“An object shall stand the wear of the eye!” proclaimed Swedish entrepreneur Sven Lundh (1925–2015), who took over operations at revered furniture company Källemo in 1971. For decades, the innovative brand has accomplished just that with a range of original and unconventional pieces that draw on — and regularly push the boundaries of — Scandinavian modern and postmodern design.
Based in Vänamo in southern Sweden, Källemo was originally established in 1947 before it was taken over by Lundh in 1971. Lundh’s vision for Källemo was to evolve the company and to create sustainable furniture that would be both functional and wholly sculptural. The interest in creating forward-looking seating, case pieces, tables and more that are as much furniture as they are art deepened for Lundh during the 1980s, when Swedish designers began to explore the ideas that underpin postmodernism in their work.
Lundh sought to secure long-term partnerships with modernist and postmodernist Swedish and European artists and designers such as Jonas Bohlin, the creator of the scandalous Concrete chair, which caught Lundh’s attention at Konstfack’s student exhibition in 1982. Bohlin’s minimalist armchair, featuring an angular steel frame and concrete seat and headrest, was meant to be presented as a sculpture, but it fit Lundh’s idea of “artistic furniture.” Källemo produced the Concrete chair as a limited-edition series, and it became one of the company’s best known pieces.
Over the years, Källemo has collaborated with Gustav Persson — designer of Källemo’s Bank bench — Mats Theselius, John Vedel-Rieper, Jens Harald Quistgaard, Gunnar Myrstrand and numerous other artists and designers to create its unique collection of furniture. In 1996, Lundh’s son Erik and daughter Karin took the helm at Källemo, which remains a family-owned firm. Today Källemo pieces are held in permanent museum collections throughout Sweden and Europe.
Find Källemo seating, tables, case pieces and storage cabinets on 1stDibs.
$7,689 / item
National Geographic Bookcase
By Källemo, Mats Theselius
Located in Courbevoie, FR
Glass doors, stained in yellow, brass details. Base of solid natural beech. Suitable for storing The National Geographic Magazine. Each se...
Brass
Danish Modern Teak Bookcase, 1960s.
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Modern Teak Bookcase, 1960s. Danish Mid-Century Modern bookcase and cabinet in teak. Manufactured in Denmark in the 1960s. In the style of Carlo Jensen/Hundevad/Børge Mogensen...
Teak
Peter Hvidt & Orla Molegaard Bookcases
By Hvidt & Mølgaard
Located in San Francisco, CA
Pair of Peter Hvidt & Olga Molegaard design bookcases, Denmark. Made from high quality materials and construction techniques, featuring adjustable shelves on plinth bases. Box tail j...
Teak
Bookcase
Located in London, England
Two door glazed walnut bookcase / cabinet with ormolu mounts on turned feet. Circa 1870 H 112cm x W 121cm x D 37cm
Walnut
Scandinavian Oak Bookcase
Located in Brescia, IT
Bookcase with shelving and cabinet, 1950s/60s. Original vintage cabinet from Scandinavia consisting of two parts. The upper part is a bookcase equipped with adjustable height shelvi...
Oak
Vintage bookcase with storage compartment
Located in Brescia, IT
Scandinavian 1960s teak and birch furniture. This cabinet with built-in bookcase, created in the midst of the Scandinavian style of the 1960s, combines the functionality of an enclo...
Birch, Teak
Danish Rosewood Bookcase
Located in Oakland, CA
Finely crafted Brazilian rosewood bookcase with mitered edges, series of adjustable shelves, and raised on tapered legs. In excellent condi...
Rosewood
Vintage Bamboo Bookcase
Located in Brescia, IT
Cabinet with three shelves made of Scandinavian-made Bamboo. Minimalist and natural design furniture complement. The bamboo frame adds an exotic and organic touch to the environment...
Bamboo
Bodafors Scandinavian oak bookcase
By Bertil Fridhagen, Bodafors
Located in Brescia, IT
Vintage two-body oak bookcase with sliding doors, olive green shelves and three built-in central drawers. Two-piece bookcase by Bodafors and designed by Bertil Fridhagen, made in Sw...
Wood
Escarpe Bookcase
Located in Paris, FR
Bookcase Escarpe with vertical frame structure in polished stainless steel in gold finish. With oak bookcases in old-aged oak in matte finish. Also available with other stainless fin...
Stainless Steel
Scandinavian teak bookcase, 1960s
Located in Brescia, IT
Teak unit with six adjustable shelves that allow for highly flexible organization of the space. Scandinavian production, 1960s. Characterized by a strictly symmetrical composition, ...
Teak
Scandinavian bookcase furniture
Located in Brescia, IT
The original vintage oak cabinet is a piece of furniture that embodies the elegance and functionality of days gone by. Its lower part is closed by ...
Wood, Cherry
Wilson Bookcase
Located in Paris, FR
Bookcase Wilson with structure in solid walnut in natural walnut wood finish. Shelves top are in natural walnut wood finish. With adjustable solid brass feet.
Walnut