Dieter Rams 620 Sofa
View Similar Items
Dieter Rams 620 Sofa
About the Item
- Creator:Niels Vitsoe (Manufacturer),Dieter Rams (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 33.86 in (86 cm)Width: 60.63 in (154 cm)Depth: 29.53 in (75 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1980s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Epperstone, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU104183527182
Dieter Rams
German industrial designer Dieter Rams is revered for the pared-down, intuitive electronics and consumer goods he created for Braun — where he worked from 1955 to 1997, most of that time as chief design officer — and his timeless furniture for Vitsœ, a company with which he continues to collaborate today.
Less well known are Rams’s longstanding focus on sustainability and uneasy relationship with contemporary technology, even as Silicon Valley designers like Apple’s Jonathan Ive follow in his rational footsteps.
During Germany’s postwar rebuilding period, Rams and his team of designers at Braun, inspired by the Bauhaus and the Ulm School of Design, focused on extreme simplicity and usability while conceiving products with a modern, forward-looking appearance.
Among Rams’s most iconic designs is the SK 4 phonograph and radio, created in 1956, which had a compact white metal case topped by a revolutionary-at-the-time transparent Plexiglas lid that revealed simple gray controls inside (it was nicknamed Snow White’s Coffin). But it is the T3 portable radio, from 1958, that gets design aficionados most excited today: A white rectangular box with a perforated square for the speaker and a circular-dial control, it bears an unmistakable resemblance to Apple’s original iPod. (Many people also note that the iPhone’s calculator app looks remarkably similar to the Braun ET 66 calculator, with its circular color-coded buttons.)
In the late 1970s, Rams laid out his widely studied 10 principles for good design: It is innovative, makes a product useful, is aesthetic, makes a product understandable, is unobtrusive, is honest, is long lasting, is thorough down to the last detail, is environmentally friendly and is as little design as possible.
One of Rams’s principles that hasn’t translated to our contemporary era is his emphasis on longevity. “The time of thoughtless design and thoughtless consumption is over,” he said in 1976, stressing the need to conserve natural resources — even as he was busy designing plastic products.
Rams has also expressed reservations about how electronics have evolved in recent decades from tools for improving life to time-sucking obsessions. “Every time he crosses a street and sees people glued to their phones, he just can’t conceive of how we got to this point,” says filmmaker Gary Hustwit, whose feature-length documentary on Rams debuted in 2018. “I think he’s a little bit saddened by all this work they did in the fifties and sixties, which had a very idealistic point of view, being a stepping stone to where we are now, and the current lust for technology.”
If digital devices sometimes seem to be making life more complicated, Rams’s precept remains the same as always: “Back to purity, back to simplicity.”
Find vintage Dieter Rams furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1940's Ludvig Pontoppidan SofaBy Ludvig PontoppidanLocated in Epperstone, NottinghamshireWonderful sofa by Ludvig Pontoppidan, 1940’s Denmark. Refurbished and reupholstered in a beautiful linen fabric by Zinc. Ultra elegant and comfortable. A great sofa.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsLinen, Wood
$11,529 - Børge Mogensen 2214 SofaBy Børge Mogensen, FredericiaLocated in Epperstone, NottinghamshireUltra elegant sofa model 2214 designed by Børge Mogensen for Fredericia, Denmark, 1946. This example with beautifully patinated original black leather, oak legs and original accompanying pillows. Outstanding quality and super comfortable sofa.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
$5,124 - Borge Mogensen 2208 SofaBy Børge Mogensen, Fredericia StolefabrikLocated in Epperstone, NottinghamshireSuperb Borge Mogensen Sofa Model 2208 for Fredericia, Denmark 1963. Fantastic example of this ultra elegant sofa, fully reconditioned and reupholstered in a stonewashed linen by Kirkby Design. A true Danish...Category
Mid-20th Century European Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsTeak
$6,149 - Primitive Irish Hedge ChairLocated in Epperstone, NottinghamshireBeautiful primitive 19th Century Irish Hedge Chair in ash. Wonderful piece with great patina and overall presence. Perfectly usable too.Category
Antique Late 19th Century Irish Primitive Chairs
MaterialsAsh
- Borge Mogensen Shell ChairBy Erhard Rasmussen, Børge MogensenLocated in Epperstone, NottinghamshireUltra rare shell chair in solid beech and sculptural teak plywood designed by Borge Mogensen for cabinet maker Erhard Rasmussen, 1949 Denmark. Wonderful and seldom available classic ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Teak
$12,298 - Hans Wegner White Round ChairsBy Hans J. Wegner, PP MøblerLocated in Epperstone, NottinghamshireAmazing pair of Hans Wegner Round Chairs PP 501 in ‘Special Request’ white pigment lacquer finish. These chairs were ordered from PP Mobler in 2015 with ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsCane
$12,810 / set
- 1st Gen Dieter Rams RZ620 Sofa for Vitsoe 1962By Dieter Rams, VitsoeLocated in Aachen, NWThis timeless iconic sofa was made in the early 60s by Vitsoe and designed by Dieter Rams. The sofa comes from the iconic RZ620 series and is a first generation example. The sofa i...Category
Vintage 1960s German Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Dieter Rams Cognac Leather Model 620 3-Seater Sofa for Vitsoe, 1980sBy Dieter Rams, VitsoeLocated in ABCOUDE, UTIconic sofa by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe. The black outer shell is made from a hot-pressed sheet-moulding compound, which is similar to, but stronger than fiberglass. Originally upholst...Category
Vintage 1970s Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Fiberglass
- 60s 70s Dieter Rams for Vitsoe Armchair Program 620 Design Couch FabricBy Vitsoe, Dieter RamsLocated in Neuenkirchen, NI60s 70s Dieter Rams for Vitsoe armchair program 620 design couch fabric Object: 2-seater sofa Manufacturer: Vitsoe Condition: good - vintage Age: around 1960-1970 Dime...Category
Vintage 1970s European Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Plastic
- 1980s Vintage Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 620 Red Leather and Black Two Seat SetteeBy Vitsoe, Dieter RamsLocated in Philadelphia, PAListed for sale is a rare Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 620 two-seater loveseat with gorgeous red leather upholstery and black casing. This is a favorite of ours, ...Category
Vintage 1980s German Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- 60s 70s Dieter Rams for Vitsoe Armchair Program 620 Design Couch Fabric ObjectBy Vitsoe, Dieter RamsLocated in Neuenkirchen, NI60s 70s Dieter Rams for Vitsoe armchair program 620 design couch fabric Object: 2-seater sofa Manufacturer: Vitsoe Condition: good - vintage Age: around 1960-1970 Dime...Category
Vintage 1970s European Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Plastic
- Lounge sofa by Dieter Rams for Wolfgang Feierbach Vitsoe RZ62, Germany 1962By Dieter RamsLocated in Zandhoven, BEAmazing lounge sofa designed by Dieter Rams upholstered with cowhides. This sofa is in excellent condition.Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsCowhide, Polyester