Design story
Niels O. Møller chair model 78 was designed in 1962 and features an organic frame that is reduced in form, turned and carved to meet the user, providing comfort and character.
N.O. Møller, as he is most often titled, belongs to the crowd of Danish furniture architects who are referred to as “those who constituted the Danish furniture architectural golden age”. Other furniture architects from this era include Arne Jacobsen, Hans J. Wegner, Børge Mogensen, Poul Kjærholm and Finn Juhl, but unlike these, Møller never studied at the School of Arts and Crafts or the Academy of Fine Arts. Instead, Møller trained as a cabinetmaker during which he received a journeyman’s certificate in 1939.
J.L. Møllers Møbelfabrik was started by Niels O. Møller in 1944 in the centre of Aarhus (the second largest city in Denmark) using the name of the family joinery business set up by his father, Jorgen L. Møller in the 1920’s (which had been forced to close during the depression).
The second incarnation of JL Møller factory got off to a flying start and already in the early 50s the factory exported furniture to Germany and the United States. The company rapidly became well known for unerring quality and timeless modern designs with a series of highly successful chair designs such as the Model 71, 75, 77 and 78 being designed between 1951 and 1959.
The overwhelming start meant that J.L. Møller’s furniture factory had to expand and it was therefore decided that production would be moved to the Aarhus suburb of Højbjerg. In 1961, the factory bought a 33,000 square metre purpose built factory.
In 1972, J.L. Møller expanded the production facilities with 2500 sqm. and soon after, exports were expanded to include Japan.
In 1981, the company received Danish furniture industry’s furniture price. One of the reasons for the price was that J.L. Møller manage to combine classic craftsmanship with modern furniture production.
