Jens Risom Furniture
Danish, American, 1916-2016
The Danish-born Jens Risom brought the Scandinavian modern design sensibility to a wide audience in the United States. As the first designer for Knoll Inc., Risom introduced American buyers to the region’s enduring design values of simplicity, grace and craftsmanship.
Risom trained in furniture making at the Copenhagen School of Industrial Arts and Design under Ole Wanscher, alongside classmates Hans Wegner and Børge Mogensen. In 1939, a year after graduating from business school, Risom decided to move to the U.S.
While working for an interior designer in New York in 1941, he met Hans Knoll, and the businessman and the designer hit it off. They brought out their first line the next year, despite wartime materials restrictions. The signature piece — now a design icon — was a lounge chair with a striking, undulant birch frame and a seat made of webbed sub-military grade parachute straps. Risom was drafted into the army, and served as a translator under General George Patton. When he returned from the war, Risom clashed over furniture design ideals with his business partner’s new bride, Florence Knoll, the pioneering mid-century modernist who was schooled in the Bauhaus method, which favored furniture with strict, geometric metal frames. Risom then started his own company, Jens Risom Design.
In the course of his long career, Risom developed a stylistic vocabulary that was a reflection of the life of the man himself: his furniture has Danish warmth coupled with an American air of crisp efficiency. Vintage Risom chairs are almost instantly recognizable — the arms and seat backs are set at a distinctive angle that seems to invite people to sit back and relax, yet they know they can hop up in an instant, ready to go.
As you will see on these pages, Jens Risom is one of the great men of American modern design who made furniture that is unique and timeless.
Find a collection of vintage Jens Risom furniture on 1stDibs that includes lounge chairs, desks, coffee tables and more.
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Creator: Jens Risom
Dealer: Newel
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Blond Oak 6-Drawer Dresser
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century dresser with 6 drawers with angled rectangular oak drawer pulls in a blond oak case resting on four tapered legs. (JENS RISOM...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Oak
Jens Risom for Knoll Striped Upholstered Blonde Wood Slipper / Side Chair
By Jens Risom, Knoll
Located in Queens, NY
Mid-Century Modern slipper / side chair with red, blue, yellow, and beige striped fabric upholstery, resting on an angled blonde wood base with angled and tapered legs. (JENS RISOM F...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Circular Walnut Revolving Lazy Susan Coffee Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
"Danish Mid-Century circular walnut coffee table with a rotating lazy susan top resting on an X-shaped walnut base with tapered square leg...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Walnut
Pair of Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Blond Oak Bedside Table / Commodes
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Danish Mid-Century blond oak bedside tables / commodes with a single upper drawer above a cabinet compartment with angled wooden drawer pulls...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Oak
Jens Risom Danish Gray Velvet Upholstered Walnut Floating Bench
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century floating bench with a walnut stretcher base supporting a rectangular seat cushion upholstered in gray velvet with button tufted detail. (JENS RISOM).
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Velvet, Walnut, Wood
Jens Risom Mid-Century Diamond Top Walnut and Caning Coffee Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
American/Danish Mid-Century walnut coffee table with a gently diamond-shaped top resting on a structured stretcher base with four tapered legs and stretcher shelf with caned inset...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Fall-Front Walnut Bedside Table / Commode
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century walnut bedside table / commode with a bottom cabinet with a fall-front drawer and brass drawer pull with an open compartment above with four dowel legs. (JENS RISOM)
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Walnut Cantilever End / Side Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish mid-century walnut cantilever side / end table with a rectangular off-center tabletop with shallow gallery supported by a walnut stretcher base. (Jens Risom).
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Faintly Striped Red Upholstered Sofa
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century sofa with angled arms, curved back, and faintly striped red and orange upholstery with button tufted detail, resting on a walnut base with four tapered square legs...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Fabric
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Walnut Draw Leaf Dining Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century walnut draw leaf dining table with a square top that pulls open from two sides to expand the table top surface, resting on four tapered dowel legs. (JENS RISOM)
D...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Off-White Shou Patterned Upholstery and Wood Floating Bench
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century rectangular floating bench with an off-white Shou-patterned fabric upholstered seat resting on a wooden floating frame base. (JENS RISOM).
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Fabric, Upholstery
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Walnut Coffee / Cocktail Table with Magazine Rack
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century walnut coffee table with a rectangular top with tapered edges and a rectangular cutout on one side resting on a stretcher base with built-in magazine rack and four...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Pair of Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Floating Top Walnut Coffee Table / Benches
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Danish Mid-Century walnut coffee tables / benches with floating tops supported by a walnut stretcher base with four tapered legs. (JENS RISOM) (PRICED AS Pair)
Damage to fi...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Circular Wooden Lazy Susan End / Side Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish mid-century end / side table with a revolving circular wooden top with a shallow lip, resting on four square tapered wooden legs. (Jens Risom).
