1960s 'BO-562' SOFA BY JØRGEN KASTHOLM AND PREBEN FABRICIUS FOR BO-EX DENMARK
A very rare and beautiful piece designed by Jørgen Kastholm & Preben Fabricius and produced in the 1960s by BO-EX Denmark, the ‘BO-562’ sofa is a masterpiece of Danish design and craftsmanship. The cast steel frame elegantly supports the padded seat sections and offers luxurious comfort from the down filled cushions.
This particular example features freshly upholstered cushions in soft cognac leather whilst retaining the original leather on the supports which presents in good vintage condition.
Viewing at our new store in Surry Hills.
Dimensions: Height: 26.78 in (68 cm) Width: 59.06 in (150 cm) Depth: 29.53 in (75 cm) Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
JØRGEN KASTHOLM
The Danish furniture designer Jørgen Kastholm created furniture where Form, Function and Finish comes together beautifully. He produced a collection of furniture that is today an intrinsic part of Danish design DNA.
Kastholm first trained as a blacksmith, and later went to study architecture at the School of Interior Design in Copenhagen under Finn Juhl. Here he met cabinetmaker Preben Fabricius. He graduated as an Architect in 1958. In 1961 Fabricius & Kastholm opened a design studio together in Denmark.
They exhibited at the Furniture Fair in Fredericia where the German furniture manufacturer Alfred Kill noticed their work and offered them a contract with Kill International. In 1968 the pair went separate ways.
Kastholm was appointed professor at Bergische University in Wuppertal where he taught design from 1975 to 1996.
He continued his work in Germany as well as in his house in Mallorca. He returned to Denmark shortly before he died in 2007.
PREBEN JUUL FABRICIUS
Fabricius was trained as a cabinetmaker by Niels Vodder before attending the School for Interior Design where he studied under Finn Juhl. It was there that he met the blacksmith Jørgen Kastholm. They had a common approach to furniture design, never wanting to compromise on aesthetics. In 1961, the pair set up a design studio in a Gentofte cellar without any firm arrangements with manufacturers. In 1965, they exhibited at the furniture fair in Fredericia where the German furniture manufacturer Alfred Kill noticed their work. Kill had a reputation for high quality but initially Favricius and Kastholm were not keen to design furniture for factory production. Only when Kill offered them DM 2,500 a month each, with no preconditions, did they agree to work for him. They travelled to Stuttgart with their first designs for production in Kill's factory in nearby Fellbach. Their international breakthrough came at the Cologne Fair in 1966 when they exhibited a whole series of office and home furniture leading to orders from ten large furniture concerns. Their minimalistic designs, both attractive and comfortable, were usually in steel and leather. The Tulip Chair, the Grasshopper Chair and the Scimitar Chair are among their most successful works.
The pieces of furniture they produced during their seven-year period of cooperation from 1961 to 1968 were so distinctive that many are still produced today as classics. As a result of disagreements, the pair decided to terminate their cooperation in 1968.
Fabricius and Kastholm was awarded the Illum Prize (1968) and the first German Gute Form prize for their FK Tulip chair (1969).
Fabricius died in March 1984 when he was only 52.
A very rare and beautiful piece designed by Jørgen Kastholm & Preben Fabricius and produced in the 1960s by BO-EX Denmark, the ‘BO-562’ sofa is a masterpiece of Danish design and craftsmanship. The cast steel frame elegantly supports the padded seat sections and offers luxurious comfort from the down filled cushions.
This particular example features freshly upholstered cushions in soft cognac leather whilst retaining the original leather on the supports which presents in good vintage condition.
Viewing at our new store in Surry Hills.
Dimensions: Height: 26.78 in (68 cm) Width: 59.06 in (150 cm) Depth: 29.53 in (75 cm) Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
JØRGEN KASTHOLM
The Danish furniture designer Jørgen Kastholm created furniture where Form, Function and Finish comes together beautifully. He produced a collection of furniture that is today an intrinsic part of Danish design DNA.
Kastholm first trained as a blacksmith, and later went to study architecture at the School of Interior Design in Copenhagen under Finn Juhl. Here he met cabinetmaker Preben Fabricius. He graduated as an Architect in 1958. In 1961 Fabricius & Kastholm opened a design studio together in Denmark.
They exhibited at the Furniture Fair in Fredericia where the German furniture manufacturer Alfred Kill noticed their work and offered them a contract with Kill International. In 1968 the pair went separate ways.
Kastholm was appointed professor at Bergische University in Wuppertal where he taught design from 1975 to 1996.
He continued his work in Germany as well as in his house in Mallorca. He returned to Denmark shortly before he died in 2007.
PREBEN JUUL FABRICIUS
Fabricius was trained as a cabinetmaker by Niels Vodder before attending the School for Interior Design where he studied under Finn Juhl. It was there that he met the blacksmith Jørgen Kastholm. They had a common approach to furniture design, never wanting to compromise on aesthetics. In 1961, the pair set up a design studio in a Gentofte cellar without any firm arrangements with manufacturers. In 1965, they exhibited at the furniture fair in Fredericia where the German furniture manufacturer Alfred Kill noticed their work. Kill had a reputation for high quality but initially Favricius and Kastholm were not keen to design furniture for factory production. Only when Kill offered them DM 2,500 a month each, with no preconditions, did they agree to work for him. They travelled to Stuttgart with their first designs for production in Kill's factory in nearby Fellbach. Their international breakthrough came at the Cologne Fair in 1966 when they exhibited a whole series of office and home furniture leading to orders from ten large furniture concerns. Their minimalistic designs, both attractive and comfortable, were usually in steel and leather. The Tulip Chair, the Grasshopper Chair and the Scimitar Chair are among their most successful works.
