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Kaare Klint Sofas

Danish, 1888-1954

Architect, teacher and furniture designer Kaare Klint is among the most important figures in Scandinavian modernism. Widely recognized as the father of modern Danish furniture, Klint sought to pay homage to historical furniture styles and prized functionality as essential to designing for modern living. He established the design school at Copenhagen’s Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and his students became mid-century legends of cabinetry and furniture-making.

Klint prioritized functionalism and drew on an array of influences in his own work. Furniture experts will observe the influence of 18th-century English seating in his Red chair, while Klint’s iconic Safari chair had roots in campaign furniture. The other exemplary chairs, sofas and tables for which he is known bear the mark of Thomas Chippendale and Biedermeier furniture as well as Greek and Roman forms.

Klint's father was Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint, a formidable architect of his day. The younger Klint initially followed in his father’s footsteps, studying under him as well as distinguished architect Carl Petersen. Alongside Danish architect Ivar Bentsen, he headed the renovation of the Designmuseum Denmark in Copenhagen from 1920–26 (Klint also furnished the institution as part of the project). Around the same time, Klint helped found the furniture design school at the Royal Danish Academy. The impact of his role as an instructor there cannot be overstated — he mentored such esteemed cabinetmakers and furniture designers as Børge Mogensen, Hans Wegner and Ole Wanscher.

A prominent advocate of ergonomics, Klint valued comfort and functionality over style. Painstaking research went into each piece of sophisticated yet wholly unadorned furniture he designed, as he endeavored to build structures that took into consideration human proportions and scale. And like the Shakers, Klint believed that quality craftsmanship and good materials were integral to the design of durable furniture that was free of embellishment.

The humble grace of Klint’s style characterizes legendary seating designs that continue to charm today’s legions of mid-century modern enthusiasts. His Safari chair, Faaborg chair, Ravenna armchair and Propeller stool — as well as most of the seating created by Danish modernists generally — have warmed interiors and influenced furniture designers all over the world.

Find vintage Kaare Klint furniture and other Scandinavian modern furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Kaare Klint
1940s Kaare Klint Three Seater Sofa, Hardwood Legs & Striped Wool Upholstery
By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in London, GB
1940s Kaare Klint Three Seater Sofa, with Mahogany Legs & Striped Wool Upholstery with Leather Trim. Usable condition as webbing been repla...
Category

1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Wool, Hardwood

Kaare Klint for Rud Rasmussen Sofa with Ottoman in Cognac Leather
By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Kaare Klint for Rud Rasmussen, settee with ottoman model 4698, warm cognac leather and oak, Denmark, 1933, production 1970s. This iconic freestanding sofa and ottoman, designed by ...
Category

1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Oak

Kaare Klint Sofa Model 6092 with Savak Wool
By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in London, GB
Three-seater sofa with eight tapering mahogany legs. Sides, seat and back upholstered with striped savak wool presumably in the last 10-20 years with natura...
Category

1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Wool

Sofa in Wool by Kaare Klint For Rud Rasmussen, 1950s
By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in Lejre, DK
Stylish sofa upholstered in wool designed by MAA Kaare Klint for Rud Rasmussen cabinetmakers in 1940. Great original condition.
Category

1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Wool, Mahogany

Kaare Klint Sofa Model 5011 Original Niger Leather 1930s, Scandinavian Modern
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Kaare Klint & Rud Rasmussen Snedkerier - Scandinavian Modern Rare 3-seater sofa model no 5011 designed by Kaare Klint and manufactured by cabinetmaker Rud Rasmussens Snedkerier in...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Mahogany, Leather

1940s Kaare Klint Three-Seat Sofa for Rud. Rasmussen, Denmark
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in Praha, CZ
- Suitable for new reupholstery - Good original condition with some signs of use.
Category

