Perched above the rocky shoreline of Denmark’s Øresund Strait, just north of Copenhagen in the affluent coastal town of Rungsted, sits one of Scandinavian design’s most quietly remarkable homes: the family residence of legendary Danish designer Poul Kjærholm and architect Hanne Kjærholm.

Constructed in 1962 and restored with extraordinary care by the couple’s son, Thomas Kjærholm, the villa remains a rare and deeply personal expression of the Kjærholms’ shared vision of architecture, furniture and modern living. More than simply a home, it stands as a complete embodiment of Poul Kjærholm’s design philosophy a place where furniture, material and space exist in perfect harmony.

 

 

A home designed around modernist principles

Designed by architect Hanne Kjærholm, the single-storey villa draws inspiration from traditional Japanese architecture, with an emphasis on proportion, light and a close relationship to the surrounding landscape. Large windows frame views across the Danish coastline toward Sweden, while open-plan living spaces allow natural light to move effortlessly throughout the home.

Every detail was considered. Flush doors disappear into walls, woven Tahitian straw flooring softens the interiors, and the house was designed without thresholds to allow accessibility later in life a thoughtful response to Poul’s lifelong limp, caused by one leg being shorter than the other.

The result is a home of extraordinary calm and clarity; one that feels every bit as relevant today as it did in the 1960s.

 

 

Furniture designed for the space itself

For Poul Kjærholm, furniture was never separate from architecture. He preferred the term 'furniture architect' over designer a reflection of his belief that furniture should shape and define the spaces it inhabits.

Many of his most iconic designs were conceived specifically for the Rungsted home, including the PK54 dining table, PK61 coffee table and PK31 sofa. As Thomas Kjærholm notes, “Everything that he designed between 1957 and 1962 was designed for our home.”

This makes the residence not merely a family house, but a living archive of Kjærholm’s work an interior where some of the most celebrated pieces of twentieth-century furniture remain exactly where they were intended to be.

 

 

The designer behind the masterpieces

Born in 1929, Poul Kjærholm trained as a cabinetmaker before studying at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts. While many of his contemporaries worked predominantly in wood, Kjærholm developed an early fascination with steel, believing it deserved the same artistic respect traditionally reserved for timber.

This commitment to elevating industrial materials became central to his work.

His final graduation project in 1952, the now iconic PK25, also known as the Element Chair demonstrated this philosophy with striking clarity. Constructed from a single continuous steel frame and woven halyard rope, the chair reduced its form to one piece of each material, expressing both structural honesty and sculptural elegance.

Equally celebrated is the PK22 chair, one of our favourite Poul Kjærholm designs, a design that would go on to win international acclaim and become one of the defining lounge chairs of modern Danish design. When a client once asked if the PK22 could be produced in green leather, Poul famously replied:

“Have you ever seen a green cow?”

For Kjærholm, materials were to be respected, never disguised.

 

 

A legacy preserved by Fritz Hansen

Following Poul Kjærholm’s death in 1980, production rights for his designs were ultimately entrusted to Fritz Hansen, who continue to manufacture the Kjærholm Collection today.

Produced with exceptional fidelity to the originals, these pieces preserve Kjærholm’s exacting standards of craftsmanship while ensuring his work remains available to architects, collectors and discerning homeowners around the world.

 

 

A lasting influence on contemporary interiors

Walking through the Kjærholm residence today, it becomes immediately clear why Poul’s work continues to resonate so strongly in contemporary interiors. His furniture possesses a rare architectural quality simultaneously minimal and warm, precise yet deeply human.

Each piece carries the quiet confidence of something fully resolved.

As Thomas Kjærholm continues to preserve the home and manage the family archive alongside his sister Krestine, the villa remains not just a monument to their father’s legacy, but a living example of how timeless design can shape the way we live.

 

 

At Cimmermann, we remain endlessly inspired by Poul Kjærholm’s ability to create furniture that feels as modern now as it did over half a century ago pieces conceived not simply as objects, but as architecture in miniature.

Discover our curated collection of Poul Kjærholm furniture, including the PK15, PK22, PK0 A and more timeless pieces that continue to define modern interiors today.

Explore Poul Kjærholm Designs