Erik Wørts

Erik Wørts (1916 – 1997) is a distinguished Danish architect and furniture designer, celebrated for his contribution to the golden age of Scandinavian furniture design. Throughout his career, Wørts won several high-profile design awards and made a significant contribution to contemporary Nordic furniture. He is also recognised for his pioneering contribution to flatpack furniture design in Sweden.

Born into a family of respected Danish carpenters, Wørts was the son of Henrik Wørts, owner of the esteemed cabinetmakers’ workshop, Wørts Møbelsnedkeri. After completing his cabinetmaker’s apprenticeship and graduating from the Danish School of Crafts, Wørts began designing furniture for his father’s workshop in 1937, quickly establishing himself as a leading figure in Danish design.

Worts moved to Sweden in 1944 to take a pivotal role in developing modern flat-pack furniture for the Stockholm based luxury department store Nordiska Kompaniet (NK). NK realised that lifestyles were quickly changing, and the bulky, ornate designs of the past were becoming much less desirable. The subsequent ‘Triva’ collection became Sweden’s first flat package furniture.

Flat-pack furniture caught on quickly throughout Scandinavia as there was considerable savings in transportation and storage. Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad understood this better than most and took it one step further. The company offshored its production of flat-pack furniture to low wage European countries, it was then shipped to Sweden and sold at a price point local makers couldn’t compete with.

With his distinguished career in furniture design, plus pioneering experience creating flat-pack furniture for NK, Erik Worts was the perfect candidate to help Ikea become one of the world's leading furniture sellers. Worts designed for Ikea from 1958, throughout the 60’s, creating some of the company’s most memorable and successful ranges.

In 1956, cabinetmaker Holger Nissen took over the Wørts Møbelsnedkeri and it appears that Erik Worts then worked with a range of other prestigious Danish furniture makers. Worts is likely best known for his elegant safari style chair for Niels Eilersen in the 1960s. Interestingly the Eilersen design is a flatpack version of an earlier design for the Wørts Møbelsnedkeri.

Erik Worts won several high-profile awards during his career. Highlights include receiving 1st prize, among 300 participants, in the Danish Furniture Manufacturers Association's 1962 competition for new models for industrial production. Another was taking 1st prize at the Danish Carpenters Association's exhibition in 1966, beating out competition from many of Denmark's leading furniture architects.

Erik Wørts passed away in 1997 at the age of 81, leaving behind an inspired legacy of timeless Scandinavian furniture that continues to influence contemporary Nordic design.