A trained cabinetmaker, Poul Kjærholm’s use of industrial methods and materials in the 1960s brought a fresh, graceful, sleek new style to Danish modern design.
At what is now the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Kjærholm studied under Hans Wegner and Jørn Utzon — an industrial designer and the architect of the celebrated Sydney Opera House. The latter greatly influenced Kjærholm’s furniture production techniques — although he employed natural materials such as cane and leather, to a far greater extent than his peers Kjærholm embraced the use of steel (rather than wood) framing for his chairs, daybeds and tables.
Kjærholm’s signal design was the PK22 chair of 1956, a low-slung leather lounger on a steel base. The ideas introduced in the PK22 — Kjærholm’s designs were named using a numeric system devised with his manufacturer, E. Kold Christensen — were refined throughout his career, as the offerings below show: the PK11 chair of 1957, with back and armrests formed by a semicircle of ash; the capacious, richly patinated leather seat of a vintage 1961 PK9 chair; the elegant rattan swoop of the PK 24 chaise longue (1965). The chaise longue's leather headrest, held in place by a steel counterweight, best shows Kjærholm's particular gift for combining technological advancements with a respect for traditional detailing.
While respectful of the past, Poul Kjærholm's sensibility is one of optimism and expectation. His was design for those who lived with verve and élan, and confidently anticipated the future.
Find a collection of vintage Poul Kjærholm furniture on 1stDibs.
When the Copenhagen-based furniture maker Fritz Hansen opened for business more than 140 years ago, the company — which today styles itself The Republic of Fritz Hansen — adhered to the traditional, time-honored Danish values of craftsmanship in woodworking and joinery. Yet thanks to the postwar innovations of Arne Jacobsen and others, Fritz Hansen would become the country’s leader in Scandinavian modern design using new, forward-looking materials and methods.
Fritz Hansen started his company in 1872, specializing in the manufacture of small furniture parts. In 1915, the firm became the first in Denmark to make chairs using steam-bent wood (a technique most familiar from birch used in the ubiquitous café chairs by Austrian maker Thonet). At the time, Fritz Hansen was best known for seating that featured curved legs and curlicue splats and referenced 18th-century Chippendale designs.
In the next few decades, the company promoted simple, plain chairs with slatted backs and cane or rush seats designed by such proto-modernist masters as Kaare Klint and Søren Hansen. Still, the most aesthetically striking piece Fritz Hansen produced in the first half of the 20th century was arguably the China chair of 1944 by Hans Wegner — and that piece, with its yoke-shaped bentwood back- and armrest, was based on seating manufactured in China during the Ming dynasty. (Wegner was moved by portraits he’d seen of Danish merchants in the Chinese chairs.)
Everything changed in 1952 with Arne Jacobsen’s Ant chair. The collaboration between the architect and Fritz Hansen officially originated in 1934 — that year, Jacobsen created his inaugural piece for the manufacturer, the solid beechwood Bellevue chair for a restaurant commission. The Ant chair, however, was the breakthrough.
With assistance from his then-apprentice Verner Panton, Jacobsen designed the Ant chair for the cafeteria of a Danish healthcare company called Novo Nordisk. The chair was composed of a seat and backrest formed from a single piece of molded plywood attached, in its original iteration, to three tubular metal legs. Its silhouette suggests the shape of the insect’s body, and the lightweight, stackable chair and its biomorphic form became an international hit.
Jacobsen followed with more plywood successes, such as the Grand Prix chair of 1957. The following year he designed the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen and its furnishings, including the Egg chair and the Swan chair. Those two upholstered pieces, with their lush, organic frames made of fiberglass-reinforced polyurethane, have become the two chairs most emblematic of mid-20th-century cool. Moreover, the Egg and Swan led Fritz Hansen to fully embrace new man-made materials, like foam, plastic and steel wire used to realize the avant-garde creations of later generations of designers with whom the firm collaborated, such as Piet Hein, Jørn Utzon (the architect of the Sydney Opera House) and Verner Panton. If the Fritz Hansen of 1872 would not now recognize his company, today’s connoisseurs certainly do.
Find a collection of vintage Fritz Hansen tables, lounge chairs, sofas and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Fully Restored Vintage Mid-Century Modern Hand Dyed Brown Leather Stylish Sofa
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this absolutely stunning, hand dyed whisky brown leather, mid century modern sofa which chrome legs. A very well made, decorative and extremely ...
Leather
ViNTAGE BROWN LEATHER ROCHE BOBOIS MID CENTURY MODERN CONTEMPORARY SOFA
By Roche Bobois
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this very cool and highly collectable Roche Bobois Mid Century Modern aged brown leather two seat sofa Ple...
Leather
HABITAT SMITHFIELD ARON PROBYN 50TH ANNiVERSARY BROWN LEATHER SOFA & ARMCHAIR
By Habitat International
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this now sold out, Habitat Smtihfield 50th Anniversary brown leather sofa and armchair suite designed by Aro...
