Danish Teak Loveseat by Grete Jalk for France and Son
View Similar Items
Danish Teak Loveseat by Grete Jalk for France and Son
About the Item
- Creator:France & Søn (Maker),Grete Jalk (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31 in (78.74 cm)Width: 54 in (137.16 cm)Depth: 28 in (71.12 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Kalamazoo, MI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5573227315762
Grete Jalk
What would the reputation of mid-century Danish furniture be without legendary female designer Grete Jalk? A pioneer of Scandinavian modernism, Jalk sought to craft furniture that was both cost-efficient and high in quality, each piece made for the evolving interiors and design sensibilities of the day. She continues to be celebrated for her sleek and minimal armchairs, lounge chairs, coffee tables and more.
Jalk was born in 1920 in Copenhagen. She studied at the Drawing and Applied Art School for Women before enrolling at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where famed designer Kaare Klint was among her instructors. Jalk completed her studies in 1946 and began a cabinetmaker apprenticeship. That same year, she won an award at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild competition. Jalk also participated in the 1951 Milan Triennial exhibition, where her designs earned more acclaim and attention.
In 1954, Jalk opened her own design studio and began working with major Danish furniture manufacturers like Fritz Hansen and Glostrup Møbelfabrik. She found inspiration in plywood experiments carried out by Alvar Aalto and Ray and Charles Eames, and she quickly became known for her pared-back, expressive designs, which touted fluid forms and were made of alluring woods such as teak and rosewood.
Jalk’s best-known work is the 1963 GJ chair, a collaboration with cabinetmaker Poul Jeppesen that won first place in the Daily Mail International Furniture Competition. Made of two pieces of molded teak plywood, the sculptural GJ lounge chair is part of the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art.
While creating her iconic furniture designs, Jalk wore many other hats. She taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and served as an editor of the Danish design magazine Mobilia from 1956–62 and 1968–74. In 1974, Jalk curated a traveling design exhibition for the Danish Foreign Ministry and was named a member of the Danish Design Council in 1981. She was also the editor of 40 Years of Danish Furniture Design: The Copenhagen Cabinet-makers' Guild Exhibitions 1927–1966, published in 1987.
Jalk passed away in 2006 at the age of 86. In 2008, Danish furniture manufacturer Lange Production was granted exclusive rights to reproduce the GJ chair, a design as fresh and original today as ever.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Grete Jalk seating, tables and storage pieces.
France & Søn
Danish manufacturer France & Søn is best known for its prolific output of elegant mid-century modern furnishings in teak and leather, yet its multinational beginnings took shape during the 1930s.
After businessman Charles William Fearnley France (1897–1972) moved from his native England to Denmark in 1936, he began to operate a small mattress factory alongside his friend Eric Daverkosen, a Danish cabinetmaker, under the name France & Daverkosen. Shortly afterward, Daverkosen passed away, and when Denmark was invaded during the Second World War, Charles was captured and sent to a prison camp in Germany. When he was released, the British entrepreneur set out to produce furniture in the early 1950s, setting up a shop in Hillerød to manufacture the kind of sleek beech and teak goods that were gaining widespread acclaim around the world. In 1957, France’s son James joined the business, and the company changed its name to reflect the addition.
Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, France & Søn produced a stunning array — and staggering quantity — of designs, with elegant modernist lounge chairs and armchairs, teak and rosewood dining tables and other furnishings by the likes of Finn Juhl, Grete Valk, Ole Wanscher, Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen all gracing its catalogues.
Even as there was a focus on mass production at France & Søn — and the brand doesn’t quite enjoy the same renown as fellow mid-century Danish furniture makers such as Carl Hansen & Søn — Charles France believed in making quality furniture, and the company’s offerings evoke the warmth of the handcrafted work that is typically associated with Scandinavian modernism.
In the 1960s, the company was bought by Danish designer Poul Cadovius, who folded it into the operations at CADO, a company he founded during the 1950s. Surviving examples of early work from the brand as well as modern icons by the likes of Verner Panton that followed in later years continue to be in demand.
