Holger H. Kvist was a special man. The exciting untraditional Jutland merchant and furniture man, who started and ran his life's work Nyt i bo in Copenhagen from 1969 until his death on 19 November 2008.

 

Holger worked almost to the last, and died at the age of 82 years.

​

He was born on 22 August 1926 in Kragelund just west of Egtved in Central Jutland. Here he grew up in a family of teachers with his two siblings, of whom Holger was the middle child.

 

As an adult, Holger was apprenticed to the furniture store AL Johansen in Kolding. Here he was trained as a furniture salesman and worked after his education as such for some years in the business.

​

After some trips abroad, Holger felt that Jutland had become a little too cramped for him for several reasons, and he therefore moved to Copenhagen.

 

As the merchant he was, Holger - together with his friend, furniture architect Aksel Dahl - created a playground for both of them in Nyt i bo.

​

For Holger, it was a breeze to serve the customers, so they were guaranteed to be satisfied. Holger loved to guide customers to the right purchase. Should there rarely be a customer who was not satisfied, then it was just to start over.

 

For Holger, it was crucial that the customer was happy with his purchase. Holger was a skilled merchant and created a beautiful furniture store in Copenhagen.

Up through the 1970s and 80s, Nyt i bo became nationally known for its very own style: the now almost iconic solid table, the minimalist pine bench, the massive square bookcases - all solid carpentry work made of pine. A very special style that still characterizes Nyt i bo.