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Price category: 9,000 - 12,500 usd / eu

Danish Mid-Century Modern furniture reflected Scandinavian materials and craftsmanship and mixed them with a modern style, and the period from roughly 1940 through 1960 was a high point for Danish furniture makers. This set shows why.

This particular chair silhouette has been popular since the 1930s, from around the time Flemming Lassen designed the overstuffed easy chair, the “Tired Man”, for The Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild Competition in 1935. The curved and organic lines of the design create an elegant silhouette for both the chair and ottoman. The design of this chair is characterized by organic, curved shapes that create a cosy and welcoming sensation. Since the enveloping back forms the arms as well but doesn’t reach all the way to the beginning of the seat, the design is very open and appears light. The gentle lines are highlighted by the soft wool blend upholstery that uniquely covers the entire bodies of the chair and footstool, including the legs as well. As a representation of early modernist seating, there is a profound focus on comfort and cosiness, that invokes a pleasant homelike feeling. Master cabinetmakers were highly aware of body proportions, prioritizing comfort just as much as the visual qualities, therefore this lounge chair provides support for the back and great sitting comfort.

We have added a newly produced matching, upholstered footstool to provide additional comfort and visual interest. Its design matches the chair with its round shape and soft wool blend upholstery. Together, they form a cosy and luxurious set that exudes Danish design and craftsmanship.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The chair has been reupholstered recently in a premium wool blend fabric; the ottoman is a later addition, upholstered in the same fabric as the chair. Each of our items can be reupholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.

Dimensions:

Chair

30.31 in W x 30.31 in D x 26.77 in H; Seat height 16.53 in

77 cm W x 77 cm D x 68 cm H; Seat height 42 cm

Footstool

27.16 in W x 22.63 in D x 14.76 in H

69 cm W x 57.5 cm D x 37.5 cm H

About the Designer:

Thepractical and comfortable designs of Danish cabinetmakers defined mid-20th century modern seating. The Danish Cabinetmakers focused on minimalist design executed by expertly skilled craftsmen.

Works from the Danish Cabinet-Makers' Guild is a concept of its own in collectible design. The Cabinet-Makers' Guild began annual exhibitions in 1927 in Copenhagen. The group formed an exhibit showing each year in October the quality furniture made to drawings by gifted architects. The exhibition took place each year, without interruption, for forty years. A number of successful Danish Design collaborations were formed during this time between cabinetmakers and architects.

Danish Modernism has influenced Scandinavian furniture to a great degree, defined by minimalism, simplicity, and functionality. The muted colours and gentle designs make Danish mid-century furniture an ideal addition to contemporary living spaces. Additionally, master cabinetmakers were highly aware of body proportions, prioritizing comfort just as much as the visual qualities.

The works of master cabinetmakers – such as this chair – are of the highest quality, both in terms of materials and craftsmanship. Cabinetmakers take the art of working with wood one step further, and focus on the finer details of what can be created with the material. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that numerous master cabinetmakers are part of the renowned Danish Culture Canon (Danish: Kulturkanonen). The canon contains no more than 108 works of cultural excellence, based on works with a useful function and that are still recognizable today. This small armchair is the perfect illustration of Danish design, and the work of a true cabinetmaker. ~H.

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Price category: 5,000 - 7,500 usd / eur‎

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This beautiful European cabinetmaker armchair recalls the peak of Mid-Century Modern design on the continent. Cabinetmakers led the way in furniture design during the 1950s, combining the inspiration brought by new industrial technologies with a more minimalist design.