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood
Jens Risom Danish Kidney-Shaped Beige Mica and Walnut Cocktail / Coffee Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century coffee / cocktail table with a kidney-shaped table top with a beige marbled mica veneer resting on a walnut base with a cruciform stretcher and angled legs. (JENS ...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Wooden Cutout Circular Lazy Susan End / Side Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century lazy susan end / side table with a rotating circular top with an off-center circular cutout supported by four tapered square wooden legs. (JENS RISOM)
Minor wear ...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood
Danish Mid-Century Circular Walnut Revolving Lazy Susan Dining Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century circular walnut dining table with a rotating lazy susan top resting on an X-shaped walnut base with tapered square legs. (JENS RISOM)(Similar tables: DUF0276, DUF0...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Pair of Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Walnut Single Drawer Console Tables
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Danish Mid-Century console tables with walnut frames and rectangular table tops with a single drawer beneath. (JENS RISOM) (PRICED AS Pair)
Finish is damaged.
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Pair of Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Blond Oak 3-Drawer Chests
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Danish Mid-Century chests / dressers with three drawers with angled wooden drawer pulls in a blond oak case resting on tapered wooden legs....
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Oak
Jens Risom Mid-Century Diamond Top Walnut and Caning Coffee Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
American/Danish Mid-Century walnut coffee table with a gently diamond-shaped top resting on a structured stretcher base with four tapered legs and stretcher shelf with caned inset...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Set of 8 Jens Risom Danish Black Fabric Upholstered Teak 'Playboy' Armchairs
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Set of 8 Danish Mid-Century "Playboy" armchairs with angular teak wood frames and black woven fabric upholstered seats and backs with button tufting. (JENS RISOM)(PRICED AS Set)
Uph...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Teak
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Walnut and Light Gray Laminate Serving Trolley
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century two-tier serving trolley with a walnut frame, light gray laminate shelf surfaces, and a removable tray top, resting on four small casters. (JENS RISOM)
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Laminate, Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Rose Pink Upholstery and Walnut Floating Bench
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century floating bench with a textured rose pink upholstered seat resting on a walnut frame. (JENS RISOM).
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut, Fabric
Jens Risom Mid-Century Danish Single Bed Head & Footboards with Vinyl Cushions
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
4 SETS of Mid-Century Danish single / twin size teak rectangular bed headboards and footboards with mustard yellow vinyl cushions (JENS RISOM)(PRICED PER SET)(Similar headboards: DUF...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Teak
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Southwestern Pattern Upholstery and Wood Bench
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish mid-century rectangular floating bench with a banded Southwestern blue and green patterned fabric upholstered seat resting on a wooden floating frame base. (JENS RISOM).
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood
Jens Risom for Knoll Multi-Colored Textured Upholstered Blonde Wood Slipper
By Jens Risom, Knoll
Located in Queens, NY
Mid-Century Modern slipper / side chair with woven multi-colored fabric upholstery, resting on an angled blonde wood base with angled and tapered legs. (JENS RISOM FOR KNOLL)(Similar...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Fabric, Upholstery
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Walnut 8-Drawer Dresser / Writing Desk
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century walnut 8-drawer dresser with four narrow drawers on the left and four wider drawers on the right, the top of which folds down to crea...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Shaped Teak and Striped Upholstered Lounge Armchair
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish mid-century lounge armchair with a shaped teak frame with two wooden armrests, and seat and back cushions upholstered in a blue, gold, red, and beige striped fabric, resting o...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Teak, Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Jens Risom Danish Army Green Fabric Upholstery and Wood Floating Bench
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century rectangular floating bench with a green fabric upholstered seat resting on a wooden floating frame base. (JENS RISOM).
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Light Gray Upholstered Walnut Floating Bench
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century floating bench with a walnut stretcher base supporting a rectangular seat cushion upholstered in light gray woven fabric with button tufted detail. (JENS RISOM).
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Walnut, Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Walnut 8-Drawer Dresser / Writing Desk
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century walnut 8-drawer dresser with four narrow drawers on the left and four wider drawers on the right, the top of which folds down to crea...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Gray Fabric Upholstered Teak 'Playboy' Armchair
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century 'Playboy' armchair with and angular teak wood frame and gray woven fabric upholstered seat and back with button tufting. (JENS RISOM)
Upholstery is stained and ha...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Black Tufted Vinyl and Wood Floating Bench
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century floating bench with a black vinyl button tufted seat resting on a wooden floating frame base. (JENS RISOM).
