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Jens Risom Swivel Chairs

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
Pair of Vintage Jens Risom Walnut Swivel Lounge Armchairs
Pair of Vintage Jens Risom Walnut Swivel Lounge Armchairs

Pair of Vintage Jens Risom Walnut Swivel Lounge Armchairs

$5,120Sale Price / set|35% Off

Pair of Vintage Jens Risom Walnut Swivel Lounge Armchairs

By Jens Risom

Located in Pasadena, TX

A pair of walnut swivel lounge chairs in original purple composite upholstery with walnut bases and detachable suede cushions designed by Jens Risom.

Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Swivel Chairs

Materials

Suede, Upholstery, Walnut

Swivel Chair by Jens Risom
Swivel Chair by Jens Risom

Swivel Chair by Jens Risom

$6,800

Swivel Chair by Jens Risom

By Jens Risom

Located in Sagaponack, NY

An upholstered swiveling lounge chair in leather with a tilt mechanism on a metal disc base.   

Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Swivel Chairs

Materials

Steel

Stunning Black Button Tufted Leather Swivel Chairs, Jens Risom for Marble, Pair
Stunning Black Button Tufted Leather Swivel Chairs, Jens Risom for Marble, Pair

Stunning Black Button Tufted Leather Swivel Chairs, Jens Risom for Marble, Pair

$4,200 / set

Stunning Black Button Tufted Leather Swivel Chairs, Jens Risom for Marble, Pair

By Jens Risom, Marble Imperial

Located in Buffalo, NY

Stunning pair of black button tufted leather swivel chairs by Jens Risom for marble, Classic Mid-Century Modern design, self balancing swivel mechanism bringing chairs back to positi...

Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Swivel Chairs

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Swivel Chairs - Pair
Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Swivel Chairs - Pair

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Swivel Chairs - Pair

$10,395

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Swivel Chairs - Pair

By Jens Risom

Located in Franklin Park, IL

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Swivel Chairs - Pair Each chair measures: 26.5 wide x 25.5 deep x 32 high, with a seat height of 18.5 and arm height/chair clearance of 23.5 inches Go...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Swivel Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Swivel Chairs - Pair
Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Swivel Chairs - Pair

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Swivel Chairs - Pair

$10,395

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Swivel Chairs - Pair

By Jens Risom

Located in Franklin Park, IL

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Swivel Chairs - Pair Each chair measures: 26.5 wide x 25.5 deep x 32 high, with a seat height of 18.5 and arm height/chair clearance of 23.5 inches Go...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Swivel Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

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Jens Risom walnut swivel chair.

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Risom. His pieces are timeless and effortlessly simple in design, a perfect coupling of Danish style and American efficiency. This pair swivels smoothly on the seductively spidery wa...

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Pair of Jens Risom Swivel Lounge Chairs

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1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Swivel Chairs

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Jens Risom swivel chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Jens Risom swivel chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of animal skin and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Jens Risom swivel chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original swivel chairs by Jens Risom were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 1960s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider swivel chairs by George Mulhauser, Gardner Leaver, and Pace Collection. Prices for Jens Risom swivel chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,200 and can go as high as $8,950, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,400.

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Questions About Jens Risom Swivel Chairs
  • Who is Jens Risom?
    1 Answer
    1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Jens 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 Answer
    1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Yes, 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 Answer
    1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Normally, 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.

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