Poul Volther

First trained as a cabinetmaker, Volther studied furniture design at the Arts and Crafts School in Copenhagen.

A believer in Functionalism, he avoided short-lived aesthetic trends, concentrating on the simple crafting of quality materials. As a teacher at Denmark’s Design School, he encouraged hundreds of students to aim for high quality craftsmanship. With the support of designer Hans Wegner, he was employed from 1949 by the cooperative FDB, working in their design studio under the leadship of Børge Mogensen.

Mogensen left FDB in 1959, leaving Volther in charge. He went on to design a series of Windsor chairs, rather simpler in style than Mogensen’s own. He also designed a wide variety of armchairs and sofas which can still be seen in homes throughout Denmark and are still in production.