Jens Risom Furniture
The Danish-born Jens Risom brought the Scandinavian modern design sensibility to a wide audience in the United States. As the first designer for Knoll Inc., Risom introduced American buyers to the region’s enduring design values of simplicity, grace and craftsmanship.
Risom trained in furniture making at the Copenhagen School of Industrial Arts and Design under Ole Wanscher, alongside classmates Hans Wegner and Børge Mogensen. In 1939, a year after graduating from business school, Risom decided to move to the U.S.
While working for an interior designer in New York in 1941, he met Hans Knoll, and the businessman and the designer hit it off. They brought out their first line the next year, despite wartime materials restrictions. The signature piece — now a design icon — was a lounge chair with a striking, undulant birch frame and a seat made of webbed sub-military grade parachute straps. Risom was drafted into the army, and served as a translator under General George Patton. When he returned from the war, Risom clashed over furniture design ideals with his business partner’s new bride, Florence Knoll, the pioneering mid-century modernist who was schooled in the Bauhaus method, which favored furniture with strict, geometric metal frames. Risom then started his own company, Jens Risom Design.
In the course of his long career, Risom developed a stylistic vocabulary that was a reflection of the life of the man himself: his furniture has Danish warmth coupled with an American air of crisp efficiency. Vintage Risom chairs are almost instantly recognizable — the arms and seat backs are set at a distinctive angle that seems to invite people to sit back and relax, yet they know they can hop up in an instant, ready to go.
As you will see on these pages, Jens Risom is one of the great men of American modern design who made furniture that is unique and timeless.
Find a collection of vintage Jens Risom furniture on 1stDibs that includes lounge chairs, desks, coffee tables and more.
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s American Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Steel
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Faux Leather, Walnut
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Birch
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Upholstery, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Cowhide, Walnut
1950s Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Fabric, Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Cotton, Wood
1950s Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Cane, Fabric, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Cane, Fabric, Walnut
1960s American Scandinavian Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Walnut
1940s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Fabric, Cane, Walnut
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Leather, Cane, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Risom Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom Furniture
Cane, Walnut
Jens Risom furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
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- 1stDibs ExpertAugust 2, 2023
There isn’t much of a difference between Nordic and Scandinavian design in that when it comes to furniture and decor, the descriptors “Nordic” and “Scandinavian” are often used interchangeably. The term Scandinavia is primarily used to refer to Denmark, Norway and Sweden. (It is sometimes inclusive of Iceland and Finland, too.) The Nordic region of the world also includes the likes of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden as well as Iceland, Finland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland.
Scandinavian modernism is a warm and organic iteration of modernist design that chiefly originated in Denmark, Sweden and Finland during the 1930s. It was introduced to the United States during the mid-20th century and had a profound influence on American mid-century modern design.
Scandinavian modernists are known for their emphasis on craftsmanship and use of natural materials such as ash, pine and beech. Scandi interiors are minimalist, bright and airy, and feature neutral palettes and classic shapes.
Characteristics of the work of such Scandinavian modernists such as Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl and Greta Magnusson Grossman include bold, clean lines and simple, sturdy symmetries. Finland produced a truly ingenious Scandinavian modern furniture designer in the architect Alvar Aalto, a master at melding function and artistic form in works like the Paimio chair, created in collaboration with his first wife, Aino. Yet Finnish glassware was pre-eminent, crafted in expressive, sculptural designs by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarpaneva.
For design enthusiasts all over the world, the promotion of functionality and simplicity associated with Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design continues to prove irresistible.
- Who is Jens Risom?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Jens Risom was a Danish designer. Many people credit him with bringing the modern style of Scandinavian design to the U.S. He is well-known for his chairs, which feature angled seat backs often upholstered with webbing. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Jens Risom furniture.
- Was Jens Risom Danish?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Yes, Jens Risom was Danish. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 8, 1916, and attended Copenhagen School of Industrial Arts and Design. Following his graduation, Risom moved to the U.S., where he lived for the rest of his life. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Jens Risom furniture.
- Who sells Jens Risom rockers?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Normally, vintage furniture dealers or auction and online platforms specializing in authentic vintage furniture sell Jens Risom rockers. From time to time, rocking chairs produced by the Danish designer may appear at thrift shops and secondhand stores or be available directly from individuals who own them. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Jens Risom chairs.