Illums Bolighus Organic Teak Stool / Side Table, Denmark, 1950s

This very rare side table was designed and produced by Illums Bolighus in Denmark in the 1950s. Illums Bolighus, Copenhagen’s celebrated design department store, commissioned this model as an exclusive in-house design, produced to their specifications by a select Swedish workshop. It was featured in their own catalogue alongside furniture by Finn Juhl, and originally marketed as a “skammel” (stool). The piece retains its original Illums Bolighus label on the underside.

With its low, sculptural form on four tapered legs, the piece can be read as Illum’s design answer to Josef Frank’s stool for Svenskt Tenn, reflecting the same Scandinavian appetite for elegant, versatile small-scale furniture.

The piece is executed in solid teak, with a curved, kidney-shaped top and four raised wooden plugs marking the joinery to the legs below. The grain is rich and warm in tone, with a beautiful patina consistent with age. Today the piece works equally well as a stool or side table, and its compact scale makes it a versatile addition next to a sofa or armchair.

The piece is in good vintage condition, with minor wear consistent with age.