Description

A very cool sideboard designed by Ib Kofod Larsen for Danish maker Faarup Møbelfabrik. Made of a warm teak with beautiful organic lines and plenty of storage space, this vintage mid century sideboard has 4 drawers and shelved cupboards hidden behind 2 super stylish tambour doors which disappear completely when opened. A substantial and solid piece, this is a genuinely stunning mid century sideboard!

Furniture designer Ib Kofod-Larsen was born Denmark in 1921 and studied at the Danish Royal Academy in Copenhagen. In 1948, he won the Holmegaard glass competition as well as an annual award from the Danish Cabinetmakers Guild. The latter drew the attention of Danish furniture manufacturer Faarup Møbelfabrik, and Kofod-Larsen went on to create some of his most beautiful works for the company during the 1950s. He also designed furniture for several other leading midcentury manufacturers, both at home and abroad, including Christensen & Larsen, Bovenkamp, Petersens, and Fredericia Furniture.

Kofod-Larsen frequently worked with gorgeous woods, such as teak and rosewood, as well rich leathers. Clean, sculptural lines characterize much of his work. Notable designs include the U-56 or Elizabeth Chair (1956), composed of a light teak frame and upholstered leather that was purported to have been named for England’s Queen Elizabeth II after she purchased a pair during a visit to Denmark in 1958; as well as the airy and modern Penguin chair (1953). Kofod-Larsen’s striking teak and leather-upholstered Sälen (or Seal) easy chairs for OPE (also 1950s) have become increasingly popular on the vintage market in recent years. Today, his pieces have become highly collectable, in large part due to Kofod-Larsen’s talent for honoring the innate qualities of his chosen materials.

The Hallas family founded Faarup Møbelfabrik. Some records show that Sigurd Hallas was the founder and that, in the 1950s, his sons Johannes and Einar August Hallas took over. Although it is not clear when the company started, it is widely agreed that by the end of the World War II, Faarup Møbelfabrik was one of Denmark’s largest producers of fine wood casegoods—sideboards, desks, cabinets, and shelves—with significant exports abroad, including the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. At a time when the popularity of the Danish modern style was at its peak, Faarup Møbelfabrik pieces were prized for their clean lines, fine craftsmanship, sturdy proportions, and beautiful wood grains.

Faarup Møbelfabrik collaborated with a number of Danish designers in the postwar era, most famously Ib Kofod-Larsen, as well as Svend Åge Larsen, Jørgen Linde, and Kurt Løvig. The rosewood and teak sideboards of Kofod-Larsen are particularly sought-after today.

W210 x D53 H86cm