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Jens Risom Teak, Caning, and Orange Upholstery Conference Armchairs
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Set of 3 Danish mid-century dining/conference armchairs with teak wood frames, caned seat backs, and faintly striped orange fabric upholstered seats. (JENS RISOM)(PRICED AS SET)
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Teak, Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Blond Oak Sideboard / Server
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century blond oak sideboard / server with three central drawers with angled wooden drawer pulls flanked on either side by two cabinets with an adjustable shelf in a blond ...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Oak
Jens Risom for Knoll Light Gray Upholstered Blonde Wood Slipper / Side Chair
By Jens Risom, Knoll
Located in Queens, NY
"Mid-Century Modern slipper / side chair with light gray sateen fabric upholstery, resting on an angled blonde wood base with angled and tapered legs. (JENS RISOM FOR KNOLL)(Similar ...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Jens Risom Mid-Century Diamond Top Walnut and Black Vinyl Coffee Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
American/Danish Mid-Century walnut coffee table with a gently diamond-shaped top resting on a structured stretcher base with four tapered legs and stretcher shelf made of stretched b...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Fall-Front Walnut Bedside Table / Commode
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish mid-century walnut bedside table / commode with a bottom cabinet with a fall-front drawer and brass drawer pull with an open compartment above with four dowel legs. (JENS RISOM).
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Off-White Vinyl and Teak Dining Side Chair
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century dining side chair with a teak wood frame and off-white vinyl upholstered seat and chair back. (JENS RISOM)
Discoloration and small tears in upholstery.
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Teak
Jens Risom Multi-Colored Geometric Pattern Upholstery and Wood Floating Bench
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century rectangular floating bench with a geometrically patterned blue, green, and orange fabric upholstered seat resting on a wooden floating frame base. (JENS RISOM).
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Jens Risom Danish Oak and Light Gray Laminate Serving Trolley
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century two-tier serving trolley with an oak frame, light gray laminate shelf surfaces, and a removable tray top, resting on four casters. (JENS RISOM)
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood, Laminate, Oak
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Beige Leather and Walnut Console Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century console table with a walnut frame and rectangular table top with a beige leather wrap. (JENS RISOM)
Leather needs cleaning and is separating from table top aroun...
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Leather, Wood, Walnut
Jens Risom Danish Blue and Green Southwestern Pattern Upholstery
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century rectangular floating bench with a banded Southwestern blue and green patterned fabric upholstered seat resting on a wooden floating frame base. (JENS RISOM).
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Jens Risom Danish Mid-Century Birch and Light Gray Laminate Serving Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century two-tier serving table with a birch frame, light gray laminate shelf surfaces, and a removable tray top. (JENS RISOM)
Missing casters.
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Materials
Wood
Jens Risom furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Jens Risom furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Jens Risom furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 323 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 5 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Jens Risom were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Fredericia, Florence Knoll, and Craft Associates. Prices for Jens Risom furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $350 and can go as high as $35,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,213.
Creators Similar to Jens Risom
Questions About Jens Risom Furniture
- 1stDibs ExpertAugust 2, 2023
There isn’t much of a difference between Nordic and Scandinavian design in that when it comes to furniture and decor, the descriptors “Nordic” and “Scandinavian” are often used interchangeably. The term Scandinavia is primarily used to refer to Denmark, Norway and Sweden. (It is sometimes inclusive of Iceland and Finland, too.) The Nordic region of the world also includes the likes of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden as well as Iceland, Finland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland.
Scandinavian modernism is a warm and organic iteration of modernist design that chiefly originated in Denmark, Sweden and Finland during the 1930s. It was introduced to the United States during the mid-20th century and had a profound influence on American mid-century modern design.
Scandinavian modernists are known for their emphasis on craftsmanship and use of natural materials such as ash, pine and beech. Scandi interiors are minimalist, bright and airy, and feature neutral palettes and classic shapes.
Characteristics of the work of such Scandinavian modernists such as Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl and Greta Magnusson Grossman include bold, clean lines and simple, sturdy symmetries. 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, created in collaboration with his first wife, Aino. Yet Finnish glassware was pre-eminent, crafted in expressive, sculptural designs by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarpaneva.
For design enthusiasts all over the world, the promotion of functionality and simplicity associated with Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design continues to prove irresistible.
- Who is Jens Risom?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Jens Risom was a Danish designer. Many people credit him with bringing the modern style of Scandinavian design to the U.S. He is well-known for his chairs, which feature angled seat backs often upholstered with webbing. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Jens Risom furniture.
- Was Jens Risom Danish?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Yes, Jens Risom was Danish. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 8, 1916, and attended Copenhagen School of Industrial Arts and Design. Following his graduation, Risom moved to the U.S., where he lived for the rest of his life. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Jens Risom furniture.
- Who sells Jens Risom rockers?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Normally, vintage furniture dealers or auction and online platforms specializing in authentic vintage furniture sell Jens Risom rockers. From time to time, rocking chairs produced by the Danish designer may appear at thrift shops and secondhand stores or be available directly from individuals who own them. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Jens Risom chairs.