Swedish furniture designer Axel Einar Hjorth created tables, chairs, cabinets and other pieces that were as elegant as they were functional, and he frequently worked in references to a litany of inspirations including French Art Deco, Gustavian style and modernism. Ahead of his time, his style was refined and daringly simple.
Born in Krokek, Sweden, Hjorth grew up in a foster family and at 20 moved to Stockholm where he studied architecture and design at the Högre Konstindustriella Skolan (now the University of Arts, Crafts & Design). Although he dropped out when his foster father died, he went on to work for some of the largest furniture manufacturers in Sweden during the 1920s.
Hjorth’s work was featured in the 1923 Gothenburg Exhibition world’s fair, and he exhibited a birch and cherry cabinet in the 1927 “Swedish Contemporary Decorative Arts” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His role as the head of the furniture department at Nordiska Kompaniet (NK), an upscale department store in Stockholm, from 1927 to 1938, further brought his designs to widespread acclaim, including pieces exhibited at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.
At the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition, an influential event in the emergence of functionalism in Swedish design, Hjorth exhibited a dozen room settings that featured examples of sportstugemöbler. These furniture lines were named for islands in Sweden’s archipelago — Utö, Blidö and Torö — with designs intended for cabins and vacation homes. The use of solid Swedish pine in these pieces revealed a love of traditional rustic furniture while the simple forms boldly looked to the future. He also brought his eclectic influences to armchairs formed from tubular metal, blocky case pieces made from birch and upholstered sofas with neoclassical details, each exuberantly mixing form and function.
Find vintage Axel Einar Hjorth furniture today on 1stDibs.
Set of four 'Birka' chairs by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, 1930s
By Axel Einar Hjorth, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)
Located in Eskilstuna, SE
A refined set of four dining chairs from the “Birka” series, designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet in the 1930s. Crafted in ash and beech, with elegantly curved backre...
Fabric, Ash, Beech
$6,066Sale Price|20% Off
Axel Einar Hjorth Swedish Grace Rattan Du Barry chair, 1928
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Uccle, BE
AXEL EINAR HJORTH "Du Barry" Armchair, designed by Nordiska Kompaniet in 1928. Made from Bonad birch and rattan, it includes a metal plaque engraved with R 33909 - 22 1 30. This draw...
Birch
Table by Axel Einar Hjorth model "Radio" for NK
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Long Island City, NY
A table designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden , Circa 1930th. Model "Radio". Stained birch. Manufacturer label with numbers attached.
Birch
Set of Three Chairs “Typenko” by Axel Einar Hjorth, Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Stockholm, SE
Set of three chairs “Typenko” designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden. 1944. Birch and velvet upholstery. Dimensions: H: 88 cm/ 2' 11'' W: 45,5 cm/ 1' 6 1/2'' D: 57 cm/ 1' 11'' Seat height: 43 cm/ 1' 5 1/2'' From 1927 to 1938, Axel-Einar Hjorth was the chief architect and designer at the department store Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm—which was known as one of the most important producers of modernist furniture in Sweden. During this time, Hjorth designed both public and private interiors, and worked with international clients including Iranian royalty. His first project for NK was a stand for the World Fair in Barcelona in 1929, during which he exhibited the Louis Cabinet...
Velvet, Birch
Spectacular Axel Einar Hjorth Cabinet – Dark Stained Oak with Light Oak Interior
By Axel Einar Hjorth, Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Dronten, NL
There is Swedish Modern, and then there is Axel Einar Hjorth. As the visionary head of Nordiska Kompaniet’s furniture design department during the 1920s and 30s, Hjorth created piece...
Oak
$15,865Sale Price|20% Off
Axel Einar Hjorth Cabinet Model Birch in Sweden 1920's
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Uccle, BE
Swedish Grace stained flamed birch cabinet designed by Axel Einar Hjorth. From the Roma series for Svenska Möbelfabriken Bodafors, SMF. The Roma series has a unique feature of the li...
