France Son Klingenberg
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Teak
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Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Leather, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Stools
Leather, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Leather, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Wool, Teak
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Sets
Fabric, Foam, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Chairs
Teak, PVC
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France Son Klingenberg For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a France Son Klingenberg?
France Søn for sale on 1stDibs
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.
Finding the Right Seating for You
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.




