Austrian architect and furniture and fabric designer Josef Frank was a leading voice for a gentle, humane modernism. His advocacy of warm, comfortable, eclectically styled environments was highly influential in his adopted country of Sweden, and it’s now widely regarded as a harbinger of the backlash against doctrinaire modernism and the embrace of the homespun that occurred in the late 1960s.
The son of a successful Viennese textile manufacturer, Frank studied architecture at Vienna University of Technology, graduating in 1910. From the first years of his practice, he marched counter to the orderly, symmetrical architectural layouts and decors prescribed by contemporaries such as Adolf Loos.
Frank drafted rooms of varying shapes and called for flexible interior-design arrangements. His furniture pieces are light and easy to move — and his chairs are always made of wood, most often with lushly curved steam-bent arms and slatted backs. Frank openly loathed the tubular steel furnishings and “machine for living” aesthetic promoted by Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and other Bauhaus principals. “The home must not be a mere efficient machine,” Frank once said. “It must offer comfort, rest and coziness…. There are no puritan principles in good interior decoration.”
Frank — who was Jewish — sensed the dire implications of the rise of Nazism in Germany and Austria, and in 1933 he moved to Stockholm with his Swedish wife, Anna. He became the design chief for the furnishings maker Svenskt Tenn and found a perfect match culturally for his brand of simple, relaxed and bright creations. Like many modernists — notably Charles and Ray Eames and Alexander Girard — Frank had a deep love of folk art, which influenced his designs for a wide array of colorful, richly patterned upholstery fabrics, many based on the classic “Tree of Life” motif.
In all his designs, Frank took inspiration from a broad variety of sources. In his furniture, one can discern traces of Asian patterns, Rococo, Italian Renaissance, Scandinavian handicrafts and even Chippendale pieces. As such, the work of Frank — the friendly modernist — is at home in any type of décor.
Find vintage Josef Frank pillows, armchairs, floor lamps and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Early Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn 'Liljevalchs' Sofa
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, 'Liljevalchs' sofa, model '345', fabric, beech, Sweden, design 1934, made 1930s An early example of the Liljevalchs sofa, designed by Josef Frank, and...
Fabric, Beech
Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn 'Liljevalchs' Sofa
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, 'Liljevalchs' sofa, model '345', fabric, beech, Sweden, design 1934 First exhibited in 1934 at the home furnishings exhibition at Liljevalchs Konsthall...
Fabric, Beech
$4,140
H 14.97 in W 35.12 in D 14 in
Josef Frank, Stool or Bench, Mahogany, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1970s
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in High Point, NC
A mahogany stool or bench designed by Josef Frank and produced by Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1970s.
Mahogany
$4,235
H 15.75 in W 31.5 in D 14.18 in
Josef Frank Bench in Mahogany and Brass Nails, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Josef Frank & SCANDINAVIAN MODERN A beautiful bench by Josef Frank, for Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1960s. The frame is made of mahogany, upholstered seat with brass nails. The feet are elegantly sculpted and the bench can also be used as a table, end of bed stool...
Fabric, Mahogany
$29,948 / set
H 35.44 in W 19.1 in D 20.48 in
Midcentury Modern Mahogany and Leather Dining Chairs, Josef Frank, Sweden, 1950s
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Stockholm, SE
Set of eight dining chairs by Josef Frank, made from mahogany with green leather seats. Elegant slender lines with tall, ribbed backs. Decor of brass nails around the corners of the ...
Leather, Mahogany
$35,394 / set
H 18.51 in W 19.3 in D 21.66 in
Modernist Mahogany and Horsehair Dining Chairs, Josef Frank, Sweden, 1940s
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Stockholm, SE
Set of ten dining chairs by Josef Frank, model #815, made from mahogany. Elegant, ribbed backs. Decor of brass nails around the corners of the seats. Original seats made from woven ...
