FDB Møbler

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In 1942 ”Fællesforeningen for Danske Brugsforeninger ”FDB” (the Danish Coop) established it´s own furniture office and appointed the furniture architect Børge Mogensen as chief, wich later became synonymous with ”FDB Møbler”.

FDB's furniture office and Børge Mogensen were set up on a mission. A cultural radical mission. The Danes had to learn how to make themselves modern. The old heavy and impractical furniture had to be replaced with functionalist furniture, all of which had to be "quiet of outer", "good use items" and without "decoration for the sake of decoration".

Completely in line with the fundamentalism of functionalism, the conviction was that a modern functionalist interior design would mean a marked increase in the quality of life of the individual Dane and in society as a whole.

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And FDB held on. In spite of a hesitant market and major production challenges, neither the demands of high-quality design nor the essence of the simplicity and beauty of functionalism were relieved and made available to the general public. 

 

 

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In 1947, FDB bought the furniture factory ”Tarm Stole- og møbelfabrik”, which opened up some completely new opportunities. FDB now had full control through all stages from production to sale, and could streamline the production apparatus according to the American model.

At the same time, there was better harmony between design and production, so that the furniture could be mass-produced and the production costs brought down markedly.

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It was good timing, as the 1940s laced towards the end, and new and more modern winds began to blow. There was an upswing in progress and the population demanded new ones.

  - And more new or modern than functionalism or just funkis, one could hardly imagine.

Alongside the fact that FDB got the organization in place, Børge Mogensen and his team of designers could gradually present an impressive collection with several of the furniture that today is known in most of the world as classics.

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Through out the 1950´s and 1960´s FDB Møbler was very succesfull but in 1980 the factory was closed.

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In 2013 FDB Møbler was reopend and began to sell furniture again.

Source: www.corneliand.dk, www.fdbdesign.dk