The pieces of furniture they produced during their seven-year period of cooperation from 1961 to 1968 were so distinctive that many are still produced today as classics. As a result of disagreements, the pair decided to terminate their cooperation in 1968.
Fabricius and Kastholm was awarded the Illum Prize (1968) and the first German Gute Form prize for their FK Tulip chair (1969).
Fabricius died in March 1984 when he was only 52.
A very rare and beautiful piece designed by Jørgen Kastholm & Preben Fabricius and produced in the 1960s by BO-EX Denmark, the ‘BO-562’ sofa is a masterpiece of Danish design and craftsmanship. The cast steel frame elegantly supports the padded seat sections and offers luxurious comfort from the down filled cushions.
This particular example features freshly upholstered cushions in soft cognac leather whilst retaining the original leather on the supports which presents in good vintage condition.
Viewing at our new store in Surry Hills.
Dimensions: Height: 26.78 in (68 cm) Width: 59.06 in (150 cm) Depth: 29.53 in (75 cm) Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
JØRGEN KASTHOLM
The Danish furniture designer Jørgen Kastholm created furniture where Form, Function and Finish comes together beautifully. He produced a collection of furniture that is today an intrinsic part of Danish design DNA.
Kastholm first trained as a blacksmith, and later went to study architecture at the School of Interior Design in Copenhagen under Finn Juhl. Here he met cabinetmaker Preben Fabricius. He graduated as an Architect in 1958. In 1961 Fabricius & Kastholm opened a design studio together in Denmark.
They exhibited at the Furniture Fair in Fredericia where the German furniture manufacturer Alfred Kill noticed their work and offered them a contract with Kill International. In 1968 the pair went separate ways.
Kastholm was appointed professor at Bergische University in Wuppertal where he taught design from 1975 to 1996.
He continued his work in Germany as well as in his house in Mallorca. He returned to Denmark shortly before he died in 2007.
PREBEN JUUL FABRICIUS
Fabricius was trained as a cabinetmaker by Niels Vodder before attending the School for Interior Design where he studied under Finn Juhl. It was there that he met the blacksmith Jørgen Kastholm. They had a common approach to furniture design, never wanting to compromise on aesthetics. In 1961, the pair set up a design studio in a Gentofte cellar without any firm arrangements with manufacturers. In 1965, they exhibited at the furniture fair in Fredericia where the German furniture manufacturer Alfred Kill noticed their work. Kill had a reputation for high quality but initially Favricius and Kastholm were not keen to design furniture for factory production. Only when Kill offered them DM 2,500 a month each, with no preconditions, did they agree to work for him. They travelled to Stuttgart with their first designs for production in Kill's factory in nearby Fellbach. Their international breakthrough came at the Cologne Fair in 1966 when they exhibited a whole series of office and home furniture leading to orders from ten large furniture concerns. Their minimalistic designs, both attractive and comfortable, were usually in steel and leather. The Tulip Chair, the Grasshopper Chair and the Scimitar Chair are among their most successful works.
The pieces of furniture they produced during their seven-year period of cooperation from 1961 to 1968 were so distinctive that many are still produced today as classics. As a result of disagreements, the pair decided to terminate their cooperation in 1968.
Fabricius and Kastholm was awarded the Illum Prize (1968) and the first German Gute Form prize for their FK Tulip chair (1969).
Fabricius died in March 1984 when he was only 52.
ABOUT THE DESIGNERS
Jørgen Kastholm
Jørgen Kastholm was a notable Danish furniture designer and architect, born in 1931 in Roskilde, Denmark. He began his education in the United States before returning to Denmark to study at the School of Interior Design in Copenhagen. It was there that he met Preben Fabricius, with whom he formed a significant design partnership starting in 1961. Their collaboration produced iconic pieces characterized by minimalism and functionality, including the Scimitar Chair and the FK 6725 "Tulip" Chair.
Kastholm and Fabricius's partnership lasted until 1968, after which Kastholm continued his career independently. He moved to Düsseldorf, Germany, where he opened his own design studio and later served as a professor of furniture design at the University of Wuppertal from 1975 to 1996. His work remained influential, showcasing a commitment to quality materials and craftsmanship, particularly in leather and steel.
Throughout his career, Kastholm received numerous accolades for his contributions to design, including the first German "Gute Form" prize and the Red Dot Award. His pieces are part of prestigious collections in museums worldwide, including MoMA in New York and the Louvre in Paris. Jørgen Kastholm passed away in 2007, leaving behind a lasting legacy in mid-century modern furniture design that continues to inspire designers today.
Preben Fabricius
Preben Fabricius (1931-1984) was a prominent Danish furniture designer known for his contributions to mid-20th century modernist design. He began his career as a cabinetmaker in Copenhagen and later studied interior design at the School of Interior Design. In 1961, Fabricius partnered with fellow designer Jørgen Kastholm, and together they established a design studio that produced a range of influential furniture pieces characterized by minimalism, functionality, and high-quality craftsmanship.
The duo's work featured a sophisticated blend of materials such as wood, steel, leather, and glass, drawing inspiration from notable Danish designers and international figures. Among their most acclaimed designs are the FK chair series, including the iconic FK bucket seat, the Scimitar chair, and the Grasshopper lounge chair. Their designs were celebrated for their elegance and practicality, making a significant impact on contemporary furniture design.
Fabricius and Kastholm received international recognition for their work, winning the first German Gute Form (Good Design) prize in 1969. Their pieces are included in prestigious museum collections worldwide, such as MoMA in New York and the Louvre in Paris. After parting ways with Kastholm in 1968, Fabricius continued to create furniture for various manufacturers and taught at the School of Interior Design until his death. His legacy endures through his timeless designs and their influence on modernist furniture aesthetics.
