Don Draper's pair of chairs

Last Post

RSS

dashes

(@dashes)

Prominent Member

Joined: 14 years ago

Posts: 169

30/11/2009 2:36 am

I finally watched the first two seasons of "Mad Men" and I'm hooked. I've started a game where I try to spot and identify as many MCM furnishings as I can. My first puzzle was the set of teak armchairs in Don's office, beginning with episode two (episode one had a different set and was filmed a year prior).

I've finally conclusively identified them as Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard Nielsen, 1953.

http://www.deconet.com/decopedia/object/12075/Arm_chair_by_Peter_Hvidt_&_Orla_M%C3%B8lgaard_Nielsen

http://www.deconet.com/product/92707/FD-146_by_Peter_Hvidt_&_Orla_M%C3%B8lgaard_Nielsen

Of course, the back is slightly different, but they also designed a sofa version that has the identical caning back.

Here's a great article about the set designer and how she scores her finds:

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/08/home/hm-wells8

Quote

ID Guy

(@id-guy)

Honorable Member

Joined: 14 years ago

Posts: 125

30/11/2009 2:47 pm

Funny
I love this show and these chairs, just yesterday I bought a vintage American made knockoff of the chair for $25. The caning is much nicer and the joinerey is much more artful but you can see that is the inspiration. I wonder how much these will go for now that they are "famous"??

ReplyQuote

HowardMoon

(@howardmoon)

Illustrious Member

Joined: 6 years ago

Posts: 652

30/11/2009 7:21 pm

I missed this show when it fist aired in the UK, very keen to catch up with it though. From the snipets I did see I could tell the production team worked fastidiously to nail all the period features, its a visual treat.
I have an upholstered version of the Hvidt & Nielsen design at the moment. A very comfortable chair with lovely details.

ReplyQuote

whitespike

(@whitespike)

Illustrious Member

Joined: 14 years ago

Posts: 3499

30/11/2009 7:46 pm

I have recently been...
I have recently been watching this show, and I think they've done a wonderful job of making it period - without seeming like a caricature of the era.... everything is high end in the offices but not everything is obnoxiously iconic.... people back then had no idea which designs would become icons... so this is a good representation...
Are these the same chairs? Too bad they are coral colored. I imagine they aren't too difficult to reupholster...
http://cgi.ebay.com/2-Peter-Hvidt-Danish-Mid-century-Modern-Teak-Arm-Cha...

ReplyQuote