Poul Hundevad

Poul Hundevad (1917-2011) was a Danish designer and cabinetmaker who brought exceptional craftsmanship and functional thinking to mid-century furniture design. After training as a carpenter, he established his own furniture factory, Hundevad & Co., in Vamdrup during the 1950s, where he produced both his own designs and those of other Danish designers including Kay Ingemann Iversen and Carlo Jensen.

Hundevad is perhaps best known for the Guldhøj folding stool, introduced in 1960 – a faithful replica of a Bronze Age chair excavated from a burial mound near his hometown and now housed in Denmark’s National Museum. This piece perfectly demonstrates his approach: respectful of tradition, expertly crafted, and entirely functional. But his work extended far beyond this iconic design to include ingenious nesting tables, elegant bar carts, well-proportioned sideboards, and dining chairs that showcased his mastery of joinery.

His furniture was produced not only by his own company but also manufactured under license by Novy Domov in Czechoslovakia, bringing Danish design principles to a wider European market. Hundevad’s pieces are characterised by their honest construction, quality timbers (particularly teak and rosewood), and thoughtful functionality – furniture designed to work hard in real homes rather than simply look good in showrooms.