Danish Craftsmanship
Our own production facilities in Ringkøbing, on the West Coast of Denmark, include an upholstery workshop and a joinery. Here, we mainly manufacture Finn Juhl’s tables and storage systems. Our headquarters and warehouse are also located at this site. In addition, we operate our own joinery in Vejen, which is dedicated to the production of solid wood furniture. At both locations, our skilled and experienced craftspeople are committed to upholding the rich tradition of fine woodworking, ensuring that every piece we produce is a testament to the artistry and skill that goes into its creation.
The upholstered furniture such as the Poet Sofa and the Pelican Chair are entirely hand-sewn in the same Danish tradition as the old ones. It takes years of experience, great knowledge and last, but not least, undying patience to master. Working with furniture is a challenge, especially furniture as organic as Finn Juhl's. Therefore, it is essential that the upholsterers have a deep understanding of the strengths of the various materials, but also the limitations. When we produce a piece of Finn Juhl furniture, we refuse to compromise. This way we ensure that each piece of furniture lives up to our goal of delivering furniture of the highest quality.
Since we started manufacturing furniture more than three decades ago, hundreds of furniture factories have disappeared from Denmark. Many furniture companies have relocated their production sites to countries with low-cost labour, and that development, combined with society's general emphasis on academic skills, has starved the honored Danish furniture production. We are committed to work against that tendency.
Still today, the largest part of our Finn Juhl collection is produced in Denmark, with a few, selected wooden frames proudly produced in Japan. For us, it is crucial that local production and traditional craftsmanship can also be found in Denmark in the future. Last year, we expanded our Danish production when we acquired a 100-year-old furniture factory in the city of Vejen, Denmark.
To achieve the fantastic finish and delicate detail that was Finn Juhl's trademark, we use modern technology combined with excellent craftsmanship. Finn Juhl's dilemma was that many of his furniture designs called for technical solutions, which were not invented at the time. Since he did not want to change or devaluate the characteristic design, he rather accepted this fact. That is the reason why some of his models are only produced in very limited quantities, while others never even saw the light of day.
Several of Finn Juhl's iconic designs would never be produced because they would have been too delicate to use. Finn Juhl himself was aware of this and famously said:
The Japanese Link
While most of the production takes place in Denmark, the most intricately shaped wooden frames are proudly crafted by our skilled Japanese partners in Yamagata. When we received the rights to manufacture Finn Juhl’s exclusive furniture we started looking for the best craftspeople. For the upholstered pieces, such as the Poet and the Pelican, the best Danish hand-upholsterers were located. However, the sculptural wooden pieces, such as the 45 Chair and the Chieftain Chair, presented a bit more of a challenge.
Initially, we were on the look-out for a workshop in Denmark that could live up to the task of producing the most intricate wooden pieces. However, either their quality fell short or they demanded that very large quantities were to be produced at a time, which wasn't an option. It is crucial to emphasize that Finn Juhl made bespoke furniture and even today the production is based on individual orders.
The solution came from afar, namely from Japan when a good friend of the company, recommended a small, yet extremely competent, workshop in Yamagata, Japan. Ivan Hansen, partner and co-founder of House of Finn Juhl, explains:
"At first we doubted that this would be feasible, as it was likely to become too complicated and expensive. It is of the utmost importance to point out that Japan is not the country to choose if you are looking to obtain cost advantages. Quite the contrary. However, the passionate joiners in Japan work without compromise. When producing sculptural furniture with delicate details we could not wish for a better partner. Their hearts beat to achieve the sublime and they manage this by combining craftsmanship with modern technology.
The Japanese have a deep understanding for using technology to obtain strong and precise joints of the delicate wooden materials, so that the Finn Juhl furniture remains durable for generations to come. At the same time, they are proud and conscious when it comes to the advanced craftsmanship, which is crucial for the organic shapes of Finn Juhl's furniture."
- Ivan Hansen, Co-founder of House of Finn Juhl
Within Danish design, the bond between Japan and Denmark is a focal point, because of the striking similarities in traditional craftsmanship and quality. House of Finn Juhl's affiliation with Japan goes back many years - and Finn Juhl reaches back even further.
Finn Juhl was strongly inspired by Japan and likewise, the Japanese have shown great interest in Finn Juhl throughout the years. The single largest collection of Finn Juhl furniture is also to be found in Japan. This collection is owned by the Japanese professor and furniture collector Mr. Noritsugu Oda, who also knew Finn Juhl personally.
Today, Mr. Oda is a dear friend of House of Finn Juhl and he, alongside with the Finn Juhl production in Japan, represents a strong tie to the country. Whenever a new piece of furniture is to be relaunched, the piece in question is loaned from Mr. Oda, to compare the furniture with Finn Juhl's original drawings - in order to achieve the best and most original result.