Birch
Dining Table ‘Utö’ by Axel Einar Hjorth
By Axel Einar Hjorth, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)
Located in Berlin, BE
Produced by AB Nordiska Kompaniet, this table belongs to Hjorth's line of modernist cabin furniture from the 1930s. Architect and industrial designer Axel Einar Hjorth (1888 - 19...
Pine
A Table by Axel Einar Hjorth model "Skärgården" for NK
By Nordiska Kompaniet, Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Long Island City, NY
A folding table designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Model " Skärgården ". Sweden, 1927. Stained birch with original finish. No restoration or re-polish have been ...
Birch
$22,000 / set
A pair of “Lovö” chairs by Axel Einar Hjorth
By Nordiska Kompaniet, Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Long Island City, NY
A set of 2 stained pine “Lovö” chairs designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1930s.
Pine
Axel Einar Hjorth Rare "Lovö" cabinet in stained pine wood
By Axel Einar Hjorth, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)
Located in New York, NY
Rare "Lovö" cabinet in stained pine wood by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Stockholm Sweden, 1930s. Good condition. Key is included. Stained pine, patinated iron rivets. ...
Iron
Swedish Wooden "Skoga" Sofa in Pine by Axel Einar Hjorth Produced by NK, 1930s
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Stockholm, SE
Very rare Swedish wooden sofa in pine by Axel Einar Hjorth produced by Nordiska Kompaniet, 1930s. In good original condition signed and numbered by NK. Dimensions: H: 85 cm / 33.45...
Pine
$4,549Sale Price|25% Off
Rare Axel Einar Hjorth Rocking Chair for Nordiska Kompagniet. Signed 1928
By Axel Einar Hjorth, Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Ystad, SE
Rare Rocking Chair by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1928 A highly collectible and early documented example of Axel Einar Hjorth’s work for Nordiska Kompaniet, da...
Wicker, Oak
Set of 6 Dining Chairs in Cerused Oak by Axel Einar Hjorth, circa 1940
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Long Island City, NY
A six chairs dining set by Axel Einar Hjorth, Sweden, circa 1940. Cerused oak with leather seats. Marked: AE Hjorth. Wood frame in perfect vintage condition. Original leather seat...
Leather, Oak
Functionalist Console Table, Axel Einar Hjorth, NK, Sweden, 1930s
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
Elegant console table by Axel Einar Hjorth, in a sleek, functionalist design. Wooden table top lacquered black, cylinder formed steel legs. “Utö” is one of the series of furniture i...
Steel
"Vaddo" Pine Table by Axel Einar Hjorth
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Long Island City, NY
A rare Axel Einar Hjorth pine table, model "Vaddo" designed in 1935 for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden. Produced in 1930th. Featured at NK Mobler catalogue in 1935. Pencil marked with dr...
Pine
Modernist "Utö" stools by Axel Einar Hjorth, NK, Sweden, 1930s
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
Pair of “Utö” stools by Axel Einar Hjorth, made from pine. Rustic design, decorative spheres on the seats. “Utö” is one of the series of furniture included in NK:s “Sporstugemöbler”...
Pine
Axel Einar Hjorth “Lovö” Table, Sweden, circa 1930s
By Axel Einar Hjorth, Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Knokke-Heist, BE
A rare and sculptural table by Swedish designer Axel Einar Hjorth, model Lovö, originally designed in the early 1930s for Nordiska Kompaniet. Part of the celebrated Sportstugemöbler ...
Pine
Axel Einar Hjorth Console Table Model Louis Produced by Nordiska Kompaniet
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Very rare console table model Louis designed by Axel Einar Hjorth. Produced by Nordiska Kompaniet in Sweden.