1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Kaare Klint Sofa # 5011 in Original Cognac Leather Rud Rasmussen, Denmark 1940s
By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in WIJCKEL, NL
Two-seater sofa model 5011 in original cognac leather and six-legged mahogany base. Produced by Rud. Rasmussen Cabinetmakers, Denmark. Minor marks on the frame, patina to the leather. Back covered in original canvas. Shown at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild exhibition in 1935. Signed with manufacturer’s label to underside: (Rud. Rasmussens Snedkerier). Kaare Klint is widely recognized as the father of Danish modern design. It is hard to overstate his influence. He developed an entirely new analytical approach to furniture design that his students at the Danish Academy of Art would emulate for years to come, yet was also inspired by historic designs from various cultures, modernizing and re-interpreting classic pieces for new generations. Literature: Gorm Harkær, Klintiana: “Kaare Klint”, vol.2, pg 94. Kaare Klint (1888-1954) is regarded as the founding father of Danish Modernim. As an architect, furniture designer and leading professor at the Department of Furniture Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Klint established the principles of modern Danish furniture by combining a profound appreciation of traditional construction techniques with a modernist emphasis on function and a rejection of ornaments. Klint’s design was always based on relentless research; he never compromised. Every piece had to fulfill its purpose, be completely clear in its construction with dimensions and proportions corresponding to the human body and display materials and craftsmanship of the highest quality. Logic, often using a mathematical system of measures, and a constructive way of thinking were the foundation of Klint’s philosophy of furniture design. Like many of his contemporaries, counting Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, he advocated standardization and functional requirements and dismissed the use of all ornamentation. But Klint realized his vision in wood and leather, using traditional craftsmen and working methods and often finding inspiration in historical models. In this way, he charted the course for an alternative Nordic Functionalism that idealized the workshop and the collaboration between furniture architects and cabinetmakers as opposed to the factory. Kaare Klint’s first major work was a collaboration with his mentor, the architect Carl Petersen. In 1914 they were commissioned to design furniture and fixtures for Faaborg Art Museum. One of the highlights to emerge from this commission was the Faaborg chair, a light and elegant chair with clear references to classical furniture. The construction and proportions of an 18th century English Chippendale chair was also clearly visible in the famous Red Chair, designed in 1927 for the lecture hall at The Museum of Arts and Crafts (now Design Museum Denmark), but with its straight back deprived of all unnecessary decoration and its beautiful Niger leather, the Red Chair was far from an imitation. Other important works include The Propeller Stool (1927), The ‘Mix Chair’ designed in collaboration with his pupil Edvard Kindt-Larsen in 1930, the Safari Chair (1930), The Deck Chair (1939 and The Church Chair designed in 1936 for the Bethlehem Church in Copenhagen. Also noteworthy are Klint’s well-proportioned cabinets and wardrobes...
Category

1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Rare Kaare Klint Box sofas in Mahogany & Niger Leather, Scandinavian Modern
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Kaare Klint & Rud Rasmussen snedkerier. A stunning pair of rare Kaare Klint Model no. 4118S two-seater box-shaped sofas with profiled cross legged mahogany frame. (Also called X-Bas...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Kaare Klint Model 4118 Box Sofa, Rud Rasmussen, Denmark, 1950s
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in LEWES, GB
Rare Kaare Klint Model 4118 two-seat box sofa with profiled cross legged mahogany frame. Made by Rud Rasmussen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Upholstered...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Mahogany, Leather

Kaare Klint for Rud. Rasmussen Sofa Model 4118 in Leather and Mahogany
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Kaare Klint for Rud.Rasmussen, sofa, model '4118', leather, mahogany, Denmark, design 1930, production 1981 Kaare Klint originally designed the present three-seat sofa, known as 411...
Category

1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Kaare Klint Two-Seat Sofa for Rud. Rasmussen
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Kaare Klint freestanding two-seat sofas. Frame of mahogany. Sides, seat and back upholstered with fabric. Executed by Rud. Rasmussen, Copenhagen.
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Kaare Klint Leather Sofa 1930s
By Kaare Klint
Located in Studio City, CA
Kaare Klint sofa model 4118 for Rud.Rasmussen  in cognac leather and mahogany, Designed in Denmark circa 1930's. Kaare Klint originally designed this three-seat sofa, # 4118, for th...
Category

