Stools & Poufs

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Decorate with stools

A stool as well as a pouf can be used for sitting, to rest the feet on and as a side table in a room. This makes the stool a versatile and appreciated piece of furniture in both large and small living spaces. Both Josef Frank and Estrid Ericson advocated furniture arrangements that could change with the times. The portable stool or pouf was therefore an ideal piece of furniture, which clearly should be included in a flexible and free interior according to Josef Frank. Furthermore, he felt that the smaller format of a stool could allow for a strong element of design without compromising an overall look.

Josef Frank's classic stools

Josef Frank designed his first stools in Vienna, in the middle of the 1920s. Initially he created the stools for his own company, Haus und Garten, prior to going to Svenskt Tenn and he began to create stools in different shapes for the company’s furniture range. All in all there were about 30 varieties of stools designed during Josef Frank’s time at the company: long stools, small stools, round ones, rattan stools, stools with stuffing and without stuffing. Perhaps the most well known is Svenskt Tenn’s round stool 647, designed in 1936 by Josef Frank.

How a stool is formed

This stool is formed in such a way that the cloth-covered top covers a good decimetre-high circular wooden strip, which serves as support for the legs and constitutes the actual frame. The stool’s generous seat and the cushion’s height, in combination with the tapering of the legs, give the stool a soft and pleasant look. The secret is in the balanced proportions of the stool, where the circumference and height relate to each other in a harmonious way. The stool can be purchased with beautiful velvet fabric and colourful printed fabric designed by Josef Frank included. Choose a fabric and print for your stool to create an impression that fits best in your home. You can also choose from Svenskt Tenn’s wide range of textiles if you buy the stool without the fabric.

Exclusive benches

At Svenskt Tenn, we do not offer classic benches of simple design, but instead a number of long stools designed by Josef Frank in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. These stools have different designs and are available with upholstered seats as well as with rattan seats. What they all have in common is that they are excellent furniture for hallways and walk-throughs. Stool 2009, for example, is only 38 centimetres deep, which means that it fits in both larger and smaller spaces.