Leather
Fine Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard Nielsen France & Son Mid Century Modern Sofa
By Peter Hvidt, Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original Mid Century Modern circa 1960 Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard Nielsen for France & Son daybed sofa Please note the delivery fee listed is just a guide, it covers within the M25 only for the UK and local Europe only for international, if you would like an accurate quote please send me your postcode and I’ll provide you with the exact price A super collectable designer daybed sofa by one of the Danish greats! I'll include all the information below about the designer and so on Condition wise, everything is original, this sofa has the period cushions, frame and supports, it is a rare survivor, there are no side arms, the fabric has some light patina but given that its 70+ years old I think we can forgive it, honestly its in wonderful order Dimensions - Height:- 83cm Width:- 191.5cm Depth:- 76cm Seat height:- 45cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask Hvidt & Mølgaard was a Copenhagen-based, Danish design and architectural firm which existed from 1944 until 2009. Founded by Peter Hvidt (1916-1986) and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen (1907-1993), the company was a pioneering force in Danish furniture design and industrialized production in the 1950s, creating furniture that was easy to mass-produce and economic to transport. Danish architect-designer Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen was born in 1907. His formative years were spent in Copenhagen, studying at the Aalborg Technical School (graduating in 1924) and at the Art and Crafts School of the Design Museum (graduating in 1928). From 1931 until 1934, he continued his studies in furniture design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts under the instruction of Danish master Kaare Klint (1888-1954). Danish architect-designer Peter Hvidt was born in Copenhagen in 1916. He studied architecture and cabinetry at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen. Subsequently, he worked at various design firms before establishing his own studio in 1942. From 1942 to 1945, Hvidt taught at the School of Arts and Crafts. In 1944, Hvidt designed the Portex Chair, which was one of Denmark’s first stacking chairs. Hvidt, whose design aesthetic was characterized as traditional throughout the 1940s, exhibited frequently at the Cabinetmaker's Guild exhibitions, as both a designer and architect. He also worked with the lighting manufacturer Le Klint on numerous lighting designs. In 1944, the pair co-established Hvidt & Mølgaard Studio, which they ran together until 1975. During this time, the pair created designs for Fritz Hansen, France & Søn, and Søborg Møbelfabrik. In 1950, the pair designed the AX Chair, which solidified both of their careers as industrial designers and became an icon of Danish mid-century design. AX was inspired by the work of American design duo Charles and Ray Eames, and was the first Danish chair that was crafted with both a seat and back made of curved laminated wood. The chair utilized a laminated technique for production which was carried out by Fritz Hansen. The chair’s design allowed for mass production and easy packaging, opening a successful market for Danish furniture to be exported around the world. The AX Chair was eventually accompanied by the AX Table...
Upholstery, Wood
RESTORED DE SEDE DS17 BROWN BUFFALO NECK LEATHER TWO SEAT SOFA PART OF SUiTE
By De Sede
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning fully restored Mid Century Modern circa 1970’s De Sede DS17 two seat sofa which is part of a l...
Leather
RESTORED TIM BATES PIEFF MANDARIN LEATHER CHROME & HARDWOOD SOFA ARMCHAiR SUITE
By Pieff and Co., Tim Bates
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely stunning, exceptionally rare, fully restored, Tim Bates for Pieff Mandarin...
Chrome
PK 31/2 - Sofa in original leather by Poul Kjærholm
By E. Kold Christensen, Poul Kjærholm
Located in Copenhagen, DK
PK 31/2 - 2-seater sofa in original, red leather on frame in steel. Designed by Poul Kjærholm and made by E. Kold Christensen.
Steel
PK 31/2 - Sofa en original leather by Poul Kjærholm
By E. Kold Christensen, Poul Kjærholm
Located in Copenhagen, DK
PK 31/2 - 2-seater sofa in original red leather on frame in steel. Designed by Poul Kjærholm and made by E. Kold Christensen.
Steel
PK 31/3 - 3 seater sofa in original leather by Poul Kjærholm
By E. Kold Christensen, Poul Kjærholm
Located in Copenhagen, DK
PK 31/3 - 3 seater sofa in patinated original reddish aniline leather with frame in chromed steel. Designed in 1958 by Poul Kjærholm, made by E. Kold Christensen.
Steel
Poul Kjærholm 'PK31' 3-Seater Sofa for Fritz Hansen in Leather (Cat. 5)
By Fritz Hansen, Poul Kjærholm
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Poul Kjærholm 'PK31' 3-Seater Sofa for Fritz Hansen in Leather (Cat. 5) Established in 1872, Fritz Hansen has become synonymous with legendary Danish design. Combining timeless craf...
Steel
Poul Kjærholm 'PK31' 2-Seater Sofa for Fritz Hansen in Leather (Cat. 5)
By Fritz Hansen, Poul Kjærholm
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Poul Kjærholm 'PK31' 2-Seater Sofa for Fritz Hansen in Leather (Cat. 5) Established in 1872, Fritz Hansen has become synonymous with legendary Danish design. Combining timeless craf...
Steel
Vintage Poul Kjaerholm PK31 Sofa by Fritz Hansen Denmark 1980s
By Fritz Hansen, Poul Kjærholm
Located in Aachen, NW
Fine and rare PK31/3 sofa by Poul Kjaerholm for Fritz Hansen. One of the earliest Fritz Hansen editions made in the early 1980s. One of the finest sofa ever made. Actually new retai...
Stainless Steel
