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Modern Furniture by International Designers
Modern furniture collected by museums. In
search of luxury modern furniture: the luxury of having style that holds its own
in any setting combined with lavish comfort. Midcentury modern furniture has
unmistakable style, but it is important to differentiate between authentic
reproductions and the many imitations that are now available. Knoll manufactures
each piece according to the original and exacting specifications of the
designer. Available are the iconic pieces which brought Scandinavian modernism
to the United States: Risom Lounge Chair by Danish-born Jens Risom (1916-), the
first chair ever produced by Knoll (1941); and Womb Chair and Ottoman, and Tulip
Chairs and Table by Finnish-born Eero Saarinen
(1910 - 1961). These pieces not only have a sculptural beauty that enhances
homes and business spaces alike, but also the comfort level that you associate
with American "lounge." Go to: Jehs and Laub, Jens Risom, Eero Saarinen,
Mies van der Rohe, Marcel Breuer,
Arne Jacobsen Modern Seating,
Poul Kjrholm Chairs, Bertoia See also Modern
Lighting
Arne Jacobsen conceived of a complete and holistic
aesthetic for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. Serving as the principle
architect for it, he also created much of the furnishings – including the Series
3300 Collection (1956). Cool and formal, it offered a clean-lined counterpoint
to the curvaceous and organic forms of his swiveling Egg™ and Swan™ chairs,
which were also designed specifically for the SAS. Jacobsen had a very personal
connection to this collection, as it was based on a sofa that he had created for
his own home. Displaying Jacobsen’s unfailing sense of line and proportion, the
Series 3300 is a further example of his ability to create timeless classics.
Original design and licensed manufacture by Republic of Fritz Hansen. Made in
Denmark
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Finn Juhl Poet Sofa |
Finn Juhl Baker Sofa in Fabric A |
| Finn Juhl designed the Poet Sofa (1941) for use in his own home,
located in Charlottenlund, a rural area north of Copenhagen. Being a
true sensualist, Juhl created his furniture to be comfortable, made with
the best craftsmanship traditions and showing an appreciation of
materials. |
The Baker Sofa was created in 1951, the year that Juhl brought
international recognition to Danish design with his U.S. debut in the
"Good Design" exhibit in Chicago and at MoMA in New York |
Verner Platon
"I want to design furniture that grows up out of the floor,"
said Verner Panton. "To turn the furniture into something organic. Which never
has four legs." Pushing materials to their limits was a passion of this Danish
architect and designer, who always approached design challenges in
unconventional ways. Panton spent three years developing his System 1-2-3 series
(1973), which has been rescued from the Panton Estate archives and brought back
into production
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| Verner Panton Nesting Party Set |
System 1-2-3 Dining Chair in Leather
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| Five-piece Party Set (1965) includes four stools and a table that
nest into one compact form with a small footprint. When company arrives,
the stack can be transformed into a conversation area, with a surface
for food and drinks and four stools with leather-upholstered seats |
The 1-2-3 name originally referred to the fact that there were three
ways to get it, from a chair without padding to a deluxe, tufted
version. With the relaunch, all of the chairs have the same comfortable
padding, and only the upholstery options differ. |
This collection has a Scandinavian sensibility that works with
modern and traditional settings. By Danish designer Jens Risom, it is testament
to the simplicity and ingenuity that is so often found in timeless modern
designs. Some of the first designs commissioned by Knoll®, they brought the
natural materials and understated form of Scandinavian design to large-scale
U.S. production
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Risom
Lounge Chair
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Risom Side Chair
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| The Risom Lounge Chair (1941), by Danish designer Jens Risom, is
testament to the simplicity and ingenuity that is so often found in
timeless modern designs. Widely known as the first chair to be designed
for Knoll®, it brought the natural materials and understated form of
Scandinavian design to large-scale U.S. production |
The Risom Side Chair (1941), by Danish designer Jens Risom, is
testament to the simplicity and ingenuity that is so often found in
timeless modern designs. Widely known as the first chair to be designed
for Knoll®, the Risom Chair brought the natural materials and
understated form of Scandinavian design to large-scale U.S. production |
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| Jens Chair and Ottoman
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| Chair and ottoman were originally designed in 1949 for the Caribe
Hilton Hotel in Puerto Rico. Decades have passed since this collection
was in production, and Risom worked closely in every step of its return,
from reviewing prototypes, to adjusting tiny details, to advocating cost
effective changes in the manufacturing process |
The generous proportions and sweeping form of the Jehs and Laub
Lounge (2008) make it a coveted seat for relaxing, napping or curling up with a
book or laptop. In addition to designing furniture, Markus Jehs and Jürgen Laub
created the interior of Suite 606 at the 2007 Icehotel® in Sweden and the master
concept for Mercedes-Benz® showrooms. This Lounge is stamped with the designers’
signatures. Made in U.S.A.
