Learning the unchanging work style of Børge Mogensen | A Danish hit maker who has been making furniture that is loved around the world for over 70 years

Furniture designer Børge Mogensen is gradually becoming more well-known in Japan. I will write about his personality and the way he works that can be read from his works. I hope that even those who are not involved in interior design or design will find him interesting.

table of contents
1. Who is Børge Mogensen?
2. Passion for work evident from episodes
3. Sense of responsibility and mission evident in our relationship with FDB Möbler
4. Afterword

1. Who is Børge Mogensen?

Borge Mogensen is one of the four great Danish masters.
Perhaps due to his drinking habits, he passed away at the young age of 58. (I will introduce some alcohol-related work-related anecdotes later.)

His representative works include "J39" and "SPANISH CHAIR", and he is a designer known for his strong image of linear, simple and sturdy designs.
It is often the case that the things created by designers have a similar atmosphere to the designers, and I think Mogensen is a prime example of this. (Mogensen himself is a simple, strong, and passionate man.)
The masterpiece, the J39

2. The passion for work is evident from the episodes

Mogensen is a workaholic and, like J39, an honest and straightforward person. Because of this, there are many episodes of his behavior that may seem strange to the average person.

First of all, for Mogensen, his home was a laboratory. When his son Peter came home, he would find that there was almost no furniture in his room, and he would frequently rearrange the house. Perhaps Mogensen was thinking about his work all the time.
I think the current thinking is that you should keep a clear separation between work and personal life, but I also like a lifestyle where there is no distinction between work and hobbies.
In Mogensen's case, work was work, but...

Next, as mentioned briefly above, Mogensen loved alcohol.
At one point, Mogensen made a drunken mistake and ended up in jail. You would think that it would be impossible to work in jail. But Mogensen got inspiration from a chair he found in jail and came up with a new design. It's hard to understand at this point, but...

I think the ability to think about how to turn a negative situation into a positive is what is required of people in any profession, and is what tests them the most.
I think Mogensen's strength is that when a problem occurs, he doesn't just fill in the gaps, but compensates for them even more. (As for the alcohol, it was Mogensen who sowed the seeds lol)

←Fredericia "model 2257" that I thought of while in detention

3. Sense of responsibility and mission evident in our relationship with FDB Möbler

Mogensen was head of design at FDB Möbler between 1942 and 1950.
It would take a long time to explain FDB Möbler, so for more information please see the FDB Möbler Brand Page .

The concept presented to the first director, Mogensen, was "durable, beautiful, functional and affordable."
How would you feel if your boss presented you with a concept like this? I think many people would think that such an unreasonable request is more of a wish than a concept.
When I was a student studying design, I often had the opportunity to have my professors look at my design proposals and concepts, but I was often scolded for saying things like, "I want to make something that is cool and easy to use."

Mogensen accepted this request and began working as head of design. As mentioned above, Mogensen is a man with more passion and a stronger sense of responsibility than anyone else.
Through FDB Møbler, he designed high-quality furniture that was casual and accessible to the common man. One of these was the J39, also known as the "common man's chair," which is still popular today after more than 75 years.
I believe that the reason they have been able to create furniture that is loved by so many ordinary people is because they have carefully reconsidered the design and use of materials, and put into practice the teachings of Coaclinto.

In the midst of all this, Mogensen felt that he was gradually losing touch with the concept, and so he left FDB Möbler in 1950. He was very happy about it, but it seems he was almost running away in the middle of the night...

However, I think he had a strong sense of mission towards one particular piece of work. Mogensen had a simple yet ambitious goal: to improve the lives of the Danish people. I think there is a lot that people today can learn from his sense of mission towards his work.

I think it's difficult to work with a sense of mission in your job. However, people who find something that only they can do and have their own unique talents seem to be full of life.

4. Afterword

I've made special mention of Mogensen's work, but I hope you enjoyed it!
Even people today can learn something from Mogensen about their work ethic. Even if you are doing the same job, I think your worldview will change if you have a sense of mission.

Finally, I'd like to share one short story with you.
I have explained at length about Mogensen's passionate work, but there was also a downside to it. Jorgen Baerkmark, the fourth generation of FDB Møbler, said that he was glad he had never had the opportunity to work with Mogensen, perhaps because he was too stoic about his work.

If you would like to know more about Mogensen's creations and stories, check out this DVD.
https://greeniche.jp/products/borge-mogensen-design-for-life-japanese-dvd-for-members

I would be happy if this is of some help to you when you are doing your work.