#YellowtraceTravels // Great Dane’s Danish Design Factories.

Day 6 of our week long #GreatDesignTour2014 saw us wake up in Aarhus – Denmark’s second largest city, before hopping on a private coach nice and early. A day of Great Dane’s Danish design factory tours awaited.

First stop was J.L. Møller. In 1944, Niels Otto Møller began his cabinetry company, where old craft traditions are still used today, now managed by Neil’s son, Jørgen Henrik Møller. The factory maintains the original Moller philosophy of hand-craftsmanship and production without assembly line, crafting chairs of outstanding quality for the past 60 years. It was incredible to witness the entire process and see everything that goes into making a perfect Moller chair or a classic Moller bench. From the arrival of different timber species, making of the templates, cutting, steam bending, hand finishing, timber matching, upholstering, paper chording etc.

Related Post: #YellowtraceTravels // Copenhagen, Denmark.

J.L. Moller Factory Tour. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

J.L. Moller Factory Tour. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

J.L. Moller Factory Tour. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

J.L. Moller Factory Tour. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

Moller Bench No.63. My absolute favourite! Available exclusively at Great Dane Contract.

Moller Chair No.78. Available exclusively at Great Dane Contract.

To make the frames, the company selects the raw timber themselves, which arrives from various parts of the world. Machines are never used for the final polish, as they can never replicate the finish that comes from polishing by hand. One of the men in the factory is solely responsible for timber matching the grain on the various chair components so that each finished product is perfectly balanced, down to grain direction. Any knots or imperfections are instantly rejected withouth compromise. They are seriously hardcore!

Paper chording is an art in it’s own right. Each seat is woven by hand from one continuous 13m long piece of cord, and takes several hours to complete (interestingly, black takes longer than natural). Scandinavian cord seats are known for their durability – easily withstanding decades of frequent use. Plus they look super beautiful.

Snedkergaarden Factory. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

Snedkergaarden Factory. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

Nanna Ditzel’s side tables in Oak. Available at Great Dane Contract.

Vodder Double Low Boy in Oak. Extreme LOVE! Available exclusively at Great Dane Contract.

Our second stop was Snedkergaarden, lead by Finn Bruun and Erik Skovgaard, where design classics such as Nanna Ditzel’s ND83 easy chair & The Toadstool are produced amongst a number of other contemporary furniture pieces by leading Danish designers. In fact, Finn was quick to tell us that Brad Pitt’s sofa was made in this factory, not that he cared so much about that, of course. Our own Opera House was also furnished by the peaces made here.

Vodder’s trademark organic drawers are also made at Snedkergaarden – a personal favourite of mine. This elegant series of drawer units was designed in 1959 by Arne Vodder, who was a student of Finn Juhl and one of most influential Scandinavian designers of all time.

dk3 Factory. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

dk3 Factory. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

Royal System with Desk & BM2 Chair from dk3. Available at Great Dane Contract.

Jewel Sun table (gorgeous!) from dk3. Available at Great Dane Contract.

Plank Sofa from dk3. Available at Great Dane Contract.

Our factory tour concluded at dk3. Owners Ann & Jacob Plejdrup state that “the true aesthetic is natural, not man made” and their furniture is designed with this in mind. The company is the manifestation of the owner and founder’s vision to unite classical carpentry traditions with modern furniture design.

One of dk3’s signature product is the Tree Table, where natural planks with structure, knots and cracks provides the special look. Two tables are never the same and buyers are given the unique opportunity visit the factory in order to choose their own raw planks for the table. The Royal System® shelving, designed by Poul Cadovius in 1948 was another great discovery. The shelving can be combined for individual needs, accommodating a writing desk, a library, or as a simple bookcase.

On that note, I leave you with more images in the gallery below. Enjoy!

Related Post: #YellowtraceTravels // Copenhagen, Denmark.

Yellowtrace Promotion proudly brought to you in association with Great Dane Contract. 

[Unless otherwise noted, all photos © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.]