April Designer of the Month: Hiort af Ornäs

Carl-Gustaf Vilhelm Hiort af Ornäs was a Finnish designer and interior architect, in his own words a "factory owner", who became famous in the 1950s and 1960s for his unique furniture, especially his armchairs.
Ornäs's work is distinguished by its aesthetics, timelessness and high quality. The prices of the designer's furniture have soared and are now attracting attention both at Finland and abroad.

Gorgeous armchair, Hiort af Ornäs, Hiort Tuote, 1950/960s / Fargo's online store

LIFE AND CAREER

Hiort af Ornäs, nicknamed Nalle, was originally an architecture student from 1929 to 1931, but he did not complete his degree due to the tight economic situation.
He went into the workforce for a few years before ending up back in the classroom at the Arts and Crafts Centre School and completing his general studies in the mid-1930s. Ornäs worked as a trainee at the Kerava carpentry factory and later as a technical manager at the prestigious Oy Ekwall Ab.

PUUNVEISTO OY
In the 1940s, Hiort af Ornäs, with the support of financiers, bought Puunveisto Oy, a manufacturer of decorative wood sculptures, and later became its managing director.
In 1945 Puunveisto Oy also started to produce carved furniture.
Alongside Puunveisto, Ornäs worked as a furniture designer for the furniture store Nupponen in the 1950s. The two companies also worked together.
Puunveisto Oy's production was kept in workshops, as Ornäs wanted to keep the work handcrafted and traditional, rather than turning it into large-scale industrial mass production. The production was of high quality and the work was carefully finished.

After retirement, Ornäs moved to Spain to spend his retirement years, where he was involved in the design of several buildings, including one in Fuengirola. After Ornäs, Puunveisto Oy was taken over by Rolf Mesterton, and the company continued to operate under the new name "Puu Rolle Oy".

Stylish desk, Hiort af Ornäs, Nupponen, 1950s / Fargo's online store

PRODUCTION: The uncompromising designer

Hiort af Ornäs produced a wide range of furniture, including chairs, sofas and benches. Ornäs was uncompromising. He didn't want to take the easy way out, he wanted to do something new and unprecedented. Among other things, he developed techniques for bending pieces of plywood in many different directions to create versatile and ergonomic shapes, especially for chairs.
It was important that the furniture was both high quality and looked good from all angles.
He is particularly known for his spectacular Siesta chair from 1952 and his Pedro chair. Other famous chairs include the Rialto chair and the Studio sofa, which were also shown at the Milan Triennale.

"In the 1950s, Hiort af Ornäs was said to be the designer who forced other Finnish furniture manufacturers to raise the quality of their products with his furniture. "
(Hiort af Ornäs, Muotojen Mestari (The master of shapes), 2016)

Siesta -chairs, Hiort af Ornäs, Hiort Tuote, 1950s /Fargo's online store

LEGACY AND TODAY

Hiort af Ornäs left a significant legacy in Finnish design and furniture history. His furniture designs have been exhibited and in 2016 a book about his life and work was published, "Hiort af Ornäs, Master of Forms".
Today, furniture designed by Ornäs is also produced as new furniture, and in 2019 Ornäs Oy was founded, focusing on the designer's products.

Ornäs has left his mark on both Finnish and international furniture history as an uncompromising and innovative designer, and his creations are still sought after and appreciated.

Check out Fargo's stylish Hiort af Ornäs Collection here

Sources:
Hiort af Ornäs, Muotojen mestari, 2016, Anna-Kaisa Huusko & Johannes Wilenius