Fully Restored Customizable Kai Kristiansen Teak Paper Knife Lounge Chair

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Fully restored Kai Kristiansen teak paper knife lounge chair custom repholstery

Model 121 known as the paper knife due to the shape of the armrest was designed by Kai Kristiansen in 1956 for Magnus Olsen and has become one of Kai Kristiansens most well-known chairs.

The model 121 chair has a light, elegant and timeless design with its curved armrests and oblique angles and lines.

This chair in teak has been fully restored by our most experienced cabinetmaker – all joints checked and reglued if signs of them getting loose, frame sanded 2 – 3 times by hand and vaxed 2 – 3 times to bring back the life and glow in the wood. The listing price include reupholstery of the cushions including fabric of buyers choice from a wide list of Kvadrat and Romo fabrics.

Shipping quote is for shipping of the chair as disassembled as the chair is easy to reassemble with the help from a screwdriver – feel free to ask for a quote if you wish for the chair to be shipped assembled.Creator: Kai Kristiansen (Designer),Magnus Olesen (Manufacturer)Design: Paper Knife ChairPaper Knife SeriesDimensions: Height: 29.14 in (74 cm)Width: 25.01 in (63.5 cm)Depth: 29.93 in (76 cm)Seat Height: 15.56 in (39.5 cm)Style: Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)Materials and Techniques: TeakPlace of Origin: DenmarkPeriod: 1960-1969Date of Manufacture: 1960sCondition: ExcellentRefinished. Reupholstered. Repaired: Loungechair has been fully restored and refinished and will be reupholstered in fabric of choice prior to shipping. Wear consistent with age and use.Seller Location: Knebel, DKReference Number: Seller: https://aleph-01.kb.dk/F/6CXD2F49UQP8NAH6NQE727LG4IKUQTKI9PANUQ91stDibs: LU2713340462162Shop 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 coffee tables, 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 #42s 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.

Kristiansens next innovation was a modular wall system in 1957 three years ahead of Dieter Ramss more famous 606 Universal Shelving System. Called the Reolsystem Wall Unit, produced by SB Feldballes Mbelfabrik, its also known as the FM Wall Unit as FM/Fornem Mbelkunst 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 Mbelfabrik, 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 Kristiansens timeless designs remain in production, such as his Paper Knife sofa, which was reintroduced by Miyazaki Chair Factory in 2008, and his 1950s Entr 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.

Shop All Magnus Olesen

Magnus Olesen

For the better part of the past century, Magnus Olesen has been producing sturdy and functional furnishings for the modern lifestyle. With a focus on durability and exceptional quality, the Danish manufacturer continues to uphold the traditions associated with Scandinavian modernism its artisans adhere to standards of the highest caliber in the construction of its widely revered armchairs, lounge chairs, stools and other pieces, which are crafted in a range of rich woods such as ash, oak and teak with a prioritization on practicality and ergonomics.

Cabinetmaker Magnus Olesen founded his eponymous company in 1937 in Denmark, and since then the brand has been producing functional, elegant furniture for interiors all over the world.

The work of the designers associated with vintage Scandinavian modern furniture was founded on centuries-old beliefs in both quality craftsmanship and the ideal that beauty should enhance even the humblest accessories of daily life. Some of the designers that have partnered with Magnus Olesen over the years include Kai Kristiansen a Danish cabinetmaker known for his innovative mid-century wall units duo Rud Thygesen and Johnny Srensen, and Ib Kofod-Larsen, who was one of the best-selling Danish furniture makers in the United States during the 1950s, a time when Scandinavias simple, curvilinear wooden furniture, home goods and textiles suddenly seemed the perfect foil for Americas glass-and-steel skyscrapers.

With a showroom in Copenhagen and a production facility in Durup, Magnus Olesen remains in business today. The company primarily focuses on home furnishings but also produces a range of furniture for offices, the hospitality industry and healthcare facilities.

Find vintage Magnus Olesen chairs, tables and other seating on 1stDibs.