Mahogany
Mid Century Modern Josef Otmar Gondola Sofa
By Otmar, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Raleigh, NC
Exceptional mid-century modern gondola sofa by celebrated designer Josef Otmar, featuring his signature flowing lines and masterful woodworking. This stunning piece showcases the sc...
Upholstery, Walnut
$3,800 / set
H 16 in Dm 27.5 in
Beautiful Ottomans, Stools in Josef Frank Teheran Linen Fabric by Svenskt Tenn
By Josef Frank
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of beautiful Ottomans covered in Josef Frank Teheran Linen Fabric by Svenskt Tenn. Each ottoman has four apple shaped stained wood feet. Ready for a new home.
Wood, Linen
$11,616 / set
H 34.26 in W 17.72 in D 17.72 in
Josef Frank Dining Chairs Cherry Leather Model 2238, Svenskt Tenn, 1957, Sweden
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Odense, DK
Set of 4 original production Josef Frank dining chairs model 2238 made in the late 1950s. Model designed in 1957, frame in cherry, lyre-shaped back tray in rattan and bamboo, seats u...
Leather, Cherry
White Painted Stool, Josef Frank Upholstery
By Josef Frank
Located in New York, NY
White painted stool with upholstery by Josef Frank, Svensk Tenn length 44, width 36, height 44 cm. Cording is loose but we can replace cording i...
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Kubus Leather Sofa by Josef Hoffmann for Wittmann, 1980s
By Josef Hoffmann, Wittmann
Located in Hamburg, PA
Iconic Kubus sofa designed by Josef Hoffmann in 1910 and masterfully produced by Wittmann Möbelwerkstätten, Austria, in the 1980s. Upholstered in beautiful, supple cognac-brown leat...
Leather, Wood
$3,811Sale Price|65% Off
H 14.97 in W 16.54 in D 20.48 in
Tutankhamun mod 1063 mahogany stool by Josef Frank
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in PARIS, FR
The Tutankhamun Mod 1063 Stool was created by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn in 1941 and was inspired by a stool found in Tutankhamun's tomb in November 1922. It is a magnificent objec...
Leather, Mahogany
$6,352
H 14.57 in W 19.69 in D 14.97 in
Midcentury Modern Leather Stools, Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1950s
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Stockholm, SE
Pair of elegant stools by Josef Frank, made from mahogany with elegantly sculpted feet. Cognac brown leather with decorative nails around the joinery of the legs.
Leather, Mahogany
$4,356Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.15 in W 16.93 in D 11.03 in
Stool attributed to Josef Frank for Firma Svenskt Tenn, variation of stool 967
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn
Located in Forserum, SE
Early version of Stool 967, originally designed by Josef Frank in 1938 for Firma Svenskt Tenn. Crafted from solid mahogany with a rattan seat, this model bears a striking resemblance...
Rattan, Mahogany
Josef Frank, Sofa, Fabric, Mahogany, Sweden, 1940s
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in High Point, NC
An earl mahogany and floral fabric sofa, Model 703, designed by Josef Frank and produced by Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1940s. Seat height: 17.5”
Fabric, Mahogany
Sold
H 27.56 in W 78.75 in D 36.62 in
Josef Frank, A 3-Seater Sofa, Svenskt Tenn, Model "584", Swedish Modern, 1970s
By Josef Frank
Located in Odense, DK
This three-seater sofa, model "584," designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, is a stunning representation of Swedish Modern furniture. This particular version of the sofa is uphols...
Velvet, Wood
Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn 'Liljevalchs' Sofa
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, Sofa Nr. 345 - 'Liljevalchs', cotton fabric 'Drinks', wood, Sweden, design 1934 This spacious and extremely...
Fabric, Wood
Sold
H 31.5 in W 90.56 in D 31.5 in
4-Seat Sofa with Floral Fabric by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, 1950s
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn
Located in Berlin, DE
Rare 4-seat sofa with floral fabric by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, 1950s in good vintage condition.
Fabric, Wood