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Mid-century Teak Writing Desk Designed by Kai Kristiansen

About the Item

Mid-century teak desk designed by Kai Kristiansen, circa 1959, in Denmark. The desk is crafted of teak, with a curved top surface, a series of three drawers with carved pulls, a right-side cabinet with a shelf, and a book shelf on the back side of the desk. It is raised on round tapered oak legs. The desk has been professionally restored and is in excellent condition with minor signs of age-appropriate use." Measurements W 51,75’’ x D 24.5’’ x H 28,75’’

Creator:

Kai Kristiansen (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 28.75 in (73.03 cm)Width: 51.75 in (131.45 cm)Depth: 24.5 in (62.23 cm)

Style:

Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Teak,Oiled

Place of Origin:

Denmark

Period:

Mid-20th Century

Date of Manufacture:

1959

Condition:

Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. The desk has been professionally restored and in excellent condition with minor signs of age-appropriate use.

Seller Location:

Oakland, CA

Reference Number:

Seller: CH_000012991stDibs: LU950238431632

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Shop All Kai Kristiansen

Kai Kristiansen

With a passion for math and engineering, Kai Kristiansen has created high-quality wood furniture for decades. Beginning in the 1950s, his chairs, modular shelving and other furnishings were made in the style that would become internationally renowned as Danish modern and boasted clean lines, perfected functionality and exacting craftsmanship.

Born in Denmark, Kristiansen trained in cabinetmaking before studying with Kaare Klint, often cited as the “father of modern Danish design,” at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. At just 26 years old, Kristiansen opened his own studio.

Kristiansen had his mid-century breakthrough in 1956 with the Chair #42, which he made with Schou Andersen. Unlike most other chairs at the time, Chair #42’s armrests, with their wealth of radical angles, were connected to the back rather than the front legs. This unconventional flourish makes the backrest appear as though it is floating in midair above the seat.

Kristiansen’s next innovation was a modular wall system in 1957 — three years ahead of Dieter Rams’s more famous 606 Universal Shelving System. Called the Reolsystem Wall Unit, produced by SB Feldballes Møbelfabrik, it’s also known as the FM Wall Unit as FM/Fornem Møbelkunst began producing it in the 1960s.

Kristiansen would go on to work with other leading Danish furniture manufacturers such as Magnus Olesen, Fritz Hansen and Vildbjerg Møbelfabrik, designing everything from chairs and desks to sideboards and cabinets, frequently in rosewood and teak. (The latter was a sought-after wood by Scandinavian modern designers.)

While many of Kristiansen’s timeless designs remain in production, such as his Paper Knife sofa, which was reintroduced by Miyazaki Chair Factory in 2008, and his 1950s Entré collection, which was relaunched with Great Dane Furniture in 2016, others are prized as vintage mid-century pieces.

Today, Kristiansen is still at work on new furniture with an expert eye to thoughtfully functional designs that are made to last.

Find a collection of vintage Kai Kristiansen furniture on 1stDibs.