Mid-Century Poul Kjaerholm Armchair "PK-31", circa 1950, Denmark
About the Item
- Creator:E. Kold Christensen (Manufacturer),Poul Kjærholm (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 29.53 in (75.01 cm)Width: 29.93 in (76.03 cm)Depth: 29.14 in (74.02 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40.01 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very Good Vintage Condition.
- Seller Location:Girona, ES
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU952639276572
Poul Kjærholm
A trained cabinetmaker, Poul Kjærholm’s use of industrial methods and materials in the 1960s brought a fresh, graceful, sleek new style to Danish modern design.
At what is now the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Kjærholm studied under Hans Wegner and Jørn Utzon — an industrial designer and the architect of the celebrated Sydney Opera House. The latter greatly influenced Kjærholm’s furniture production techniques — although he employed natural materials such as cane and leather, to a far greater extent than his peers Kjærholm embraced the use of steel (rather than wood) framing for his chairs, daybeds and tables.
Kjærholm’s signal design was the PK22 chair of 1956, a low-slung leather lounger on a steel base. The ideas introduced in the PK22 — Kjærholm’s designs were named using a numeric system devised with his manufacturer, E. Kold Christensen — were refined throughout his career, as the offerings below show: the PK11 chair of 1957, with back and armrests formed by a semicircle of ash; the capacious, richly patinated leather seat of a vintage 1961 PK9 chair; the elegant rattan swoop of the PK 24 chaise longue (1965). The chaise longue's leather headrest, held in place by a steel counterweight, best shows Kjærholm's particular gift for combining technological advancements with a respect for traditional detailing.
While respectful of the past, Poul Kjærholm's sensibility is one of optimism and expectation. His was design for those who lived with verve and élan, and confidently anticipated the future.
Find a collection of vintage Poul Kjærholm furniture on 1stDibs.
E. Kold Christensen
Founded in Hellerup, Denmark, by entrepreneur Ejvind Kold Christensen, furniture manufacturer E. Kold Christensen was instrumental in advancing the career of Poul Kjærholm, a revered Danish cabinetmaker who brought a graceful and sleek new style to Scandinavian design.
Christensen and Kjærholm formed not only a close friendship but also a fruitful business partnership that endured for decades. The company produced most of Kjærholm’s acclaimed armchairs, stools and lounge chairs — which were often framed in brushed steel and upholstered in leather — until Kjærholm’s death in 1980.
Christensen began his career as a sales manager for the furniture manufacturer Carl Hansen & Søn. In the late 1940s, Christensen introduced the young Hans Wegner to Carl’s son, Holger Hansen — who was by then running his family’s legendary company — after recognizing the potential of this new designer. Wegner, Hansen and Christensen solidified their partnership by forming SALESCO — a marketing company with the sole purpose of promoting Wegner’s now universally celebrated body of work.
In the mid-1950s, Christensen partnered with promising designer Kjærholm — their pairing was the result of Wegner recommending that Christensen help develop Kjærholm (Wegner had been a teacher of Kjærholm’s at what is now the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts). Christensen established his eponymous company with the singular goal of manufacturing his friend’s works.
E. Kold Christensen’s founder offered Kjærholm the room he needed to explore the structural potential of steel in furniture-making — he created forward-looking seating, tables and other pieces that reflected the influence of modernist designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich rather than the output of his Scandinavian peers, who worked primarily with wood. (Kjærholm would later experiment with wood during the 1970s.)
The refined PK22 chair, a lounger made of steel with a seat of leather or canvas has over time been compared to Mies and Reich’s Barcelona chair and is a fine example of Kjærholm’s mid-century innovations for E. Kold Christensen. It was an instant commercial success — launching both the designer's and manufacturer's careers. Later, Kjærholm’s iconic PK24 chair merged stainless steel, leather and a sinuous seat of woven wicker, while his PK61 coffee table offered a fanciful, off-center support structure for its glass top. By 1960, Kjærholm had twice been awarded the Grand Prize at the Milan Triennale.
In the 1980s, E. Kold Christensen sold the production rights to a range of Kjærholm’s work to Fritz Hansen, where the designer had incidentally worked for a short time in the early 1950s (the company now has rights to the complete collection) . Many of Kjærholm’s works are part of collections at the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, while museums in Norway, Denmark, Germany and Sweden also have his works — each produced by E. Kold Christensen — in their permanent collections.
