Kai Kristiansen Model 31 Dining Chairs
View Similar Items
Kai Kristiansen Model 31 Dining Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Kai Kristiansen (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.14 in (74 cm)Width: 19.69 in (50 cm)Depth: 20.48 in (52 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Nyborg, DK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU243537780483
Kai Kristiansen
With a passion for math and engineering, Kai Kristiansen has created high-quality wood furniture for decades. Beginning in the 1950s, his chairs, modular shelving and other furnishings were made in the style that would become internationally renowned as Danish modern and boasted clean lines, perfected functionality and exacting craftsmanship.
Born in Denmark, Kristiansen trained in cabinetmaking before studying with Kaare Klint, often cited as the “father of modern Danish design,” at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. At just 26 years old, Kristiansen opened his own studio.
Kristiansen had his mid-century breakthrough in 1956 with the Chair #42, which he made with Schou Andersen. Unlike most other chairs at the time, Chair #42’s armrests, with their wealth of radical angles, were connected to the back rather than the front legs. This unconventional flourish makes the backrest appear as though it is floating in midair above the seat.
Kristiansen’s next innovation was a modular wall system in 1957 — three years ahead of Dieter Rams’s more famous 606 Universal Shelving System. Called the Reolsystem Wall Unit, produced by SB Feldballes Møbelfabrik, it’s also known as the FM Wall Unit as FM/Fornem Møbelkunst began producing it in the 1960s.
Kristiansen would go on to work with other leading Danish furniture manufacturers such as Magnus Olesen, Fritz Hansen and Vildbjerg Møbelfabrik, designing everything from chairs and desks to sideboards and cabinets, frequently in rosewood and teak. (The latter was a sought-after wood by Scandinavian modern designers.)
While many of Kristiansen’s timeless designs remain in production, such as his Paper Knife sofa, which was reintroduced by Miyazaki Chair Factory in 2008, and his 1950s Entré collection, which was relaunched with Great Dane Furniture in 2016, others are prized as vintage mid-century pieces.
Today, Kristiansen is still at work on new furniture with an expert eye to thoughtfully functional designs that are made to last.
Find a collection of vintage Kai Kristiansen furniture on 1stDibs.
- Four Kai Kristiansen Model 31 Teak Dining Room ChairsBy Kai KristiansenLocated in Chorzów, PLThe Kai Kristiansen, model 31, chairs have been replaced with a new upholstery.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsTeak
- Set of 6 Model 31 Kai Kristiansen Dining Chairs in OakBy Kai Kristiansen, Schou Andersen MøbelfabrikLocated in Berkeley, CAOrigin: Denmark Designer: Kai Kristiansen Manufacturer: Schou Andersen Møbelfabrik Era: 1960s Materials: Oak, wool Measurements: 18" wide x 20" deep x 29? tall. Condition: In...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Kai Kristiansen Set of 4 Dining Chairs "Model 31", Denmark, 1960sBy Kai KristiansenLocated in Antwerpen, BESet of 4 dining chairs ‘Model 31’, designed by Kai Kristiansen and produced in Denmark in the 1960s. The chairs feature a solid, teak wooden frame with a beige upholstery in velours....Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Set of 8 Kai Kristiansen Rosewood & Boucle Model 31 Dining ChairsBy Kai KristiansenLocated in London, GBKai Kristiansen - Model 31 Dining Chairs Dining chairs produced by Skovman Andersen Mobelfabrik in the early 1960s. The gorgeous rosewood frames have been refinished in Danish oil w...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWool, Bouclé, Rosewood
- 4 Kai Kristiansen Chairs 1960s - Model 31, Vintage OakBy Kai KristiansenLocated in Hannover, DESet of 4 Vintage Chairs designed by Kai Kristiansen. Model: 31 from the 1960s. Displayed price is for a set of 4. Very good vintage condition. Sturdy oak chair frames. Refurbishe...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsTeak
- Kai Kristiansen, Set of Six Teak, Model 31 Dining Chairs & Matching Dining TableBy Kai KristiansenLocated in London, GBKai Kristiansen. A set of six teak framed, Model 31 dining chairs with curved upholstered backs and a matching rectangular teak dining table, very sleek and compact but spacious wh...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
MaterialsTeak