“Most people know the Swan and the Ant as Danish chair classics, but what about the Penguin"” ask Egon and Erling Petersen. “During the fifties, this series of chairs by furniture designer Ib Kofod-Larsen sold more in the US than its better known Danish cousins.” The Petersens specialize in making modern Danish upholstered seating, and have lately begun reissuing some classics, “models we think deserve a wider audience.” Their small collection includes the Penguin, Kofod-Larsen’s chair with the flipper-like arms in an open embrace.
A graduate of Denmark’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Kofod-Larsen (1921-2003) was an architect best known for his furniture designs, including the teak-and-leather easy chair known as the Elizabeth, because Queen Elizabeth II snapped up a pair on a visit to Denmark. Kofod-Larsen’s Penguin was introduced in 1953 by American furniture company Selig, and went on to become a best seller. Success spawned variations?there’s a Penguin lounge, dining chair, and rocker?and then knockoffs; these days, you can even find a hulking interpretation of the design at Staples. But the Petersens are creating a Penguin for purists.
Above: Brdr.Petersens’ Penguin chairs are sanctioned Kofod-Larsen reissues; they feature a curved wood back (with a veneer of oak, walnut, or teak) and leather-upholstered seats. Shown above: the Penguin Lounge Chair (left) and the Penguin Rocker (right). The ch...