Grethe Meyer

"A thing is never a thing in itself,

but an object in its function"

Grethe Meyer (1918-2008) was a pioneering Danish industrial designer during the post-war period. She graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1947 and quickly made a name for herself as one of the most innovative and prominent designers of her generation. Her designs are both classic and timeless, but most importantly they build on the modernist philosophy of simplicity and functionality. She always took a scientific and analytical approach to her work. She basically wanted her designs to be stackable and take up as little space as possible among the other household items. The result is designs with a special quality that combines personality with an inherent respect for the user – to the delight of those that use them. Her best-known series include the stoneware series Ildpot from 1976, the faience series Blåkant, which she designed for Royal Copenhagen in 1965, a series of stainless steel flatware for Georg Jensen which she designed in 1991, and Boligens Byggeskabe, a complete shelving and cupboard system which she designed together with the furniture designer Børge Mogensen in the 1950s. Due to their modern and timeless look, Grethe Meyer’s designs are greatly coveted today, and still in use in many Danish households. It is against this background that FDB Møbler has just relaunched the stoneware series Ildpot.