Set of Eight Jens Risom "Playboy" Armchairs in Walnut
About the Item
- Creator:Jens Risom (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.89 in (81 cm)Width: 22.45 in (57 cm)Depth: 22.84 in (58 cm)Seat Height: 17.33 in (44 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 8
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Rewoven. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftsmen in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. We guarantee a very high quality standard, ask our design specialists for detailed information.
- Seller Location:Waalwijk, NL
- Reference Number:Seller: 450107201stDibs: LU933119883522
Jens Risom
The Danish-born Jens Risom brought the Scandinavian modern design sensibility to a wide audience in the United States. As the first designer for Knoll Inc., Risom introduced American buyers to the region’s enduring design values of simplicity, grace and craftsmanship.
Risom trained in furniture making at the Copenhagen School of Industrial Arts and Design under Ole Wanscher, alongside classmates Hans Wegner and Børge Mogensen. In 1939, a year after graduating from business school, Risom decided to move to the U.S.
While working for an interior designer in New York in 1941, he met Hans Knoll, and the businessman and the designer hit it off. They brought out their first line the next year, despite wartime materials restrictions. The signature piece — now a design icon — was a lounge chair with a striking, undulant birch frame and a seat made of webbed sub-military grade parachute straps. Risom was drafted into the army, and served as a translator under General George Patton. When he returned from the war, Risom clashed over furniture design ideals with his business partner’s new bride, Florence Knoll, the pioneering mid-century modernist who was schooled in the Bauhaus method, which favored furniture with strict, geometric metal frames. Risom then started his own company, Jens Risom Design.
In the course of his long career, Risom developed a stylistic vocabulary that was a reflection of the life of the man himself: his furniture has Danish warmth coupled with an American air of crisp efficiency. Vintage Risom chairs are almost instantly recognizable — the arms and seat backs are set at a distinctive angle that seems to invite people to sit back and relax, yet they know they can hop up in an instant, ready to go.
As you will see on these pages, Jens Risom is one of the great men of American modern design who made furniture that is unique and timeless.
Find a collection of vintage Jens Risom furniture on 1stDibs that includes lounge chairs, desks, coffee tables and more.
Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
You May Also Like
Vintage 1960s American Modern Armchairs
Steel
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Walnut
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wool
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Walnut
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
Vintage 1970s American Modern Armchairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Mohair, Walnut
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Faux Leather, Walnut
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Faux Leather, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Oak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
A Basket-Weave Pattern Adds Country Charm to Paolo Buffa’s Elegant Cabinet
With its grid-like doors and wavy trim, the 1940s design feels as fresh as ever.
Hans Bergström’s Monumental Chandeliers Are Made for Grand Spaces
Designed by a giant of Swedish lighting, the large-scale fixtures bring major drama.