Midcentury Kontur Set of 2 Chairs by Alf Svensson for Dux Sweden 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Alf Svensson (Designer),Dux of Sweden (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.29 in (82 cm)Width: 23.63 in (60 cm)Depth: 23.63 in (60 cm)Seat Height: 18.51 in (47 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1958
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor structural damages. Re-Upholstery was done 20 years ago and actually there are some small holes and fading in the garment ,especially in the front of the seating areas.
- Seller Location:Halle, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2998336708152
Alf Svensson
Swedish architect and furniture designer Alf Svensson worked with a range of organic materials that are today commonly associated with Scandinavian modernism, utilizing rosewood, oak and teak in his cabinets, chairs, tables and other furniture, and opting for leather when it came to creating upholstery for his sleek seating. He worked for several manufacturers including String Seffle AB, Bergbom & Co., Nybrofabriken and Nesto but is best known to collectors for the designs he created for DUX.
As creative director at Bergboms, Svensson worked with brass and opaline glass to create a range of lighting. He designed sculptural tripod-style floor lamps with bodies of steam-bent solid teak — a popular material with furniture makers of the mid-20th century — while his hanging ceiling lights featured lacquered metal shades that bring pops of color into living rooms and entryways.
Svensson’s role at the lighting manufacturer, which was founded in 1940 by Efraim Ljung — also the founder of Ljungs Industrier — saw him collaborating with the likes of legendary designers such as Greta Magnusson Grossman and Edward Wormley, a favorite of mid-century modern furniture collectors and the longtime director of design for the Dunbar furniture company.
Svensson also served as the creative director at Ljungs Industrier. In Sweden, Studio Ljungs Industrier AB is the large family-owned parent company of Duxiana (in America, DUX). In 1950, Folke Ohlsson, then leading Ljungs Industrier’s design team, decamped to the States to explore how he could expand DUX’s business, which at that point included a wide range of furniture. It was during this time, in the postwar era, that American tastemakers really sold the citizenry on the warmth and good craftsmanship that characterizes Scandinavian modern design.
Ohlsson established a DUX office not long after he arrived in California, first in San Francisco and later in Burlingame. Svensson, a chief designer in the Malmö, Sweden, office of Ljungs Industrier, was among the top-tier furniture design talent with which DUX collaborated (a list that included Wormley and Bruno Mathsson). Svensson’s Galaxy chair, a comfortable upholstered swivel seat attributed to a partnership between the designer and Yngvar Sandström that exudes Space Age charm, is highly sought after, and Svensson's relationship with DUX yielded similarly attractive sideboards, lounge chairs and other furnishings that are some of his most celebrated works.
Find vintage Alf Svensson furniture on 1stDibs.
Dux of Sweden
Today, Swedish manufacturer DUX’s most popular furniture lines — as well as the furnishings created by its first president, Folke Ohlsson — are synonymous with the work that vintage mid-century modern design obsessives love. Also important, the brand is known for some of the most commonplace means of furniture shipping and production in the modern era.
In Sweden, Studio Ljungs Industrier AB is the large family-owned parent company of Duxiana (in America, DUX). Initially a purveyor of bedding that is today celebrated for its ergonomically guided designs, Ljungs Industrier was founded by entrepreneur (and chocolate maker) Efraim Ljung in 1926. In 1950, Folke Ohlsson, then leading Ljungs Industrier’s design team, decamped to the States to explore how he could expand DUX’s business, which at that point included a wide range of furniture. Ohlsson established a DUX office not long after he arrived in California, first in San Francisco and later in Burlingame.
On the West Coast, the booming postwar American market was eager to embrace DUX’s affordable and practical bedroom furnishings, tables, armchairs and other seating. Characterized by sleek walnut and teak frames and low-slung silhouettes, the brand’s designs were emblematic of a generation of Scandinavian modernism that had gained popularity owing to visionaries such as product designer and architect Greta Magnusson-Grossman, who arrived in California from Sweden a decade prior to Ohlsson, and Finn Juhl, who created a Danish modern line for Michigan’s Baker Furniture Company in 1951.
DUX frequently collaborated with top-tier furniture design talent — among them Bruno Mathsson, Edward Wormley and Alf Svensson, a chief designer in the Malmö, Sweden, office of Ljungs Industrier — expanding the brand’s portfolio and establishing credibility as a design source. Ohlsson’s own designs, such as his comfortable leather lounges and wool-upholstered reclining rocking chairs, continue to be among the brand’s most desirable — and most imitated — however.
In 1949, DUX put into practice an idea that Ohlsson patented for the so-called “knock-down,” or “KD,” chair, a term referencing easy, flat-pack assembly. It saved DUX space in warehouses and money on transportation and was a concept that would provide inspiration to hundreds of subsequent companies — most notably fellow Swedish brand IKEA.
