Niels Koefoed

Danish furniture designer and manufacturer, Niels Koefoed is known for a family of dining chairs, several of them named after his children, produced by the Koefoed factory in Hornslet, Jutland.

Reliable biographical information on Niels Koefoed is scarce. Dealer and auction sources give contradictory dates: born in 1921, 1926 or 1929, died in 2003, 2012 or 2018. The figures 1929 to 2018 used by one American auction house coincide exactly with those of the Danish politician Niels Anker Kofoed, which suggests a mix-up between the two men; we have found no primary source to settle the question. His chairs were made by Koefoeds Møbelfabrik in Hornslet, near Aarhus, a family firm reportedly founded by his father, Einar Koefoed. The local archive shows that this factory, on Skolevej, was separate from the larger Hornslet Møbelfabrik, although the two names are often confused; the old building was demolished in 1978 and a new factory built on Rosenholmvej in 1980. Some of his models, including the Peter chair, are made today under licence by the Danish company CASØ.

• Peter chair, first produced in 1957 according to CASØ; reportedly named after his son.
• Lis chair, with a ladder back; dated 1961 by dealer sources.
• Eva chair, with three vertical back slats; dated 1964 by dealer sources.
• Ingrid chair, 1960s. Lis, Eva and Ingrid were marketed together.
• Typical woods: teak and rosewood, with cherry used later on some models.