Small Børge Mogensen Rosewood Sideboard, Denmark 1950s

Model A 232 cabinet by Danish designer Borge Mogensen, manufactured by C.M. Madsen for F.D.B. Mobler in Denmark 1950s.

This cabinet is made of Brazilian rosewood, giving it a beautiful warm colour and pattern. The spacious cabinet has two front doors revealing the maple interior with shelves. The doors’ locks can be unlocked with special brass keys, which serve a functional as well as a stylistic purpose. The shelves are adjustable and can be arranged in any way. The cabinet features brass fittings in the front. The legs are truss style instead of a plinth, balancing out the heaviness of the cabinet. The details of this cabinet show Mogensen’s philosophy of functionality and quality, which makes it a timeless piece. The cabinet is stamped by C.M. Madsen for F.D.B. Mobler.

About the designer:
Borge Mogensen is without a doubt one of the most famous Danish designers. Born in 1914 in Aalborg, Mogensen was trained as a cabinet maker and studied at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen from 1936 to 1938, and architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Architecture between 1938 and 1942. At the beginning of his career, he became head of F.D.B. Mobler’s furniture design studio. In 1950 he started his own design studio, collaborating with manufacturers Soborg, the Swedish company Karl Andersson and the famous manufacturer Fredericia from 1955. The collaboration with the latter resulted in many of Mogensen’s most famous furniture pieces, including the “Spanish Chair” and the “Ambassador Sofa”.

Mogensen’s goal has always been to design and produce quality furniture for the people, with longevity, quality and timelessness in his focus. Because of this, Mogensen was known as “the people’s designer”, a true pioneer in democratic design. In 1972 he was awarded the C.F. Hansen Medal and was appointed Honorary Royal Designer for Industry at the Royal Society of Arts in London. ~H.