Ebony
$9,900Sale Price|50% Off
1920s Swedish Cabinet by Axel Einar Hjorth for Svenska Möbelfabrikerna, Bodafors
By Axel Einar Hjorth, SMF Svenska Möbelfabriken Bodafors
Located in Örebro, SE
This is the 1920s Swedish Grace cabinet designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for AB Svenska Möbelfabrikerna in Bodafors, Sweden. It comes builded in two sections. Made of birch and veneered with dark brown stained birch. The inside and the shelves are veneered with natural birch. Behind the doors hides two removable shelves in each section. The front is richly ornamented and the two front legs resemble paws. In an age of 100 years it still has a beautiful strong, vibrant colors without any fading. Marked "AB Svenska Möbelfabrikerna Bodafors" with a metal plate inside the upper right door. The locks work and one key is included. ____________________ Axel Einar Hjorth worked in his younger years at Svenska Möbelfabrikerna in Bodafors, before he in 1927 got employed as chief designer at Nordiska Kompaniet. Thus, the cabinet was designed before 1927 and it’s fair to assume the cabinet was manufactured sometime in the 1920s. Axel Einar Hjorth is beside his design of these type of Swedish Grace furniture known for the design of Nordiska Kompaniets Sport Cabin...
Birch
Coffee Table, Model Birka, in Elm by Axel Einar Hjorth, 1937
By Axel Einar Hjorth, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Coffee Table, Model Birka, in Elm by Axel Einar Hjorth, 1937 Additional Information: Material: Elm Style: Mid Century, Scandinavian Coffee Table, Model Birka Produced by Nordiska Ko...
Elm
Triangular Coffee Table in Elm and Raw Glass Top by Axel Einar Hjorth, 1940's
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Coffee Table in Elm and Raw Glass Top by Axel Einar Hjorth, 1940's Additional Information: Material: Elm and raw glass top Style: Mid century, Scandinavian ...
Elm, Glass
Axel Einar Hjorth Mirror Model Record Produced by Nordiska Kompaniet in Sweden
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare mirror model Record designed by Axel Einar Hjorth. Produced by Nordiska Kompaniet in Sweden.
Steel
$30,855 / set
Axel Einar Hjorth Lovö chairs
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Antwerpen, BE
Rare "Lovö" high back pine chair by Axel Einar Hjorth produced by Nordiska Kompaniet in 1930s. In the 1930s, Hjorth designed a furniture collection out of pine meant for serial prod...
Pine
'Futurum' Side Chairs by Axel Einar Hjorth, Black Lacquered Wood, 1928
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Stockholm, SE
Black lacquered wood with woven leather. Measures: H 110 cm/ 3' 7 3/4" W 47.8 cm/ 18 3/4" D 44 cm/ 17 1/4" SH 44.7 cm/ 17 7/8" Literature Axel Einar Hjorth Möbelarkitekt, Bo...
Leather, Pine
Mirror ‘Record’ designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Stockholm, SE
Mirror ‘Record’ designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1930s. Brushed steel and mirrored glass. Stamped. Diameter: 90 cm Depth: 3 cm From 1927 to 1938, Axel-Einar Hjorth was the chief architect and designer at the department store Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm—which was known as one of the most important producers of modernist furniture in Sweden. During this time, Hjorth designed both public and private interiors and worked with international clients including Iranian royalty. His first project for NK was a stand for the World Fair in Barcelona in 1929, during which he exhibited the Louis Cabinet...
Steel
An Axel Einar Hjorth Swedish Grace "Roma" Cabinet in Birch, 1920's
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in London, GB
A Swedish Grace stained flamed birch cabinet "Roma" for Svenska Möbelfabriken Bodafors, SMF. Designed by Axel Einar Hjorth. The cabinet opens by three doors to reveal and interior w...
Birch
Price Upon Request
Axel Einar Hjorth Occasional Table for Nordiska Kompaniet, circa 1930
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in New York, NY
Pine occasional table for Nordiska Kompaniet designed by Axel Einar Hjorth, circa 1930 Measures: 24" height x 31.5" diameter.
Pine
Price Upon Request
Flamed Birch "Roma" Cabinet by Axel Einar Hjorth, ca. 1925
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful darkened flamed birch "Roma" cabinet made for Bodafors, Sweden, circa 1925. Three-doors with birch interior. Excellent condition. Axel Einar Hjorth (Swedish 1888 -1959) “...
Birch
Price Upon Request
Desk by Axel Einar Hjorth, Sweden, circa 1930
By Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful streamline desk by Swedish architect Axel Einar Hjorth for NK, circa 1930. Birch and Macassar ebony Measures: 65" L x 29.5" H x 25.5" D.
Birch, Ebony, Macassar