| Choices abound when selecting furniture; from the | | | | were united in the design of buildings such as the |
| style to the age, from the color to the size, | | | | Sydney Opera House, household objects, and new, |
| considerations of practicality versus appearance; and | | | | distinctive chairs such as the egg chair. Arne Jacobsen |
| the choices become even more numerous when | | | | is famous Ant Chair, an unusual three-legged chair with |
| selecting a piece of furniture as ubiquitous and varied | | | | a thin waist between rounded seat and back, was |
| as a chair. Danish chairs have become one of the | | | | also a product of the developing style. |
| more easily recognized styles as well as one of the | | | | A buyer interested in true vintage Danish modern |
| most popular. They first became a favorite in the | | | | chairs will be wise to pay close attention to details. |
| 1940s, soon after their development. Their popularity | | | | Their popularity and respectable price make it |
| lasted through the 1950s and 60s, when they became | | | | profitable for cheap substitutes, of shoddy construction |
| something of a cliché due to their image as the | | | | and materials, to be sold at too good to be true prices. |
| most to-date contemporary furnishing in American | | | | Unwary buyers can be too distracted by prices to |
| homes; and are now making a comeback. | | | | notice deficiencies. Be aware of the quality of the |
| Danish modern chairs have several distinctive | | | | wood joins, the sturdiness of the cloth. Look also at the |
| characteristics that even untrained eyes can easily | | | | stitching for any dangling threads, for unevenness, for |
| distinguish. The Danish style avoids hard lines and | | | | bunching of the material. |
| geometric shapes, tending instead to graceful | | | | These factors do not apply only to armchairs but to |
| ergonomic curves that fit the body naturally. Danish | | | | the Danish dining chair as well. Styles of dining chairs |
| chairs usually are made of lightwood, although darker | | | | are distinctive to their regions of origin. They range |
| pieces were later produced at the wish of consumers. | | | | from the legless chairs of Japan, the heavy opulent |
| Often the wood used is birch, oak, ash, or beech; their | | | | antique chairs of Spain and the simpler straight modern |
| clean lines are usually devoid of extra adornment, | | | | chairs of that same country, the casual rattan style |
| finished with oil or wax. For fabric, natural colors with | | | | common to the coastal United States and the country |
| texture are the norm, and any patterning is minimalist. | | | | and colonial chairs of its rural regions. Danish dining |
| Another distinctive feature of Danish modern style is | | | | chairs tend to stand out among them with their |
| the open space left underneath its chairs and couches; | | | | typically smaller scale, made in the same light woods |
| long legs support them, not the short legs that are | | | | as the Danish modern living room chairs, with the same |
| common elsewhere, leaving little to no space between | | | | body-conforming curves and comfort. |
| furniture and floor. | | | | Chairs of the Danish modern style thrived in the |
| The name Danish modern is somewhat inaccurate, as | | | | mid-20th century and have returned to popularity again |
| the designers responsible for its style came from all | | | | today, and it is easy to see why. Their simple, elegant |
| over Scandinavia. The style applies not only to furniture | | | | devotion to function make them attractive additions to |
| but also more broadly to a school of functional design | | | | any home. |
| and architecture. Simplicity and a focus of function | | | | |