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.
Desk in Mahogany, Brass & Glass Desk by Josef Frank, 1950s
By Josef Frank
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
This very rare dressing table or desk, designed by Josef Frank and produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden, is a refined and highly collectible example of Frank’s vision for modern interi...
Brass
Large Executive Desk by Anonima Castelli, Italy 1950s
By Anonima Castelli
Located in Roma, IT
Wood, veneered surfaces, stained wood plinth. An elegant and architecturally balanced executive desk attributed to Anonima Castelli, Bologna, dating from the late 1940s to early 195...
Wood
$162,597
H 35.44 in W 64.97 in D 20.28 in
Josef Frank 'Model 2106' Sideboard, Mahogany & Birch, 1950s, Sweden
By Josef Frank
Located in Stockholm, SE
Designed in the 1950s by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, Model 2106 is a sideboard that reflects Frank’s distinctive vision of modern living. Crafted in richly figured pyramid mahogany...
Brass
$3,636Sale Price|29% Off
H 30.32 in W 51.19 in D 29.53 in
Italian Mid Century sculptural Desk Table designed by Vittorio Dassi in 1950s
By Vittorio Dassi
Located in Traversetolo, IT
This elegant mid-century Italian design desk was designed by Vittorio Dassi in the 1950s. The piece is characterized by a refined design that alternates soft and rounded lines with a...
Brass
$3,263Sale Price|31% Off
H 31.3 in W 45.67 in D 23.23 in
Italian Mid Century Table Desk and chair designed by Vittorio Dassi in 1950s
By Vittorio Dassi
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Italian Mid-Century Desk and Chair Designed by Vittorio Dassi in the 1950s This stunning Italian Mid-Century desk and chair set was designed by the renowned designer Vittorio Dassi ...
Maple, Teak
$8,042
H 31.11 in W 66.54 in D 33.08 in
Italian Mid Century Executive Desk Table designed by Vittorio Dassi in 1950s
By Vittorio Dassi
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Stylish Executive desk designed by Vittorio Dassi in 1950s,truly unique design characterized by a sinuous top with an arched line in contrast with the central part convex in the oppo...
Glass, Teak
Paolo Buffa Mahogany & Brass Drop-Down Desk Italy, 1950
By Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
A rare and exquisite mahogany cabinet with molded front panel, rectangular top and dentil carved moldings. (Pair available, the other a dry-bar cabinet). The drop-down secretary wi...
Brass
$12,704
H 30.71 in W 67.33 in D 29.53 in
Italian Mid Century Executive Table Desk designed by Paolo Buffa in 1950s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Elegant Executive Desk designed by Paolo Buffa in the 1950s. The desk top is characterized by the presence of three lateral drawers, two similar on the left side and a larger one on ...
Walnut
Melchiorre Bega Desk, 1950s Italy
By Melchiorre Bega
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning Italian desk in a beautiful caramel wood. Four pull-out drawers flank each side of the desk. Angular extension on the left side of the desk for extra writing space and fanta...
Brass
1950s Mid-Century Modern Writing Desk in Beech and Brass
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
This writing desk, proudly crafted in Italy, embodies the timeless aesthetics of the Mid-Century design movement prevalent during the 1950s. Its exquisite design showcases the design...
Brass
$10,815
H 29.93 in W 31.5 in D 17.72 in
Mahogany and Brass Chest of Drawers by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, Sweden
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
Cool mahogany chest of drawers by Josef Frank, with an amazing, playful silhouette. Elegant brass handles.
Brass
$12,821
H 31.11 in W 80.32 in D 33.08 in
Italian Mid Century Executive Desk designed by Vittorio Dassi in 1950s
By Vittorio Dassi
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Stunning desk designed by Vitoro Dassi in the 1950s, featuring a black glass top beneath which is a wooden band shaped like a gull's wing that connects to the central section. This r...
Brass
$27,973
H 51.19 in W 48.82 in D 22.45 in
Josef Frank 'Gustav V' Cabinet in Rosewood, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1950s
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in The Hague, NL
This elegant rosewood cabinet was designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn in the late 1930's. In the Svensk Tenn archive's furniture book, Estrid Ericson (the founder of Svenskt Tenn) has made a pencil sketch of the cabinet and written "designed for the King", Gustaf V, likely for his 80th birthday in 1938. So this particular model 792 also became known as the Gustav V model. The rare cabinet on offer here was produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden in the early 1950s. The model was usually produced in pyramid mahogany, only a few pieces were made in rosewood. The cabinet has double doors, veneered in mirorred rosewood, with a solid oak interior with a total of 10 pull-out drawers. Brass key and round brass door hinges...
Wood, Oak, Rosewood
Josef Frank Secretary Model 1036
By Josef Frank
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A spectacular piece by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn. Nine drawers and one drop down central door that reveals 4 drawers , cubbys and pigeon holes for notes, papers... Quality t...
Brass