Find a collection of France & Søn furniture on 1stDibs.
- Greta Jalk teak and leather loveseats for France and SonBy Grete Jalk, France & SønLocated in Kalamazoo, MILuxurious teak frame and leather cushioned loveseats designed by Greta Jalk with Charles France for his company France and Sons in the 1950s. Gorgeous teak wood frame with elegant ba...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Fredrick Kayser Style LoveseatBy Fredrik A. Kayser, Vatne MøblerLocated in Kalamazoo, MIThis is a sleek and comfortable loveseat that stands on its own as a beautiful piece of mid-century modern furniture. Although not formally attributed, this loveseat is clearly in th...Category
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsMahogany
- Pair of Grete Jalk Danish Teak Side TablesBy Grete JalkLocated in Kalamazoo, MIA pair of teak side tables designed by Grete Jalk and made by P. Jeppesen in Denmark in the 1950s. Beautiful teak tops with sculpted edges that resemble breaking waves and a useful s...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish End Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Kindt Larsen Teak Lounge Chairs 116 for France and SonBy Edvard Kindt-Larsen, France & SønLocated in Kalamazoo, MIThis is a pair of rare and beautiful teak lounge chairs by the Danish design duo of Tove and Edvard Kindt Larsen. These chairs, designed in the 1950s and made in Denmark, are crafted...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsTeak
- Borge Mogensen Oak Sofa for Fredericia StolefabrikBy Børge Mogensen, Fredericia StolefabrikLocated in Kalamazoo, MISuperb four seat solid oak sofa model 2219 from Danish designer Borge Mogensen. Made by Fredericia Stolefabrik in the 1960s, this example has fantastic original wool cushion covers i...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Vintage Sculptural Bamboo Sofa by Rohe Noorwolde, 1960sBy Rohe NoordwoldeLocated in Kalamazoo, MIBeautifully meandering bentwood sofa with great sculptural quality by Rohe Noorwolde of the Netherlands. Expertly crafted and eye catching, this low loveseat...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Sofas
MaterialsBamboo
- Danish Teak 4 Seater Sofa Model 118-4 Grete Jalk France & Son & Daverkosen RetroBy Grete Jalk, France & Søn, France & DaverkosenLocated in Cambridge, GBNew Stock ✅ Mid Century Danish Teak 4 Seater Sofa Mode 118 by Grete Jalk for France & Son or France & Daverkosen Made in Denmark, in the late 1950s to early 1960s, this four seater...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsOther
- Modern Grete Jalk Danish Sofa, France and Son Freshly ReupholsteredBy Grete Jalk, France & SønLocated in Lyon, FRFirst edition for this sofa designed by Grete Jalk for France and Son. Scandinavian sofa Freshly reupholstered. Perfect condition.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Grete Jalk Model-128 Cognac Leather & Teak 3-Seater Sofa for France & SønBy France & Søn, Grete JalkLocated in Los Angeles, CAGrete Jalk Model-128 Cognac Leather & Teak 3-Seater Sofa for France & Søn ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like brin...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Grete Jalk Sofa JH180 Johannes Hansen, Denmark, 1955By Grete Jalk, Johannes HansenLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantBeautiful small Danish sofa or love seat, model JH180 designed by Grete Jalk and manufactured by Johannes Hansen, Denmark 1955. This beautiful shaped...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- 8 Ft. Long Four Seat Sofa by Grete Jalk for France and Sons in Teak, c. 1960sBy Grete Jalk, France & SønLocated in Deland, FLRare and exceptional is this sculptural sofa by Grete Jalk for France & Son. This four-seat sofa features contoured slats that create a spectacular line from the back and side angles...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsTeak
- Handsome Teak Grete Jalk 3 Seater Sofa for France and SonBy Grete JalkLocated in Pemberton, NJA Grete Jalk's sculptural sofa for France & Son, this three-seater features sinuously contoured slats that create spectacular lines from all angles. The flared armrests, base and ori...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery, Teak