Limited Edition Kaare Klint: the collaboration with Kvadrat/Raf Simons has a mathematical and pictorial approach

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Kaare Klint's Mix Chair and Propeller Stool, Carl Hansen & Søn launches a limited edition that combines minimal design - with mathematical precision - by Klint to the pictorial and joyful approach of Kvadrat/Raf Simons, available at the flagship stores of the Danish brand and on carlhansen.com until the end of 2021.

Kaare Klint, known as the father of the Danish Modern style, designed the Mix Chair and Propeller Stool in the 1930. The Mix Chair was conceived in collaboration with his pupil Edvard Kindt-Larsen, hence the name Mix, and was put into production right away. The Propeller Stool project, on the other hand, given its complexity, was abandoned and only came into being in 1962.

Initially the Mix Chair and the Propeller Stool were made of leather, canvas and solid wood, worked in a uniform way. Only now, for the first time ever, are they available in bright colors and lacquered, covered with the lively Ria fabric by Kvadrat/Raf Simons declined in cold and warm shades .

“Both great lovers of fine arts, Kvadrat / Raf Simons and Klint share the same artistic background”, says Knud Erik Hansen , third generation owner and CEO of Carl Hansen & Søn. “However, their approach to design is profoundly different. While Klint is known for his mathematical and minimal style, Kvadrat/Raf Simons chooses a more opulent and playful path. From the union of these two opposites comes the magic that gives classic pieces a modern energy”.

With simple lines and a fluid shape, the Mix Chair is characterized by complex design, obtained thanks to a refined geometric exercise. Unlike the front legs in solid wood which have a squared appearance, the chair has a series of repeated and specular concave and convex lines that form the armrests and make up the main frame; the rear legs are also slightly tilted back and support the backrest with a reclined profile.

With a mathematically flawless structure, the Propeller Stool embodies the ideal of folding stool desired by Klint. In fact, it consists of two legs hinged in the center with a helical cut which, when folded, form a perfectly rounded vertical structure.

The color of the Ria fabric chosen for the capsule collection is applied according to the painting technique of pointillism. Each chromatic variant is characterized by three types of yarn that create plays of color through a subtle dots, in fact, and thanks to a vivid shiny effect that stands out on the rough surface.

Limited Edition Hans J. Wegner: from the collaboration with Ilse Crawford comes a new range of ecological colors

To celebrate the timeless legacy of Hans J. Wegner, thanks to a collaboration lasting over 70 years, Carl Hansen & Søn, in collaboration with the London-based designer Ilse Crawford, has developed a new range of colors for the limited edition of first chairs that Wegner created for the Danish company in 1950.

The First Masterpieces collection includes five of the chairs most representative of Hans J. Wegner, among which the CH24 , also known as the Wishbone Chair, the woven lounge chair CH25, both produced by Carl Hansen & Søn I have been for over 70 years.

For the capsule collection, Ilse Crawford dressed the five cult pieces with five warm and natural shades that give a whole new perspective to the seats. The ecological water-based colors have a slightly transparent finish that brings out the original grain of the oak wood, obtaining a nuanced and at the same time structured chromatic effect.

“We wanted to develop a range of contemporary colors and we believe these soft, soothing shades are perfect for today's customers” explains IIse Crawford. “We were inspired by the paintings of the Danish artist Per Kirkeby, in whose works there is a strong interest in nature and for geology. These are not standard decorative colors or those designed on the basis of a trend but of shades that give depth and complexity to any environment”.

The pictorial shades of the colors of the earth refer to the raw majesty of the Nordic landscape and work both in combination with other colors and independently. “Color has a very close connection with our emotions and our mood,” Crawford notes. “We are convinced that these delicate shades will help create a warm, relaxing and natural environment”.