Poul Hundevad was a master craftsman who designed and built furniture in his hometown of Vamdrup, Denmark. He is famed for his adaptable, functionalist creations. Multi-purpose design had become a standard in the Scandinavian modern furniture of the mid-20th century, and Hundevad imbued this approach into many of his creations, such as incorporating fold-down trays into his credenzas and sideboards.
Hundevad was born in Vamdrup in 1917. He trained as a carpenter and for many years, he owned his own workshop and furniture factory. He designed and constructed his own furniture as well as pieces that were manufactured by other designers. He worked alongside such notable furniture creators as Carlo Jensen and Kaj Winding.
Hundevard put a premium on space — the homes of mid-20th-century Denmark were not very big and usually consisted of small rooms with little storage — and so he created many foldable designs that could be stowed easily and kept out of the way when they were not needed.
His fame grew in 1960 when Hundevad introduced the Guldhoj stool. He created it as a replica of a Bronze Age stool excavated from a burial mound near his hometown, keeping the original form and dimensions exact. The Guldhoj is a simple stool, made of teak, oak, beech or ash. It folds out in an X configuration and has an uncomplicated leather seat. It was produced through the early 21st century, the later iterations being reproductions made by one of Hundevard’s employees. Though Hundevard masterfully crafted many inventive and functional designs, he is most remembered for the minimal genius of this mid-century modern folding stool.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Poul Hundevard storage pieces, seating, tables and more.
No matter what your dream dining experience looks like, there is a wide-ranging variety of vintage, new and antique dining room chairs on 1stDibs. Find upholstered dining room chairs, wood dining room chairs and more to outfit any space designated for a good meal, be it in your home or in the great outdoors.
In the early 18th century, most dining room tables and other furniture was designed to look masculine. In America, dining rooms weren’t even much of a concept until the late 1700s, when a space set aside specifically for dining became a part of the construction of homes for the wealthy. Dining room chairs of the era were likely made of walnut or oak. In Europe, neoclassical dining chairs emerged during the 1750s owing to nostalgia for classical antiquity, while the curving chair crests of Queen Anne furniture in the United States preceded the artistically bold seat backs that characterized the Chippendale chairs that followed. If there weren't enough dining chairs at suppertime in the American colonies, men were prioritized and women stood.
In the dining rooms of today, however, there is enough space for everyone to have a seat at the table. Modern styles introduce innovative design choices that play with shape and style. Icons of mid-century modern dining room chairs are plentiful: With its distinctive bentwood back, there is the DCW dining chair by Charles and Ray Eames, while Hans Wegner's timeless classic, the Wishbone chair, remains relevant and elegant decades after its debut. Stefano Giovannoni's White Rabbit dining chairs, in their lovable polyethylene biomorphism, reinvent what dining can look like.
Today's wide range of dining room chairs also means that they can now be styled in different ways, bringing functionality and fun to any sumptuous dining space. No longer do tables have to be accompanied by a matching set of seats. Skillfully mixing and matching colors and designs allows you to showcase your personality without sacrificing the cohesion of a given space.
By furnishing your dining room with cozy chairs — vintage, antique or otherwise — family time can extend far beyond mealtime. The plush upholstery of Victorian-style dining room chairs is perfect for game nights that stretch from dinner to midnight snack. Outdoor tables and dining chairs can also present an excellent opportunity for bonding and eating — what goes better with a delicious meal than fresh air, anyway?
Whether you prefer your chairs streamlined and stackable or ornate and one of a kind, the offerings on 1stDibs will elevate your mealtime and beyond.