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Scandinavian Modern Collection

Scandinavian Modern Furniture Collection (Denmark, Finland, Sweden; 1930–present)
Scandinavian Modern Furniture Collection (Denmark, Finland, Sweden; 1930–present)

The designers of Scandinavian modernism created the warmest and most human iteration of modernist ideals. Their work was founded on centuries-old beliefs in both quality craftsmanship and the ideal that beauty should enhance even the humblest accessories of daily life. The gentle, organic contours that are typical of vintage Scandinavian modern furniture appear in the work of Danish, Finnish and Swedish designers not as a stylistic gesture, but rather as a practical, ergonomic — and, as importantly, elegant — response to the human form.

Each nation produced exceptional talents in all areas of the applied arts, yet each had its forté. Sweden was home to Bruno Mathsson, creator of the classic Grasshopper chair, but the country excelled most notably at ceramics. In the ’20s at the great Gustavsberg porcelain manufactory, Wilhelm Kåge introduced Scandinavian modern pieces based on influences from folklore to Cubism; his skills were passed on to his versatile and inspired pupils Berndt Friberg and Stig Lindberg.

Likewise, Finland produced a truly ingenious Scandinavian modern furniture designer in the architect Alvar Aalto, a master at melding function and artistic form in works like the Paimio chair. Yet Finnish glassware was pre-eminent, crafted in expressive, sculptural designs by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarapaneva.

The Danes excelled at chairs. Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen were exemplars of the country’s facility with wood, particularly teak. Wegner created such iconic pieces as the Round chair and the Wishbone chair; Jacobsen — while he produced the best-selling plywood Ant chair — designed two classic upholstered pieces of the 1950s: the Swan chair and Egg chair. The list of great Danes could go on and on, including Finn Juhl, maker of the bold Chieftain chair; Poul Kjaerholm, with his lean metal-and-rattan aesthetic; and Vernor Panton, who introduced a vibrant Pop note into international design.

On 1stDibs, you will note both instantly recognizable Scandinavian modern designs and many new discoveries. Even more than 50 years on from their heyday, the prolific, ever-evolving Scandinavian modernists continue to amaze and delight.

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Frits Henningsen Settee
By Frits Henningsen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Frits Henningsen Settee. Store formerly known as ARTFUL DODGER INC
Category

1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Kaare Klint Sofa by Rud Rasmussen
By Kaare Klint
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Kaare Klint three-seat sofa in original leather on a Cuban mahogany frame and produced by cabinetmaker Rud Rasmussen.
Category

1930s Danish Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Carl Malmsten "Samsas" Sofa
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Malmsten "Samsas" Sofa Produced By O. H. Sjogren
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Birch, Fabric

Hans Wegner GE-240 Sofa
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hans Wegner GE-240 sofa designed in 1955 and produced by GETAMA.
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Fabric, Oak

Frits Henningsen Sofa
By Frits Henningsen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Frits Henningsen Sofa
Category

1940s Danish Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Mahogany, Leather

1950's Danish Sofa with Oak Legs
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Sleek and perfectly proportioned midcentury Danish Setee newly re-upholstered in a Purple Knoll Proenza Schouler fabric.
Category

20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Oak

Ole Wanscher Two-Seat Settee
By Ole Wanscher
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ole Wanscher two-seat settee in mahogany with leather.
Category

1960s Danish Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Sofa by Erik Jorgensen
By Erik Ole Jørgensen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Red leather sofa with tufted seat and back, and a wood base.
Category

1960s Danish Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Wood, Leather

Model 620 Fiberglass and Leather Three-Seat Sofa by Dieter Rams
By Dieter Rams
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A model 620 three-piece section sofa by Dieter Rams with natural leather cushions in an off white fiberglass frame. Made by FG Design in Germany, circa 1960s...
Category

1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Scandinavian Modern Collection

Materials

Fiberglass, Leather

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Two-seater sofa model 5011 in original cognac leather and six-legged mahogany base. Produced by Rud. Rasmussen Cabinetmakers, Denmark. Minor marks on the frame, patina to the leather. Back covered in original canvas. Shown at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild exhibition in 1935. Signed with decal manufacturer’s label to underside: (Rud. Rasmussens Snedkerier). Kaare Klint is widely recognized as the father of Danish modern design. It is hard to overstate his influence. He developed an entirely new analytical approach to furniture design that his students at the Danish Academy of Art would emulate for years to come, yet was also inspired by historic designs from various cultures, modernizing and re-interpreting classic pieces for new generations. Literature: Gorm Harkær, Klintiana: “Kaare Klint”, vol.2, pg 94. Kaare Klint (1888-1954) is regarded as the founding father of Danish Modernim. As an architect, furniture designer and leading professor at the Department of Furniture Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Klint established the principles of modern Danish furniture by combining a profound appreciation of traditional construction techniques with a modernist emphasis on function and a rejection of ornaments. Klint’s design was always based on relentless research; he never compromised. Every piece had to fulfill its purpose, be completely clear in its construction with dimensions and proportions corresponding to the human body and display materials and craftsmanship of the highest quality. Logic, often using a mathematical system of measures, and a constructive way of thinking were the foundation of Klint’s philosophy of furniture design. Like many of his contemporaries, counting Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, he advocated standardization and functional requirements and dismissed the use of all ornamentation. But Klint realized his vision in wood and leather, using traditional craftsmen and working methods and often finding inspiration in historical models. In this way, he charted the course for an alternative Nordic Functionalism that idealized the workshop and the collaboration between furniture architects and cabinetmakers as opposed to the factory. Kaare Klint’s first major work was a collaboration with his mentor, the architect Carl Petersen. In 1914 they were commissioned to design furniture and fixtures for Faaborg Art Museum. One of the highlights to emerge from this commission was the Faaborg chair, a light and elegant chair with clear references to classical furniture. The construction and proportions of an 18th century English Chippendale chair...
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Hans J. Wegner For Getama GE-259 Adjustable Oak Daybed
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Designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1954, the GE-259 daybed is a versatile piece of furniture lending itself to both style and function. Not only easily used as a sofa in a living space to...
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Frits Henningaen 1930 Art Deco Sofa Danish
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A beautiful classic original Art Deco sofa by a famed Danish craftsman, Frits Henningsen. 1030. Original fabric
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