Room by Room – the Risom Lounge Chair

This week, Room by Room with FormFire Glassworks looks at one of Knolls first commissioned designs, the Risom Lounge Chair.

Widely mimicked by stores such as Ikea, the Risom Lounge Chair speaks to the strength of modern, understated Scandinavian design. Designed by Jens Risom in 1941, this combination of maple hardwood and cotton webbing has certainly stood the test of time. Designed to be both visually pleasing with its gentle curving form and practical for everyday use with its giving fabric mesh, the Risom chair is at once subdued and simple, yet playful. Available from Knoll in lounge and side chair styles, with or without arms, this is a versatile collection that can move easily from a corner of a family room, to a childs room and on into an office setting with ease. Cotton and nylon webbing is available in 16 choices, and the mortise and tenon construction of the frame is sure to last for many years.

To complement the clean lines of this lounge chair and evoke the strong forms of Scandinavian design, my accessory choices are  simple and straightforward. Borrowing from the simplest of color palettes, a letterpress calendar hangs on the wall. A birch ply storage chest with tapered legs echoes the relaxed styling and helps to keep the clutter under control. Atop the chest sits a ceramic vase created from the repetition of circular forms. You lean back against a pillow whose understated design does not detract from your surroundings, and you sip a hot drink from a mug that fits perfectly in your hands.

Next week I will choose a new iconic piece and give you my picks for accessorizing your modern home.