Our most popular search topics:

Kaare Klint

 The father of modern Danish design

Kaare Klint was an iconic furniture designer, educator and visionary who made his mark on Danish design history

Recognized as the father of modern Danish design, Kaare Klint (1888-1954) designed icons such as the 1914 Faaborg Chair and the 1933 Safari Chair, as well as the design for the reception room of the Danish Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.

 

As the son of architect Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint, Kaare Klint was immersed in architecture from an early age, but made his mark on Danish design history as a furniture designer and educator. In 1924, he helped establish the Department of Furniture Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. As associate professor and later professor, he inspired some of the greatest Danish furniture designers and architects – including Hans J. Wegner, Mogens Koch, Arne Jacobsen and Poul Kjærholm – who would continue shaping the Golden Age of Danish design from the early 1940s. Today, Klint is regarded as a reformer: as one of the first designers to put functionalism and the practical study of architecture and furniture design principles above style, he redefined a period otherwise characterized by style-focused academic teaching.

Klint had an outstanding sense of proportion and space, and created “human furniture” based on studies of the human body. He studied an object’s uses over its form, and renewed Danish furniture design by refining tradition and developing objects perfectly in relation to their primary purpose. Klint was also aware of designs’ relationship to its environment, insisting his pieces never dominate a space, but unite form and function for a greater whole.

 

In all his work, he insisted on clear, logical design, clean lines, the best materials, and superb craftsmanship. Klint earned many accolades, including the Eckersberg Medal in 1928 and the C.F. Hansen Medal in 1954. In 1949, he became an Honorary Royal Designer for Industry in London.

NEWS

Triumph of craftsmanship

As a tribute to the woodworking craft, Carl Hansen & Søn is now relaunching two of Kaare Klint’s absolute masterpieces: the English Chair and the Spherical Bed. These are the most time-consuming and complex furniture pieces to craft in the collection.

Kaare Klint Collection

Explore the collection

Explore the full collection of designs created by Kaare Klint, one of the masters of the Golden Age.

Our designers

  • Ole Wanscher

    Ole Wanscher was integral to the aesthetic and functionality of modern Danish design. Having studied under Kaare Klint, he helped shape Danish furniture design as a designer and as an educator when he took over Klint’s professorship at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

  • Poul Kjærholm

    Poul Kjærholm mixed his strict, modern idiom with superior quality and materials rooted in Danish craftsmanship traditions. Despite his short career as a furniture designer, Kjærholm’s craftsmanship and clear expression resulted in timeless designs with a global influence.

  • Tadao Ando

    Japanese architect Tadao Ando bases his work on a design philosophy that unites Japanese design traditions with modern Western expression. Inspired by Le Corbusier, Ando’s style is minimalistic and innovative, with a focus on functionality.

  • Rikke Frost

    Danish designer Rikke Frost has always been curious about the combination of different craft traditions and types of material, a fact clearly reflected in her design portfolio where traditional and contemporary design is expressed in sofas, tables, chairs and lamps with an organic idiom.

  • Fabricius & Kastholm

    The design duo specialised in furniture design and single-family houses, and their designs were characterised by minimalism, sophistication, functionality, quality and their eye for detail.

  • Frits Henningsen

    Frits Henningsen was an uncompromising designer known for his perfectionism and vibrant personality. He gave new expression to traditional designs and viewed quality craftsmanship as essential. Unlike most cabinetmakers, he always designed his own furniture pieces.

  • Strand & Hvass

    The Strand + Hvass duo is part of a new breed of Danish designers whose work continues in a direct line from their celebrated predecessors. With the Extend Table design, they infused the modern Danish furniture tradition with a bold new expression.

  • EOOS

    Austrian collaborative, EOOS, were established in 1995 by Martin Bergmann, Gernot Bohmann, and Harald Gründl. The trio study historical roots in a contemporary context and focus on myths, rituals and intuitive expressions, to create original connections.

  • Thomas Bo Kastholm

    Thomas Bo Kastholm creates designs that unite diverse materials into compelling compositions with clear purpose. The TK8 Daybed, with its close ties to the core principles of classic, modern Danish design, exemplifies Kastholm’s ideals.

  • Morten Gøttler

    Born in Copenhagen, and originally trained in shipping, Morten Gøttler became a self-taught designer and architect recognized for his exceptional understanding of wood and strong belief that innovation is the foundation for successful design.

  • Mogens Lassen

    Architect Mogens Lassen created works rooted in cubist architectural ideals inspired by Le Corbusier. Considered a pioneer of functionalism in Denmark, Lassen’s designs showcased his ability to express ideas through diverse materials.

  • Anker Bak

    With an unconventional background and personal design approach, Anker Bak pushes conceptual and physical boundaries via quality materials, sublime craftsmanship and functionality. His designs make a difference in people’s lives and meet real needs.

  • Arne Jacobsen

    One of Denmark's best-known and most respected architects, Arne Jacobsen has become synonymous with modernism throughout the world. His precise yet expressive aesthetic continues to serve as a source of inspiration for contemporary designers.

  • Børge Mogensen

    Børge Mogensen’s creative process produced long-lasting pieces with humans at the center. He worked primarily with wood and pioneered democratic design, becoming a highly-influential, post-war representative of Danish Modern.

  • Bodil Kjær

    Danish professor and architect Bodil Kjær has significantly contributed to the spread of Danish Modern design principles through her travels, knowledge gathering and promotion of the relationship between design and architecture.

  • Bonderup & Thorup

    After graduating from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Architecture in Copenhagen in 1969, Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup began a collaboration that led them to join forces on design projects across the globe for more than 20 years.

  • Mads Odgård

    The dream of becoming a designer has lived in Mads Odgård for as long as he can remember, so when the time came, he left his birthplace, the Danish town of Kjellerup, and moved to Copenhagen to work in the creative business.

  • Nanna Ditzel

    Her desire to explore spaces and experiment with techniques on the edge of what is possible led Nanna Ditzel – one of Danish design’s most distinctive personalities – to become acquainted with the entire design universe.

Danish designAuthentic experienceUp to five-year warranty*

When you choose a product from Carl Hansen & Søn, you get more than just a piece of furniture. You will become part of a long and proud tradition of beautiful and distinctive craftsmanship where nothing is left to chance. We are the world’s largest manufacturer of furniture designed by Hans J. Wegner, and we also produce furniture created by renowned furniture designers such as Arne Jacobsen, Børge Mogensen, Ole Wanscher, Kaare Klint, Poul Kjærholm, Bodil Kjær and Tadao Ando. Carl Hansen & Søn represents more than 100 years of Danish design history, and our furniture is sold worldwide.

 

* Five-year warranty on indoor furniture. Two-year warranty on outdoor furniture

Do you need help?

Sign up for our newsletter and stay updated!


Customer Service

Contact us

Terms & conditions

Delivery

Returns

Warranty

Privacy policy

Cookies

Competitions

Careers

Contact

+45 66 12 14 04

info@carlhansen.dk

Hylkedamvej 77

DK-5591 Gelsted, Denmark