“An object shall stand the wear of the eye!” proclaimed Swedish entrepreneur Sven Lundh (1925–2015), who took over operations at revered furniture company Källemo in 1971. For decades, the innovative brand has accomplished just that with a range of original and unconventional pieces that draw on — and regularly push the boundaries of — Scandinavian modern and postmodern design.
Based in Vänamo in southern Sweden, Källemo was originally established in 1947 before it was taken over by Lundh in 1971. Lundh’s vision for Källemo was to evolve the company and to create sustainable furniture that would be both functional and wholly sculptural. The interest in creating forward-looking seating, case pieces, tables and more that are as much furniture as they are art deepened for Lundh during the 1980s, when Swedish designers began to explore the ideas that underpin postmodernism in their work.
Lundh sought to secure long-term partnerships with modernist and postmodernist Swedish and European artists and designers such as Jonas Bohlin, the creator of the scandalous Concrete chair, which caught Lundh’s attention at Konstfack’s student exhibition in 1982. Bohlin’s minimalist armchair, featuring an angular steel frame and concrete seat and headrest, was meant to be presented as a sculpture, but it fit Lundh’s idea of “artistic furniture.” Källemo produced the Concrete chair as a limited-edition series, and it became one of the company’s best known pieces.
Over the years, Källemo has collaborated with Gustav Persson — designer of Källemo’s Bank bench — Mats Theselius, John Vedel-Rieper, Jens Harald Quistgaard, Gunnar Myrstrand and numerous other artists and designers to create its unique collection of furniture. In 1996, Lundh’s son Erik and daughter Karin took the helm at Källemo, which remains a family-owned firm. Today Källemo pieces are held in permanent museum collections throughout Sweden and Europe.
Find Källemo seating, tables, case pieces and storage cabinets on 1stDibs.
Obscure Objects Chunk Chair by Luisa Pöpsel, Modern Stainless Steel
By Luisa Pöpsel, Obscure Objects
Located in Toronto, CA
By Obscure Objects Designed by Luisa Pröspel The chunk chair combines soft, round and slightly oversized shapes with hard, resistant stainless steel. The homogenous hand brushed su...
Stainless Steel
$3,114 / item
H 27.56 in W 27.56 in D 31.5 in
Diaframma Geometrical Armchair in Stainless Steel by Metalmorphosis Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Diaframma Geometrical Armchair in Stainless Steel by Metalmorphosis Studio Unique Piece Dimensions: D 80 x W 70 x H 70 cm. Materials: Stainless steel. First piece of the Anatomy col...
Stainless Steel
$13,778 / item
H 27.56 in W 32.68 in D 28.75 in
Organic Loop Chair in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Organic Loop Chair in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor Limited Edition of 5 + 2AP. Dimensions: D 73 x W 83 x H 70 cm. Materials: Mirror-polished stainless stee...
Stainless Steel
$4,800
H 36 in W 29 in D 48 in
Rare Lishman Rocker, Sculptural Chrome-Plated circa 1976, William Lishman
By Bill Lishman
Located in Buffalo, NY
Free form rocking chair with cast aluminum tractor seat and backrest,, Canadian Bill Lishman is best known for his role in Operation Migration, which continues his successful efforts to re-shape avian migration patterns across North American. Lishman earned the nickname "Father Goose" by developing the means to encourage large flocks of birds to settle in new nesting areas by leading them in flight using an ultra-light aircraft. His unusual methods have had great success over 3 decades, and were the Subject of the 1996 film FLY AWAY HOME. He is also a noted artist and sculptor, and designed the geodesic-style buried home where he lives near Toronto. His great contribution as a furniture designer is the 1976 Lishman Rocker...
Metal, Aluminum
$14,266
H 35.44 in W 18.9 in D 38.59 in
MINUS Rocking Chair by Kutarq Studio, Bent Aluminum, Minimalist Design
By Kutarq Studio
Located in Barcelona, ES
Rocking chair made of a single 10 mm bent aluminum sheet with a sandblasted and waxed finish. Made by the Valencia-based design studio KUTARQ. MINUS is a sculptural, monomaterial lo...
Aluminum
$14,266
H 35.44 in W 18.9 in D 38.59 in
Minus Rocking Chair by Kutarq Studio, Bent Aluminum, Minimalist Design
By Kutarq Studio
Located in Barcelona, ES
New rocking chair made of bent 10 mm aluminum sheet. Made by the Valencia-based design studio KUTARQ. MINUS is a sculptural, monomaterial lounge chair by KUTARQ Studio, crafted fr...
Aluminum
$3,305 / item
H 31.5 in W 31.5 in D 31.5 in
Nerve Armchair in Stainless Steel by Metalmorphosis Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Nerve Armchair in Stainless Steel by Metalmorphosis Studio Unique Piece Dimensions: D 80 x W 80 x H 80 cm. Materials: Stainless steel. Armchair inspired by the structural logic of t...
Stainless Steel
R400 Chair in Silver Matte Aluminum by Arno Hoogland
Located in Geneve, CH
R400 Chair in Silver Matte Aluminum by Arno Hoogland Dimensions: D 4 x W 66 x H 66 cm. Materials: Aluminum. Arno Hoogland is a futurist, artist, and maker who creates immersive inte...
Aluminum
$14,908 / item
H 29.93 in W 43.71 in D 39.38 in
Oscillation Aluminium Rocking Chair by Bureau of Entropy
Located in Geneve, CH
Oscillation Aluminium Rocking Chair by Bureau of Entropy. Limited edition of 8 pieces + 4 Artist's Proof. Dimensions: W 111 x D 100 x H 76 cm. Materials: Aluminium. OSCILLATION ext...
Aluminum
Studio Oak and Stainless Steel Rocking Chair by Leon Mayer
Located in Palm Springs, CA
An amazing 1980s studio rocking chair by Leon Mayer. The chair is hand signed by Leon Mayer dated 1980 and numbered 169. The rocking chair is constructed of...
Stainless Steel
