It's almost ridiculous how many classic and timeless chairs have come from a Danish designer. Teeny, tiny Denmark. There is a TV show in Denmark now called “Danmark’s Naeste Klassiker“ that works like American competition shows. Five designers compete in six categories (chair, stool, sofa, lamp, etc.) and show off their design skills. After six weeks, one designer is awarded the prize “Next Danish Classic” for one of their creations. Maybe not a solid truth, but time will tell if any of these new additions to the Danish furniture and interiors scene will make it and still be sold fifty or more years from now. The Danes enjoy the show as it follows the designer going from inspiration to final product. Made In Denmark is as important to Danes today as it was in the 1900’s. Let’s see if they welcome the new kids on the block.
I want to share some of the chairs that ARE the Danish Classics and have stood the test of time. If you have one of these, never EVER get rid of it. Or, better yet - talk to me. I'll take it off your hands.
1. The Panton Chair 1959 - by Vernon Panton.
This chair is a genius in design as a single piece of molded plastic into a comfortable, sleek and stackable chair made to last a lifetime. The bold color is a bonus. It went into production by Vitra in 1967 only after Panton and his wife drove around Europe with the prototype in the trunk of their car - looking for a manufacturer. A partnership with Vitra was made and the chair was produced (you can order one from Vitra today). It wasn't love at first site for the Danish public but the Panton Chair has become a classic Denmark holds in high regard. Verner Panton loved bright colors and geometric shapes and patterns and the furniture, lamps and textiles he designed are a living testament to that. His "gesamtkunstwerk" ("total work of art") is legendary. The furniture and complete interiors he designed for Spiegel Publishing House in Hamburg, Germany in 1969 is one example.
2. The Egg Chair 1959 - by Arne Jacobsen
You know this chair. Maybe not the name or the designer, but when you see it - you know it. It came on the scene at the SAS Hotel in Copenhagen in 1960 where Arne Jacobsen was not only the architect of the hotel, but the designer of everything else (and I mean everything) for the project. He designed guest room furniture, tapestries, lamps, faucets, door hardware, tableware, silverware, and on and on. The Egg Chairs adorned the SAS Hotel lobby in 1960 where they definitely made a modern statement. It's no surprise the hotel renovation embraced this and recreated the lobby with the same chairs in updated colors. The chair is ergonomic and eye catching whether it is in a muted or bright color and still being manufactured by Fritz Hansen of Denmark. When you sit in The Egg it feels a bit like a hug. I love it back. Modern and classic.
Kaare Klint is considered to be the Father of Modern Danish Design. He paved the way for clear and logical designs - what Danish design is still known for today. The Faaborg Chair was designed for the Faaborg Museum (an old port town on the island of Funen in Denmark) and although it looks a bit neoclassical, it is simple and unadorned and a clear example of beautiful Danish craftsmanship. Klint helped to establish the Academy of Fine Arts Furniture School in 1924 and his influence can be seen in designers such as Hans J. Wegner, Mogens Koch, Arne Jacobsen and Paul Kaereholm. You can still purchase a new Faaborg Chair today through Carl Hansen & Son.
4. The Wishbone Chair 1950 - by Hans J. Wegner
The Wishbone Chair is mainly used as a dining chair. The bending of the wood to be the backrest and arm rest is clever. The support “V” in the back gives it the Wishbone look. It is a beautiful chair with a woven seat that is a work of art. Today the Wishbone Chair celebrates being manufactured by Carl Hansen & Son for more than 70 years. Carl Hansen & Son brought in designer Ilse Crawford to create a new palette of colors to represent Nordic nature and art. A new color is being produced every month, the last one coming out this December. It takes over 100 steps to make a Wishbone Chair most done by hand.
5. The Bow Chair 1963 - by Grete Jalk
The Bow Chair is a daring work not only by the way it looks, but the way it is constructed. It is a ribbon of plywood shaped to make a very interesting chair. Grete Jalk won the Daily Mail Furniture competition in 1963 and MOMA bought the chair that same year to place in a permanent exhibit where it still sits today. Although the chair was not received with great enthusiasm (it was seen as untraditional to the average Dane) it was sought after for exhibits and by collectors. The chair is an example of Jalk’s experimental and complex design and production ideas. She was an inspiration to future Danish designers. Although only a few hundred Bow Chairs were produced in Grete Jalk’s lifetime, a group of Danish Design organizations helped to reboot manufacturing. Today the Bow Chair is back in market through Lange Production.
6. The Shell Chair 1963 - Hans J. Wegner
The world wasn’t quite ready for the Shell Chair in 1963. Critics loved the very modern look, but consumers weren’t ready to put it in their homes. It took decades for the chair to take off and in 1998 when Carl Hansen & Son reintroduced the chair it was very well received and has been ever since. The Shell Chair was just ahead of its time. Hans J. Wegner believed furniture should be both comfortable and beautiful to look at. The two floating shell pieces are shaped and pressed veneer with a simple and comfortable upholstered cushion supported by three angled legs. It’s another classic for Danish design. It not only sits in the window of some new furniture stores in Copenhagen, but it is also on display as a design icon at the Denmark Design Museum.
This list of classic Danish chairs is by no means comprehensive, but that was enough for one day.
