Danish indoor-outdoor furniture collection gets reboot

Carl Hansen and Søn has reissued a simple outdoor furniture set originally designed by Danish professor and architect Bodil Kjær in 1959. Interested in the connection between design and architecture, Kjær created furniture pieces, which she called “architectural elements,” that were functional, economic, and aesthetic.

Kjær was also interested in flexible environments, designing for the people, and the harmony between objects and space. These principles can be seen in this reissue, which was designed with strong, clean lines and a solid construction that make it suitable for suitable for indoor use as well.

Aptly called Indoor-Outdoor, the collection is characterized by a boxy, open frame and slatted seats and back rests. The set includes a lounge chair and matching side table, dining table, dining chair, two-seater lounge sofa, swing sofa, and a sunbed. Previously fabricated in a range of woods like mahogany, teak, and ash, the relaunched series will be produced in solid teak, which patinates nicely and can withstand changing weather conditions. Plus, it looks great whether inside or outside.

“Back in 1959, there was not a great deal of focus on the aesthetics of outdoor furniture,” said Kjær, who currently lives in the East Jutland region of Denmark. “Outdoor furniture mainly consisted of free-standing objects totally unrelated to contemporary architecture. I, on the other hand, saw furniture as an architectural element whose size should relate to the surrounding spaces. In the same vein, outdoor furniture should relate to the format of buildings. Outdoor spaces basically need furniture of a certain size to achieve a harmonious whole.”

Courtesy of Carl Hansen and Søn