GRACE LOUNGE CHAIR
BY TOVE KINDT-LARSEN
“I was fascinated by the timeless simplicity and elegance of this design – as well as the opportunity it presented to explore a material new to the GUBI Collection. Its ‘indoor-outdoor’ aesthetic is fresh and new, while its form and aesthetic interact with the wider GUBI Collection in a really interesting way.”
JACOB GUBI, OWNER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF GUBI
A compilation of curves
Inspired by the soft curves and materiality found in nature, especially the pebbles and driftwood Tove Kindt-Larsen would collect from the whitesand beach at the seaside resort of Hornbæk on Denmark’s northern coast, the Grace Chair is a compilation of curves. It comprises a circular seat atop a slightly larger, offset, circular base, with an embracing backrest populated with long loops of rattan. The lower part of the backrest is woven together to support a generous upholstered seat cushion.
“My mother’s design philosophy was based in nature – she once came home with a peacock feather just to reference its colors. GUBI embodies my mother’s unique blend of daring and grace, making them the perfect partner with whom to bring her Grace Chair to life at last.”
EBBE KINDT-LARSEN, TOVE KINDT-LARSEN’S SON
Informal Elegance
The flexibility of rattan – its ability to be bent and shaped at will – is at the heart of Tove Kindt-Larsen’s vision for the Grace Chair. The result is a daring balance of elegance and informality, resulting in a piece that will make a bold statement as it casts playful shadows across any interior space, while welcoming those who regularly curl up inside it like an old friend.
Rediscovering ratan
The rattan flexes under the weight of the sitter, adding another layer of support as it adapts to the contours of the body. The result is a daring balance of elegance and informality, resulting in a piece that will make a bold statement as it casts playful shadows across any interior space, while welcoming those who regularly curl up inside it like an old friend.
The frame of the chair is entirely crafted by hand from rattan with its ‘skin’ left intact. It is steamed to make it more pliable and then coaxed into shape, before being held in a jig as it cools.
Rattan skills were perfected in the 20th century by the Danish Reeds Guild, but are no longer prevalent in Denmark. Today, the chair is made by Indonesian artisans close to where rattan is grown, utilizing their design insights and craft skills.
TOVE KINDT-LARSEN
Tove Kindt-Larsen (née Reddersen, 1906-1994) was one of the first female designers to emerge during Denmark’s ‘Golden Era’ in the mid-twentieth century. An architect by training, with several years of furniture design under her belt, she embarked on a furniture design course at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, under the ‘godfather of Danish design’ Kaare Klint.
Her furniture was characterized by a fine sense of quality and a design language that responded to evolving tastes of the time. She was an early pioneer in rattan chairs and the use of molded plywood and well as moving away from designing room sets and instead conceiving individual pieces of furniture so that homeowners could curate their own spaces.