Search
GBP
0
  • Furniture
    FeaturedIn stockNew arrivalsBest sellersBrandsExploreGiftsDesign iconsBuying guidesOutletMy wishlistMy account
    Shop Furniture
    SofasLounge chairsDining chairsDining tablesCoffee & side tablesOffice
    BedsSofa beds & day bedsStools & benchesStorage & shelvingKidsOutdoor
    See all Furniture
    Shop by roomLivingDiningKitchenBedroomBathroomHallwayGardenOffice
    Journal

    Our top 10 sofas

    Exclusive to Nest

  • Lighting
    FeaturedIn stockNew arrivalsBest sellersBrandsExploreGiftsDesign iconsBuying guidesOutletMy wishlistMy account
    Shop Lighting
    Pendant lightsTable lampsFloor lampsDesk lamps
    Wall & ceilingBathroom lightingLED lightingOutdoor
    See all Lighting
    Shop by roomLivingDiningKitchenBedroomBathroomHallwayGardenOffice
    Journal

    In the spotlight

    A special edition icon

  • Accessories
    FeaturedIn stockNew arrivalsBest sellersBrandsExploreGiftsDesign iconsBuying guidesOutletMy wishlistMy account
    Shop Accessories
    RugsStorageMirrorsClocksKitchen & tablewareCushions & throwsBathroom
    Wall art & framesVases & plantersCandlesHooks & coat standsOffice accessoriesDesign objectsLifestyle
    See all Accessories
    Shop by roomLivingDiningKitchenBedroomBathroomHallwayGardenOffice
    Curated gifts

    Iconic gifts

    Nest gift edit

  • Brands
    FeaturedIn stockNew arrivalsBest sellersBrandsExploreGiftsDesign iconsBuying guidesOutletMy wishlistMy account
    Top 10 BrandsCarl HansenFLOSFritz HansenHAYKnollLouis PoulsenMoooiMuutoTom DixonVitraSee all Brands
    Top 10 DesignersAlvar AaltoArne JacobsenCharles & Ray EamesEero SaarinenGamFratesiGeorge NelsonLe CorbusierMichael AnastassiadesPoul HenningsenTom DixonSee all Designers
    Inspired collections

    SCANDINAVIAN

    MID-CENTURY

    ITALIAN

    BRITISH

  • Journal
  • Furniture
    • Sofas
    • Lounge chairs
    • Dining chairs
    • Dining tables
    • Coffee & side tables
    • Office
    • Beds
    • Sofa beds & day beds
    • Stools & benches
    • Storage & shelving
    • Kids
    • Outdoor
    • See all Furniture
    • FeaturedIn stockNew arrivalsBest sellersBrands
    • ExploreGiftsDesign iconsBuying guidesOutlet
    • Shop by roomLivingDiningKitchenBedroomBathroomHallwayGardenOffice
    • Our top 10 sofas

    • Exclusive to Nest

  • Lighting
    • Pendant lights
    • Table lamps
    • Floor lamps
    • Desk lamps
    • Wall & ceiling
    • Bathroom lighting
    • LED lighting
    • Outdoor
    • See all Lighting
    • FeaturedIn stockNew arrivalsBest sellersBrands
    • ExploreGiftsDesign iconsBuying guidesOutlet
    • Shop by roomLivingDiningKitchenBedroomBathroomHallwayGardenOffice
    • In the spotlight

    • A special edition icon

  • Accessories
    • Rugs
    • Storage
    • Mirrors
    • Clocks
    • Kitchen & tableware
    • Cushions & throws
    • Bathroom
    • Wall art & frames
    • Vases & planters
    • Candles
    • Hooks & coat stands
    • Office accessories
    • Design objects
    • Lifestyle
    • See all Accessories
    • FeaturedIn stockNew arrivalsBest sellersBrands
    • ExploreGiftsDesign iconsBuying guidesOutlet
    • Shop by roomLivingDiningKitchenBedroomBathroomHallwayGardenOffice
    • Iconic gifts

    • Nest gift edit

  • Brands
    • Top 10 Brands
    • Carl Hansen
    • FLOS
    • Fritz Hansen
    • HAY
    • Knoll
    • Louis Poulsen
    • Moooi
    • Muuto
    • Tom Dixon
    • Vitra
    • See all Brands
    • Top 10 Designers
    • Alvar Aalto
    • Arne Jacobsen
    • Charles & Ray Eames
    • Eero Saarinen
    • GamFratesi
    • George Nelson
    • Le Corbusier
    • Michael Anastassiades
    • Poul Henningsen
    • Tom Dixon
    • See all Designers
    • FeaturedIn stockNew arrivalsBest sellersBrands
    • ExploreGiftsDesign iconsBuying guidesOutlet
    • SCANDINAVIAN

    • MID-CENTURY

    • ITALIAN

    • BRITISH

  • Journal
Log in

Enter your email address and password to
access your account.


