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

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Generally speaking, Danish modern furniture is characterized by clean lines, an open design and classic shapes. This rare, streamlined model “ML-90” sofa possesses all these visual qualities, which is no surprise as Danish furniture designer, Illum Wikkelsø believed that furniture should be built to last, to indulge the body and to please the eye.

The design movement really took off in the post-war era with a raft of new ways that wood was being used, which designers and manufacturers turned to their advantage by updating furniture from the purely functional to functional, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. Illum Wikkelsø’s present sofa model is a prime example of this advancement, which is especially visible in the sleek outline of the oak body and the modern cross legs. The silhouette is based on the classic tuxedo style with a modern twist. The cascading armrests and special cross legs are these details that distinguish this sofa from the rest. The latter provides a visually light base to the heavier looking top while also showcasing the natural appeal of the wood. The colour palette of mid-century modern design is commonly cool. Here, the grey fabric is mixed with its different shades with the beautiful colour of the wooden legs, a smart and timeless pairing. The bold fabric is also very successful at highlighting the modern design of the body and its three seat cushions.

The mid-century modern movement felt fresh without being showy, streamlined without being dull, just as this sofa. The exquisite craftsmanship of Michael Laursen paired with the premium materials truly elevates Wikkelsø’s design that tapped into the optimistic mood of the time. This rare “ML-90” sofa still expresses that feeling.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The sofa has been reupholstered in a premium 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:

83 in w X 33 in D x 29 in H; Seat Height 17 in

212 cm W x 85 cm D x 73 cm H; Seat height 42 cm

About the designer:

Kristian Illum Wikkelsø (1919-1999), by his full name, is best known for his seating designs. Like most Danish designers at the time, Wikkelsø trained as a carpenter until 1938 and then followed in the footsteps of many of his later colleagues and continued his studies at the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts, graduating on 1941.

In 1944, Wikkelsø moved to Århus to work as an interior designer He was then employed at the carpentry master and architect Jacob Kjær's drawing room and then at Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard Nielsen’s architectural firm, where he worked until 1954. The same year, Illum Wikkelsø began designing his own furniture and a few years later, he established his own workshop. A number of Danish manufacturers produced Wikkelsø’s designs, such as C.F. Christensen, Holger Christiansen and Søren Willadsen.

Like many of his Danish contemporaries, including Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, and Hans Wegner, Wikkelsø’s designs emphasize formal simplicity and biomorphic silhouettes. Wikkelsø’s background in cabinetry engendered in him a profound understanding of materials and an excellent attention to detail. Working with teak and rosewood, he captured delicately sculptural forms. Wikkelsø believed that furniture should be built to last while cradling the body and pleasing the eye.

Though little biographical information survives, the quality of Illum Wikkelsø’s designs affirms his status as an active proponent of Scandinavian modernism in the post-war era. ~H.