Grethe Meyer

Grethe Meyer was a Danish architect and designer. She studied architecture at The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design in Copenhagen and graduated as the only woman in the class of 1947. She worked at the Statens Byggeforskningsinstitut until 1960 when she established her own practice.

She is remembered for her designs for the Royal Copenhagen porcelain factory, particularly for her Blåkant (Blue Line) faience dinner service, designed in 1965, where a thin blue line was the only decoration. This austere simplicity became a hallmark of Meyer’s work and in the coming decades, she designed many products for the home including several collections of glass, porcelain and cutlery. Among one of her most successful designs is the infamous cupboard project, known as Boligens Byggeskabe (1954-1959), created in collaboration with fellow furniture designer and peer, Børge Mogensen.

Meyer won several awards throughout her life, including the prestigious Danish Design Award in 1997. When giving her acceptance speech, Meyer described how “design must be uncomplicated, the product easy and comfortable to use and as simple and anonymous as possible.. In this way, I think that beauty will present itself…”