1930s Danish Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather

Kaare Klint Large Striped Sofa
By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in London, GB
Oak framed Classic sofa designed by Kaare Klint and made by Mastercabinetmakers Rud Rasmussen. Beautiful crisscross frame-work. Original upholstery which will make a statement in any...
Category

1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Upholstery, Mahogany

Kaare Klint Two-Seat Sofa for Rud. Rasmussen
By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Kaare Klint freestanding two-seat sofas on six-legged, profiled mahogany cross-frame. Sides, seat and back upholstered with black horsehair. Executed by Rud. Rasmussen, Copenhagen.
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Kaare Klint Sofa Model 5011 Original Cognac Leather for Rud Rasmussen Denmark
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in WIJCKEL, NL
Three-seater sofa model 5011 in original leather and eight-legged ash base. Produced by Rud. Rasmussen Cabinetmakers, Denmark. Minor marks on the frame, patina to the leather. Shown at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild exhibition in 1935. Kaare Klint is widely recognized as the father of Danish modern design. It is hard to overstate his influence. He developed an entirely new analytical approach to furniture design that his students at the Danish Academy of Art would emulate for years to come, yet was also inspired by historic designs from various cultures, modernizing and re-interpreting classic pieces for new generations. Literature: Gorm Harkær, Klintiana: “Kaare Klint”, vol.2, pg 94. Kaare Klint (1888-1954) is regarded as the founding father of Danish Modernim. As an architect, furniture designer and leading professor at the Department of Furniture Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Klint established the principles of modern Danish furniture by combining a profound appreciation of traditional construction techniques with a modernist emphasis on function and a rejection of ornaments. Klint’s design was always based on relentless research; he never compromised. Every piece had to fulfill its purpose, be completely clear in its construction with dimensions and proportions corresponding to the human body and display materials and craftsmanship of the highest quality. Logic, often using a mathematical system of measures, and a constructive way of thinking were the foundation of Klint’s philosophy of furniture design. Like many of his contemporaries, counting Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, he advocated standardization and functional requirements and dismissed the use of all ornamentation. But Klint realized his vision in wood and leather, using traditional craftsmen and working methods and often finding inspiration in historical models. In this way, he charted the course for an alternative Nordic Functionalism that idealized the workshop and the collaboration between furniture architects and cabinetmakers as opposed to the factory. Kaare Klint’s first major work was a collaboration with his mentor, the architect Carl Petersen. In 1914 they were commissioned to design furniture and fixtures for Faaborg Art Museum. One of the highlights to emerge from this commission was the Faaborg chair, a light and elegant chair with clear references to classical furniture. The construction and proportions of an 18th century English Chippendale...
Category

1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Ash

Kaare Klint Sofa for Rud. Rasmussen
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Kaare Klint 2 persons sofa with legs of mahogany. Seat, sides and back upholstered with light fabric. Executed by Rud. Rasmussen.
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Mahogany, Fabric

Kaare Klint for Rud Rasmussen Sofa '5011' in Cognac Leather and Mahogany
By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Kaare Klint for Rud Rasmussen, sofa model '5011', leather, mahogany, Denmark, design 1935, made 1960s Kaare Klint originally designed the present three-seat sofa, known as 5011, in ...
Category

1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Kaare Klint Three-Seat Sofa for Rud. Rasmussen
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Kaare Klint. A three-seat sofa with mahogany legs, seat, sides and back with blue-, red- and whitestriped Greek Savak. Executed by Rud. Rasmussen, Copenhagen.
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Wool, Mahogany

Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofa Model 4118 in Leather and Mahogany
By Kaare Klint
Located in San Diego, CA
Kaare Klint for Rud.Rasmussen, sofa #4118, made with leather and mahogany, Denmark. Designed in 1930's, we cant pinpoint the exact production date of this sofa. Kaare Klint original...
Category

1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Kaare Klint Three-Seat Sofa for Rud. Rasmussen
By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Kaare Klint freestanding three-seat sofa on eight-legged, profiled mahogany cross-frame. Sides, seat and back upholstered with patinated red leather. Model 4118. Executed by Rud. Ras...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Vintage two-seater Sofa by Kaare Klint for Rud. Rasmussen 1935s
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in Lejre, DK
The vintage design two-seater sofa model 5011 created by Kaare Klint. This iconic piece is crafted in original cognac leather and features a distinctive six-legged mahogany base. The...
Category