With his iconic seating collection, Harry Bertoia
transformed industrial wire rods into a new furniture form. Bertoia was given
the freedom to work on whatever suited him, without being held to a strict
design agenda, and the result of this arrangement was the Bertoia Seating
Collection (1952). Featuring a delicate filigreed appearance that’s supremely
strong, these airy seats are sculpted out of steel rods. In his art, Bertoia
experimented with open forms and metal work, and these chairs were an extension
of that work. “If you look at the chairs, they are mainly made of air, like
sculpture," said Bertoia. ”Space passes through them.” After designing his
seating collection, Bertoia returned to focusing mostly on sculpture.
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Bertoia Asymmetric Chaise with Seat Pad
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Bertoia Collection, Child-Size
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| With his iconic seating collection, Harry Bertoia transformed
industrial wire rods into a new furniture form. The events that made
this work possible began a decade earlier at Cranbrook Academy of Art
when Bertoia met Florence Knoll Bassett (then Florence Schust). Years
later, the Italian-born designer was invited to work for Florence and
her husband Hans Knoll. |
In his art, Bertoia experimented with open forms and metal work, and
these chairs were an extension of that work. “If you look at the chairs,
they are mainly made of air, like sculpture,” said Bertoia. “Space
passes through them.” Manufactured by Knoll according to the original
and exacting specifications of the designer. Made in Italy |
Mies' daring design of furniture, pieces that exhibit an
unerring sense of proportion, as well as minimalist forms and exquisitely
refined details. In fact, his chairs have been called architecture in miniature
exercises in structure and materials that achieve an extraordinary visual
harmony as autonomous pieces or in relation to the interiors for which they were
originally designed.
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| Krefeld Lounge Chair
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Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Barcelona® Couch |
| Featuring Mies’ signature style, with clean lines and no excess
ornamentation or overstuffing, these pieces have an inviting warmth that
suits virtually any residential lounge space, as well as lobbies,
reception areas, hotels and public spaces. The Krefeld Lounge Chair is
manufactured by Knoll® according to the original and exacting
specifications of the designer. |
The cushions – welting and buttons included – come from a single
Spinneybeck Volo cowhide and are supported by cowhide belting straps. To
create the deep, precise tufting, individual panels of leather are cut,
hand welted and hand tufted. The frame is made from African mahogany
sapele hardwood, with stainless steel legs. The bolster cushion is
crafted from coordinating leather and secured to the couch with straps
and locking snaps. |
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| Barcelona® Chair
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Barcelona® Stool
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| Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair and Stool (1929),
originally created to furnish his German Pavilion at the International
Exhibition in Barcelona, have come to epitomize modern design. Mies van
der Rohe designed the chair to serve as seating for the king and queen
of Spain, while the stool was intended to accommodate their attendants |
Mies van der Rohe designed the chair to serve as seating for the
king and queen of Spain, while the stool was intended to accommodate
their attendants. Still produced to his original specifications,
Barcelona is of quality fit for royalty. |
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Brno Tubular Chair
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Barcelona® Table
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| One of the first cantilevered chair designs to be produced, Ludwig
Mies van der Rohe's Brno Tubular Chair (1930) is the most elegant of its
kind. The mirror-finish chromed tubular steel frame is fluidly bent into
a sinuous single-piece form, which gracefully supports the sitter while
seemingly defying gravity. |
The table is often paired with the Barcelona Chair for their
stylistic parallels. Absolute in its elegance, this classic design
continues to refresh contemporary environments. |
Although Saarinen made his reputation in the United States
following World War II, he had his roots in Europe. Until 1923, he lived in
Finland with his father Eliel Saarinen an architect of the National Romantic
movement. He called himself a "form giver" and everything he designed had a
strong sculptural quality. Saarinen and Eames collaborated on various projects,
culminating in a range of furniture that won first prize at an exhibition held
at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1940 entitled, "Organic Design in
Home Furnishings." After 1946, however Eames went to work for Herman Miller;
Saarinen became associated with Knoll Associates. A number of Saarinen’s chairs
for Knoll were to become landmarks in the history of 20th century design.
In the 1920s, Marcel Breuer began to
experiment with tubular steel, creating some of the most influential furniture
to come out of the Bauhaus. Breuer considered
his designs essential for modern living.
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Wassily Chair
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Laccio Table - Small
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Laccio Table - Large
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| Believed to be the first bent tubular steel chair
design, the Wassily Chair distills the traditional club chair to a
series of strong, spare lines, executed with dynamic material
counterpoint. |
In the 1920s, Marcel Breuer began to experiment with
tubular steel, creating some of the most influential furniture to come
out of the Bauhaus. |
Spurred by Breuer's design of a low table to
accompany the Wassily Chair, the very simple, very clever multipurpose
Laccio nesting tables exhibit his rationalist aesthetic and accomplished
technique. The construction is extremely stable; the materials are of
exceptional quality. |
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PK22 Easy Chair - Wicker
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PK22 Easy Chair - Leather
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| Much of Poul Kjrholm's furniture was intended for his own home,
located north of Copenhagen and designed by his wife, architect Hanne
Kjrholm. |
His PK22 Easy Chair (1956) was inspired by the light, elegant
klismos chair created by the ancient Greeks. |
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