Today, vintage DUX sofas and dining chairs are valuable collector’s items. Find this coveted seating and other authentic DUX furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Osnabrück, Germany
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Midcentury Kontur Sofa Bench by Alf Svensson for Dux Sweden 1950sBy Dux of Sweden, Alf SvenssonLocated in Halle, DEA really Ultra-Rare Kontur Sofa or Sofa - Bench by Alf Svensson for Dux of Sweden ,1950s. Very comfortable and ergonomic this Sofa is elegant and small enough to fit in many Room Si...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery, Beech
- Pair of 1950s Midcentury WK Arm-Chairs with Runners for Deutsche WerkstättenBy Möbel Deutsche WerkstättenLocated in Halle, DEA very rare pair of midcentury WK arm-chairs with runners in solid Ash. Designed in early 1950s for Deutsche Werkstätten these armchairs have an extraordinary shape with runners made for better stability and comfortable sliding over carpets for example. The upholstery fabric and leather of the armrests are in original but good vintage condition. Attributed to Arno Lambrecht...Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Ash, Leather
- Pair of midcentury Armchairs, Convertible 1960s Lounge-Chairs of Solid BeechLocated in Halle, DEA pair of convertible modern midcentury chairs from Germany. Made of solid beech and upholstered with the original wool garment. A nice example of German Craftsmanship of the 1960s...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWool, Beech
- Midcentury Vintage Iron Garden Chairs, 1950sBy Mathieu MatégotLocated in Halle, DETwo vintage midcentury garden chairs from the 1950s. Designer and Manufacturer unknown. Executed in Metal / Iron, in style of Mathieu Mategot. Charming strong patination, rust and we...Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsIron
- 2 Postmodern Ikea Sälen Chairs by K.&M. Hagberg , Sweden 1982By IKEA, K and M HagbergLocated in Halle, DEA Pair of Postmodern Ikea Chairs , model : SÄLEN ,designed by K.&M. Hagberg , Sweden 1982. Made of Pine Wood and Steel with the rare and often missin...Category
Vintage 1980s Swedish Post-Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Kai Kristiansen Paper Knive Chairs by Magnus Olesen in Teak, DenmarkBy Magnus Olesen, Kai KristiansenLocated in Halle, DEPair of Danish armchairs, designed 1955 by Kai Kristiansen for Magnus Olesen. Model Nr. 121. So called „Paper Knive Chairs“. Executed in Teakwood with original green fabrics. Both ch...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsTeak
- Set of 2 1950s Danish armchairs by Alf Svensson for Dux, teak and goat hairBy Dux of Sweden, Alf SvenssonLocated in Milan, ITSet of 2 1950s Danish armchairs by Alf Svensson for Dux, teak and goat hair Danish armchairs created by the designer Alf Svensson and produced by Dux of Sweden in the 1950s. The str...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsGoat Hair, Wood
- Swedish TeVe chair by Alf Svensson for Ljungs Industrier, Dux, 1950sBy Ljungs Industrier Sweden, Alf Svensson, Dux of SwedenLocated in Forserum, SEA TeVe lounge chair, designed by the Swedish architect Alf Svensson in 1953 for the manufacturer Ljungs Industrier (Dux). Crafted from solid beech with brass details and featuring or...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Dux Lounge Chair by Alf Svensson, Sweden, circa 1950By Dux of Sweden, Alf SvenssonLocated in Pijnacker, Zuid-HollandMinimalistic Scandinavian lounge chair. Clean and simple Swedish design. The cushions have been reupholstered with the new Chivasso fabric from the 2020 collection. This chair has ...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of lounge chairs by Alf Svensson for Dux, SwedenBy Dux of Sweden, Alf SvenssonLocated in Genarp, SEPair of lounge chairs by de Swedish designer Alf Svensson for Dux. The chairs are reupholstered with bouclé fabric and has been restored with new padding. The Chairs are very comfo...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBouclé, Wood
- Black metal lounge chair by Alf Svensson for DUX, Sweden, 1960'sBy Alf Svensson, Dux of SwedenLocated in Steenwijk, NLThis lounge chair was designed by Alf Svensson for DUX in Sweden in the late 1950's or early 1960's. These metal versions were sold by Artifort in the Netherlands. This is why they a...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Alf Svensson “Domus” for Dux Lounge ChairsBy Alf Svensson, Dux of SwedenLocated in Philadelphia, PAAlf Svensson "Domus" for Dux pair of Beech Lounge Chairs. Zen-Like Feel this low riders have a great look! They sit very comfortably low. Newly upholstered...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Beech