By 1960, Danish modern furniture was already ubiquitous. Now it is fetishized, with teak cabinets sold for astonishing sums, and grandparent-reminiscent armchairs gracing every other fashion shoot. The man you have to thank for that is designer Jens Risom, who introduced the style to the U.S. after moving here from Denmark as a young man. New York magazine recently profiled the 99-year-old legend, who is living in a retirement community in design-forward New Canaan, Connecticut. According to the article, his two-bedroom apartment there looks like "the best furniture showroom in New York, circa 1959." There's an Arne Jacobson swivel chair, a low credenza, a desk with a red floating work surface, and a 1940s end table now worth $3K. Risom holds court in a perfect midcentury rocker.
Risom has his retirement dwelling set-up exactly as he likes it, but hospital visits are another story. His daughter told New York magazine that the last time her father was in the hospital, he called and said "'I can't stand this — can you talk to someone?'" He wanted to re-arrange the furniture in his temporary room. Luckily, the hospital administrators allowed him to.
Video via Dwell
· Talking to the Man Who Introduced Danish Modern Design to America [New York]
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