful chair designs such as Model 71, 75, and 77.

Møller's designs, primarily crafted from rosewood and teak, drew inspiration from contemporary jewellery forms. His meticulous attention to detail was influenced by regular visits to galleries and stores with his son, reflecting in the exquisite precision and ergonomic forms of his chairs, reminiscent of fine jewellery craftsmanship.

Under Møller's leadership, the company thrived and expanded its reach internationally. Notable achievements included winning Danish Furniture Prizes in 1974 and 1981, solidifying JL Møller's standing as a symbol of excellence in furniture design.

 

 

My father never compromised on anything, when he designed a chair, he would find the materials and then design the furniture. Each design took him five years to complete.

 - Jørgen Henrik Møller

 

This work ethic is why the Møller collection is relatively small for a company that’s been around for more than 60 years, but that also what makes Møller so special.

“Clean, simple designs and the quality of materials and workmanship are why Nordic design is timeless,” says Jørgen Henrik Møller. “It’s because of these materials and skills that Møller chairs are passed down from one generation to the next.”

When J.L. Møllers Møbelfabrik received the Dansk MøbelIndustri’s Furniture Prize in 1981, the judging jury explained that it was for the company’s ability to “combine the best craft traditions with modern furniture manufacture. The company has always obstinately held firm to its high-quality level.”

Today, J.L. Møllers Møbelfabrik continues to be a family-run company, with Jørgen Henrik Møller at the helm.

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