Finn Juhl

FINN JUHL (Frederiksberg, Denmark, 1912 – Ordrup, 1989).
“Kokfeldt” extendable dining table, 1953. One-of-a-kind piece.
Brazilian rosewood, gray Formica, and nickel-plated steel.
Crafted by master cabinetmaker Niels Vodder.
Condition: original used condition, non restoration.
Provenance: designed and commissioned as part of the furnishings for Villa K. Kokfeldt, Hellerup, Denmark.
In good condition, with slight signs of use and a patina consistent with its age.
Measurements: 73.5 x 180/236/292 x 90 cm.

A unique piece conceived in 1953 for Villa K. Kokfeldt in Hellerup, this table is a particularly significant example of the collaboration between Finn Juhl and master cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, combining the artisanal craftsmanship characteristic of high-end Danish furniture with materials associated with industrial modernism. Its status as a specific commission and its provenance from the interior for which it was conceived allow us to understand it within Juhl’s practice of designing furniture in close relation to the domestic space.

The composition is based on an extremely lightweight nickel-plated steel structure, consisting of slender tubular supports that seem to visually suspend the tabletop. Resting on this structure is a surface clad in gray Formica, framed by the warm tone and distinct grain of rosewood. The two fold-out side extensions allow the table to be extended from 180 cm in length to 292 cm when fully extended, without altering the clarity of its profile. Particular attention has been paid to the junctions between the different materials and the wooden finishes on the supports—small details that reveal the high level of craftsmanship characteristic of Vodder’s work.

The choice of Formica is particularly interesting in a piece of cabinetry of this quality. In contrast to a design based entirely on hardwoods, Juhl deliberately juxtaposes laminate, steel, and rosewood, creating a piece in which craftsmanship and industry coexist on equal footing. This experimentation with materials and construction methods is one of the defining features of his work: the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm highlights both his attention to detail and his interest in new construction methods and material combinations, noting also that much of his furniture from this period was produced in small, handcrafted series in collaboration with Niels Vodder.

Finn Juhl was one of the key figures in 20th-century Scandinavian design and a leading proponent of a more organic and expressive approach within the Danish Modern movement. His collaboration with Niels Vodder resulted in some of his most significant furniture pieces from the late 1930s through the following decades. Between 1951 and 1952, he designed the interior of the United Nations Trusteeship Council Chamber in New York, one of his major international commissions. His work is represented, among other institutions, at Designmuseum Danmark and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which houses furniture designed by Juhl and crafted by Vodder.