Josef Frank's Stools

“The furniture should be light and movable and not larger than the purpose requires. Do not assume that a piece of furniture must always stand in the same place, or that it is made for a certain spot. If the furniture is such, that you can move it as needed, you can manage with a much smaller number.”

– Estrid Ericson, 1939

Just like Estrid Ericson, Josef Frank advocated free, flexible interiors that were changeable over time. The easy-to-move stool was therefore an ideal piece of furniture, with an obvious place in every room. The smaller, often neat form allowed a stronger design expression, without compromising the whole room, according to Josef Frank.

Josef Frank began designing stools for his own company Haus und Garten in Austria in the mid-1920s, and during his active years he created a total of about thirty different variants. The most well-known is the round stool numbered 647, which he designed for Svenskt Tenn in 1936. Today, it is available with several different upholstery fabrics in the range, and it can sometimes be found at leading auction houses in Sweden. The stool's ample seat and the cushion's moderate height, in combination with the tapered legs, provide a soft and comfortable design. The secret is the well-balanced proportions, where the diameter and height interact with each other in a harmonious way.

1936 Stool 647

Stool 647 was designed by Josef Frank in 1936 for an interior at the Millesgården house and studio. It works equally well as a coffee table seat as it does as a footstool.

1,700.00 EUR

See product

1930s Stool 530

The fabric-clad stool with soft curves was designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn around 1935. The stool is a reworking of a piece of furniture that he created around 1929.

1,700.00 EUR

See product

1950 Stool 2082

This austere, rectangular stool with a textile or leather seat, was designed by Josef Frank in 1950. The square legs have the typically distinctive corners that characterize Josef Frank’s design.

1,840.00 EUR

See product

The "Egyptian stool" designed in 1940, the "Tutankhamun stool" from 1941 and the "Button stool" from 1952 are just some of the designs that Josef Frank created during the years at Svenskt Tenn. Like other furniture by Josef Frank, each of them bears a model number, but are mainly associated with their nicknames.

1950s Stool 2156

This stool, which is also called “The button stool”, was designed by Josef Frank in the 1950s. It was reintroduced in 2009 after being out of production for several years.

1,100.00 EUR

See product

1941 Stool 1063

Prior to Svenskt Tenn’s spring exhibition in 1941, Josef Frank was inspired by what was discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb, prompting him to design Stool 1063.

1,940.00 EUR

See product

1940 Stool 972

Stool 972 was designed by Josef Frank in 1940 and was later shown at an exhibition with an Egyptian theme, which is why the stool was referred to as the “Egyptian” stool.

1,640.00 EUR

See product