Jens Risom Settees
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
Newly upholstered Kvadrat Jens Risom settee or two seater USA - 1950s
By Jens Risom
Located in Berlin, DE
Newly upholstered Kvadrat Jens Risom settee or two seater. Oak frame
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Settees
Materials
Fabric, Wood
20th Century American Two Seater Sofa - Walnut Settee by Jens Risom Design
By Jens Risom
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A small, vintage Mid-Century Modern American two seater sofa or settee with four pillows, designed and produced by Jens Risom Design, Model U-151, in good condition. The seat, back rest of the divano is slightly inclinated with a button-tufted back and two straight arms, supported by a hand crafted Walnut frame, standing of four small curved wooden feet. Newly upholstered in an orange velvet. Wear consistent with age and use, circa 1955, New York, United States.
Seat: 18.5" H x 44.5" W x 19.5" D
Pillows: 20" H x 20" W x 7" D
Jens Risom was a Danish, American furniture designer born in 1916, in Copenhagen, Denmark and passed away in 2016, in New Canaan, United States. He finished his apprenticeship as a designer at the Copenhagen School...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Settees
Materials
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Walnut
Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Settee
By Jens Risom
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Settee
This settee measures: 52 wide x 30 deep x 32.5 inches high, with a seat height of 15.75 inches
Great Vintage Condition - Minor Areas of Wear o...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Settees
Materials
Upholstery, Walnut
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Jens Risom settees for sale on 1stDibs.
Jens Risom settees 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 settees, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original settees by Jens Risom were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the mid-20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider settees by Adrian Pearsall, Russell Woodard, and Herman Miller. Prices for Jens Risom settees can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $5,800 and can go as high as $13,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $8,500.
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Questions About Jens Risom Settees
- 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.