Kaare Klint Conference Tables
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.
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Teak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Rosewood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Glass, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Rosewood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Mahogany, Pine
1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Walnut
Late 19th Century English Regency Antique Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Brass
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Rosewood
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Teak
Early 20th Century Vietnamese Art Deco Kaare Klint Conference Tables
Rosewood
