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Unique Pair of Rosewood Consoles by Arch. Kai Kristiansen, Denmark 1950s, Rare

About the Item

This is a pair of floating consoles/ nightstands. The model is extremely rare and rarely offered in rosewood. Made of the finest veneer. The drawer is made of massive rosewood and the joinery on the sides offer a nice pattern. Perfect as nightstands or consoles for sculptures. Completely refinished. Ready to use. Easy to fix, only two holes and two screws needed. Two pair available. Kai Kristiansen was born in Denmark in 1929 and is a key designer of the 20th century. He studied as a carpenter as an apprentice. In 1948 he enrolled in the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen under the guidance of designer Kaare Klint. At the age of only 26, Kristiansen opened her own studio and started making furniture in what would soon become known as modern Danish style. His designs are produced by well-known Danish companies, such as Feldballes Møbelfabrik, Fornem Møbelkunst, Fritz Hansen, Vildbjerg Møbelfabrik and Magnus Olesen. In the purest modernist style, Kristiansen prefers teak and rosewood in the creation of his works, whether they are chairs, sideboards, desks or bookcases. In 1956 he designed his most famous and celebrated product, the No. 42 Chair for Schou Andersen. The back so elegantly curved and the armrests beautifully turned create a timeless chair, at the same time beautiful and comfortable. The No. 42 chair is also received very well by critics, and its continued success will confirm it as one of the most loved pieces of Danish design of the twentieth century. Kristiansen's collaboration with Magnus Olesen will lead to the creation of the refined and sculptural No. 121 Lounge Chair, and its modular system of shelves FM Reolsystem Wall Unit (1957) for Feldballe Møbelfabrik met not least with success, not only in the Scandinavian countries but also in the rest of Europe and in the United States. Thanks to the FM system, Kristiansen has achieved great fame in the Scandinavian countries and North America. The 42 chair is renowned not only for its beautiful curves but also for its comfort.

Creator:

Aksel Kjersgaard (Cabinetmaker),Kai Kristiansen (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 6.11 in (15.5 cm)Width: 35.04 in (89 cm)Depth: 9.85 in (25 cm)

Sold As:

Set of 2

Style:

Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Fruitwood,Hand-Crafted

Place of Origin:

Denmark

Period:

1950-1959

Date of Manufacture:

1950s

Condition:

Refinished. completely restored. Very good condition. Some light traces of use may be seen under the new finish.

Seller Location:

Forest, BE

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU8186238219422

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Shop All Kai Kristiansen

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.