MCM Rosewood Executive Desk by Kai Kristiansen
About the Item
- Creator:Kai Kristiansen (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Width: 60 in (152.4 cm)Depth: 30.5 in (77.47 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Vancouver, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: FZ24-346A1stDibs: LU1386241292702
Kai Kristiansen
With a passion for math and engineering, Kai Kristiansen has created high-quality wood furniture for decades. Beginning in the 1950s, his coffee tables, 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.
You May Also Like
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Rosewood
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Vintage 1960s Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Vintage 1960s British Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Vintage 1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood, Teak, Lacquer
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Tables
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
More From This Seller
View AllAntique Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Bone, Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Ormolu
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Desks
Mahogany
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Kingwood
Antique Late 19th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