This particular chair silhouette has been popular since the 1930s, from around the time Flemming Lassen designed the overstuffed easy chair, the “Tired Man”, for The Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild Competition in 1935. The design of this chair is characterized by organic, bear-like shapes that create a cosy and welcoming sensation with the curved form and voluminous armrests. In Flemming Lassen’s words, this shape is “as warm and safe as a polar bear cub in the arms of its mother in the middle of the ice cap”. In the design of this armchair there is a profound focus on comfort and cosiness, that invokes a pleasant homelike feeling. This impression is reinforced by the chair’s main decorative element: its upholstery. The soft, luxurious wool provides a textured look with subtle colour variations, enhancing the silhouette of the design. The chair has sculpted and tapered stained wood legs, straight in the front, and lightly splayed in the back. This is an interesting detail that primarily serves the chair’s structural stability, but it also provides additional visual interest.

The craftsmanship of this chair’s cabinetmaker was evidently of the highest quality, and the maker had a great sense of proportions. This beautiful, inviting armchair lives up to its mid-century European heritage both in terms of design and quality, which is further elevated by the luxurious wool upholstery.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The chair has been reupholstered recently in a premium wool fabric. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.

Dimensions:

29.52 in W x 35.82 in D x 35.43 in H; Seat height 15.74 in; Arm height 25.19 in

75 cm W x 91 cm D x 90 cm H; Seat height 40 cm; Arm height 64 cm

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Price category: 2,500 - 5,000 usd / eur

This “Lilla Eva” model is from the timeless and iconic Paradise Collection, which was created by Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist during her time as a designer at Nordiska Kompaniet. The name is inspired by “Paradiset” – the Swedish name for Eden.

This chair holds a soft simplicity and a uniqueness in its appearance - light, clean lines with an air of romance. Without worrying about short-lived trends and what other people thought, Hörlin-Holmquist created the peculiar shape of “Lilla Eva” chairs that is only increasing in popularity. Thanks to her unique vision, these chairs have an unmistakeable backrest that flows down to form the armrests. While the armrests sit low, therefore opening the seats, the chair still gives the impression of hugging the sitter. The upholstered body elevates the visual comfort, with tufted backrests that are festooned with nine symmetrically arranged buttons.

The upholstery is a premium, robust medley of wool and linen fabric with a soft touch that complements the aesthetic of Hörlin-Holmquist’s design. The yellow cross stitches give this chair a modern flair, contrasting stylishly to the light fabric. Similarly, the stained and tapered wood legs pair perfectly with the sculptural and organic form of the body. Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist had a unique and humanistic design vision, and thanks to her uncompromising attitude, “Little Eva” easy chairs have become iconic.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The chair has been reupholstered recently in premium fabric.

Dimensions:

27.55 in W x 30.51 in D x 32.67 in H; Seat height 15.15 in

70 cm W x 77.5 cm D x 83 cm H; Seat height 38.5 cm

About the Designer:

Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist was born on May 30, 1925 in Arvika, Sweden. She was a Swedish modernist architect and designer. Hörlin-Holmquist graduated from Stockholm’s Konstfack in 1952, and before that she studied and worked in England.

She often worked with her husband Erik Holmquist, and together they modelled and created the pieces together. A key aspect for the couple was always to test their designs in their own home before completing a project.

"I think both furniture and textiles, wherever they end up, must be kind, gentle and courteous, but without losing their character. They should have human qualities, not be pompous and only stand alone, but be able to adapt to the environment they end up in..."

Holmquist worked and studied in England from 1946-1947 immediately after the war where she also studied art history and became fascinated with the classic English upholstered furniture and style. Something that without a doubt inspired her own creations later in life while she still developed her own expression. She returned to Sweden where she attended Konstfack from 1948 and graduated from the school in 1952. She started working with Nordiska Kompaniet shortly after her graduation and became a lead designer. Her timeless and iconic ‘Paradiset Collection’ was created during her employment with Nordiska Kompaniet in 1956-1957 and holds a soft simplicity and a uniqueness in its appearance - light, clean lines and yet gracious with an air of romance.

Today, her designs are highly treasured collectibles. She is primarily remembered, for her ability to create designs for the modern home in the 1950s without worrying about short-lived trends and what other people thought - to stay true to her own unique and humanistic design vision. ~H.