1930s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

KK 5011 - 3-seater sofa in mahogany and patinated niger leather
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in Copenhagen, DK
KK 5011 - 3-seater sofa in mahogany and patinated niger leather. Designed in 1935. Designed by Kaare Klint and made by cabinetmaker Rud Rasmussen.
Category

Early 20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather

Kaare Klint Two-Seat Sofa for Rud. Rasmussen
By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Kaare Klint freestanding two-seat sofa on six-legged, profiled mahogany cross-frame. Sides, seat and back upholstered with patinated leather. Executed by Rud. Rasmussen, Copenhagen. ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

1960s Danish Sculpted Sofa by Kaare Klint for Rud Rasmussen
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A majestic sofa having a sculptured body resting on eight (8) tapered mahogany legs, retaining the original red, navy and beige striped wool fabric. Desi...
Category

1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Upholstery, Mahogany

KK 6092 sofa by Kaare Klint
By Kaare Klint
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Model KK 6090 - Reupholstered 3 seater sofa in Savak wool (colour: 41240) with natural leather piping. Mahogany legs. Kaare Klint / Rud. Rasmussen
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Mahogany

Marthe Armitage X Sigmar, Kaare Klint 4118 Sofa
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in London, GB
This reupholstered Kaare Klint 4118 sofa is the centrepiece of our recent collaboration with Marthe Armitage Prints for London Design Festival 2023. ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Upholstery, Mahogany

2021 KK48651 Addition Sofa / Bench in Leather w/ Dark Wood Legs by Kaare Klint
By Kaare Klint, Carl Hansen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a KK48651 Addition Sofa made with a tan leather seat and walnut legs (or perhaps dark stained oak). The bench, designed by Hans Wegner and produced by Carl Hansen & Son in De...
Category

2010s Danish Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Wood

2021 KK48650 Addition Sofa by Kaare Klint for Carl Hansen in Walnut w/ Leather
By Carl Hansen & Søn, Kaare Klint
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a KK48650 Addition Sofa designed by Kaare Klint and produced by Carl Hansen & Son in Denmark. The sofa is made with a solid walnut legs and full grain grey seat/back. The sof...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Walnut

2021 KK6092 2 Seat Sofa/Loveseat by Kaare Klint for Carl Hansen in Fabric
By Carl Hansen & Søn, Kaare Klint
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a KK6092 Two-Seater Sofa with a solid lacquered mahogany frame and striped fabric upholstery. The loveseat, designed by Kaare Klint and produced by Carl Hansen & S...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Fabric, Mahogany

KK 5313 Sofa by Kaare Klint
By Kaare Klint
Located in Copenhagen, DK
KK 5313 - 3-seater sofa in black Niger leather and legs in mahogany. Design 1935. Maker Rud. Rasmussen.
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather

Kaare Klint Model 5313 Two-Seat Leather Settee by Rud Rasmussen, 1935
By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare Klint
Located in London, GB
A two-seat model 5313 settee designed by Kaare Klint in 1935 and made by master cabinetmakers Rud Rasmussen in Denmark, between 1935-1945. The economy of line in this design is su...
Category

Early 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

2020 KK48650 Addition Sofa by Kaare Klint for Carl Hansen in Oak & Black Leather
By Kaare Klint, Carl Hansen & Søn
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a KK48650 Addition Sofa designed by Kaare Klint and produced by Carl Hansen & Son in Denmark. The sofa is made with a solid oak frame and Thor black leather seat/b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Kaare Klint Sofas

Materials

Leather, Oak

Kaare Klint sofas for sale on 1stDibs.

Kaare Klint sofas 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 Kaare Klint sofas, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original sofas by Kaare Klint were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in scandinavia during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider sofas by Poul Kjærholm, Rud Rasmussen, and France & Søn. Prices for Kaare Klint sofas can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $5,000 and can go as high as $63,816, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $17,467.

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