On 1stDibs, find vintage E. Kold Christensen chairs, tables, lighting and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Girona, Spain
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Pair of Mid-Century Hans Bellmann Armchairs "G.A Model", circa 1950, SwitzerlandBy Hans BellmannLocated in Girona, SpainPair of Mid-Century Hans Bellmann Armchairs "G.A Model". Made with iron and teak. Very decorative. Circa 1950, Switzerland. Hans Bellmann (1911–1990) was a Swiss furniture designer p...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsIron
- Pair of Mid-Century Marzio Cecchi Armchairs, circa 1968, ItalyBy Marzio CecchiLocated in Girona, SpainDESCRIPTION: Pair of Marzio Cecchi armchairs, made in 1968 in Italy. Original leather in vintage condition. The seat has a stylish design, which consists of cylindrical shaped cushio...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Tito Agnoli Armchairs and Side Table , circa 1950, ItaliyBy Tito AgnoliLocated in Girona, SpainDESCRIPTION: Pair of Armchairs and Side Table by Tito Agnoli, circa 1950, Italy. Very decorative pieces made with rattan and metal. CONDITION: Very good vintage condition. Wear cons...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsRattan
- Pair of Armchairs, circa 1920, EnglandLocated in Girona, SpainPair of Armchairs, Very decorative. Made with Oak and rope Circa 1920, England. Very good vintage condition.Category
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsRope, Oak
- Pair of Armchairs, circa 1960, ItalyLocated in Girona, SpainPair of Armchairs. Made with ash and with white upholster. Very decorative. Solid structure. Circa 1960, Italy. Very good vintage condition. Mid-Century Modern (MCM) is a design movement in interior, product, graphic design, architecture, and urban development that was popular from roughly 1945 to 1969, during the post–World War II period. The term was used descriptively as early as the mid-1950s and was defined as a design movement by Cara Greenberg in her 1984 book...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsAsh
- Pair of Armchairs, circa 2000, FranceLocated in Girona, SpainPair of contemporary armchairs Made with "Esparto" (Spanish Straw) Solid and Stylish circa 2000, France Very good condition.Category
Early 2000s French Modern Armchairs
MaterialsStraw
- Vintage "PK 11" Armchair by Poul Kjærholm, E. Kold Christensen, Denmark, 1950sBy E. Kold Christensen, Poul KjærholmLocated in Stockholm, SECool “PK 11” armchair by Poul Kjærholm, designed in 1957, executed by original producer E. Kold Christensen. Carried out in ash and br...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Poul Kjaerholm "Pk 11" Armchair for E. Kold 1957By Poul Kjærholm, E. Kold ChristensenLocated in Skokie, ILPoul Kjaerholm "PK 11" Armchair Produced by E. Kold Christensen, Denmark circa 1957 Additional Information: Materials: Taminated ash wood, matte chrome-plated steel, leather, plasti...Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Poul Kjaerholm PK31 Easy Chair for E. Kold ChristensenBy E. Kold Christensen, Poul KjærholmLocated in Copenhagen, DKPoul Kjaerholm PK31 easy chair. Dull chromium-plated steel, black colored oxhide, loose down cushions. Executed by E. Kold Christensen, Denmark.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- PK 13 "Free Swinger" Cantilevered Armchair by Poul Kjaerholm, circa 1974By Poul Kjærholm, E. Kold ChristensenLocated in New York, NYPK 13 "Free Swinger" cantilevered armchair with chrome-plated spring steel frame and natural brown leather cushion. Designed by Poul Kjaerholm for E. Kold Chris...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Poul Kjærholm PK-31/4 Sofa by E. Kold Christensen, Denmark, 1950'sBy E. Kold Christensen, Poul KjærholmLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLVery rare and exceptional 4 seat PK31 sofa. This stunning sofa is designed by Poul Kjærholm for E. Kold Christensen, Denmark 1950's. Beautiful and high quality original black lea...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
- Danish Design Sofa PK 31/3 Poul Kjærholm E. Kold Christensen Denmark KjaerholmBy E. Kold Christensen, Poul KjærholmLocated in Oldenburg, NIBeautiful, black sofa designed by Poul Kjærholm for E. Kold Christensen in Denmark, 1958. The model is named “PK 31/3”, corresponding to the 3-seater sofa. The sofa has a beautiful p...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsStainless Steel