In the 18th floor apartment of Alex Severin and Maren Lankford on the Upper West Side, you’ll find a grand piano, a cat named Dorian, and a remarkable collection of nearly 50 pepper mills. Maren described the pepper mills as “little wooden sculptures” during a Zoom conversation, pointing to the two shelves in the background adorned with their prized Dansk pepper mills—a collection valued at thousands of dollars.
The journey into the world of these unique pepper mills began for Alex and Maren at a furniture store in Copenhagen, where they initially mistook the elegant teak sculptures for artwork. It was only after a conversation with a salesperson that they discovered these sculptures were actually functional pepper mills designed by Jens Quistgaard, a renowned Danish designer who created thousands of products for Dansk.
The allure of Quistgaard’s pepper mills lies in the creativity and craftsmanship he infused into each design. Architects, designers, and creatives are particularly drawn to the varied and innovative ways in which Quistgaard approached the functionality of everyday objects like pepper mills. The high-quality materials used in the manufacturing of these mills, such as teak and metal grinders, contribute to their durability and longevity—a stark contrast to many modern products.
Despite the popularity of these pepper mills among collectors, their history remains shrouded in mystery. Quistgaard himself was unsure of the total number of designs he created, and Dansk’s lack of detailed records further complicates efforts to catalog and categorize the pepper mills. Collectors like Brent Buck and Todd Perdanzi have played a crucial role in documenting and sharing information about Quistgaard’s work, providing valuable insights into the world of these unique pepper mills.
For Alex and Maren, their passion for collecting Quistgaard’s pepper mills led them to embark on a project to create a comprehensive digital archive, akin to a modern version of the now-defunct Peppermill Wiki. Their website serves as a rich resource for enthusiasts seeking to learn more about Quistgaard’s designs and the history behind these iconic pepper mills.
In an exciting development, Food52 and Dansk are relaunching three of Quistgaard’s signature pepper mill designs—No. 826, No. 833, and No. 831—complete with Danish names to complement their aesthetic. This reintroduction of classic designs adds a new chapter to the story of Quistgaard’s pepper mills, further fueling the fascination and admiration for these timeless pieces of functional art.
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