Forgot your password?

Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with Google
Create an account

Create an account with Nest to keep track of your orders, print copies of your invoices and keep your personal details up-to-date.

    Journal
    Designer Arne Jacobsen sat in an Egg Chair

    Arne Jacobsen: The grandfather of modern danish design

    Over the years, he's become known as the grandfather of modern Danish design. His diverse oeuvre is peppered with classics like the Egg, Swan and Drop Chairs, and even the world's first design hotel.

    We take a moment to relive some of Arne Jacobsen's most significant moments in design history.

    The boy from Copenhagen

    Artist, sculptor, architect and designer, Arne Jacobsen was nothing if not an innovator. Born in Copenhagen in 1902, his interest in art was apparent from a very early age. He sketched and painted his way through boarding school and reportedly even painted over his bedroom wallpaper when he was just a child.

    In the mid-1920s he enrolled at the prestigious Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art, where he studied architecture. It was during his time here that he first became aware of the work of Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, all of whom influenced his early architectural work.

    Following the completion of various architectural commissions, and a stint designing decorative fabric and wallpaper, he dipped his toe into the realm of furniture design and never looked back.

    One of his first designs was the three-legged Ant Chair, which proved wildly popular. This was quickly succeeded by the Series 7 in 1955 - Fritz Hansen's most successful chair to date - and the Grand Prix in 1957.

    Then, at the peak of his career, Jacobsen was given his largest and most challenging brief yet - the creation of the SAS Royal.

    The SAS Royal Hotel

    In an age of concept hotels and boutique guest houses, it can be hard to imagine a time without designer digs. Yet this was precisely the situation Jacobsen found himself in when tasked with building the SAS Royal, the world's first design hotel.

    Briefed by the Scandinavian airline company SAS, Jacobsen was to construct a hotel in central Copenhagen that would cater to an emerging class of wealthy travellers. Not only a place for tired globetrotters to rest their heads, this was to be an international gateway into Scandinavia and provide a world-class experience for anyone passing through its doors. Jacobsen, as a well-established architect and designer, and Copenhagen native, was the only man for the job.

    In true Jacobsen style, every aspect of the SAS Royal was designed by him. He envisioned its modernist exterior - two perpendicular rectangular glass boxes - and its interior too, overseeing everything from the flooring and lighting down to the cutlery and ashtrays.

    He also designed furniture especially for the hotel and, in doing so, created some of the most important furniture designs of the 20th century.

    The Egg Chair

    Designed in 1958 for the lobby of the SAS hotel, it has become one of the most instantly recognised lounge chairs in the world.

    It features a beautifully organic frame that Jacobsen sculpted out of clay in his garage at home, ensuring he got its curved shape and generous proportions just right.

    It can now be found in art galleries, bars and restaurants around the world, as well as in design-conscious homes.

    Discover in-depth the history and craftsmanship of this forever design in our latest article The Egg Chair: A Classic is Born.

    The Swan Chair

    Like the Egg, Jacobsen's Swan Chair was also designed specifically for the SAS Royal.

    Its creation marked a kind of landmark in the history of furniture design as, for the first time, he'd produced a chair made up solely of curves - without any straight lines.

    The chair was designed with comfort in mind. The high armrests were designed to wrap around its sitter, while the unusually deep seat meant it could be sat in for hours - something it still delivers on to this day.

    The Drop Chair

    As well as his more flamboyant chair designs, Jacobsen also created simpler furniture pieces, and one of the more significant - and loved - of these was the Drop.

    It may have been created to complement the Egg and Swan, but it has become somewhat of an icon in itself.

    The simple, teardrop-shaped frame belies a sophisticated and considered construction that's not only beautiful to look at but one that's incredibly versatile and practical too.

    Experiencing Jacobsen's designs today

    You can see Jacobsen's furniture designs in museums and public spaces the world over, and, of course, buy licenced originals to enjoy at home. We sell a broad range of his iconic designs including the Egg, Swan and Drop, his AJ lighting series and more.

    You can also stay at his masterpiece, the SAS Royal, which still stands in its original location in Copenhagen, albeit under the name Radisson Blu. It's currently undergoing a refurbishment, but one room is staying exactly how it was when it was unveiled in 1960 - just as Jacobsen intended.

    Tell us your favourite Arne Jacobson design on Facebook or Twitter.

    Image credits: kunstbib.dk, hop.mohd.it, Wikipedia, Max Hawley, archilovers.com

    Exterior of the Bauhaus Museum
    Sketch of the SAS Hotel Staircase by Arne Jacobson
    Fritz Hansen Arne Jacobsen Chair Collection
    “Architecture tends to consume everything else, it has become one's entire life.” - Arne Jacobsen
    Arne Jacobsen in front of the part constructed SAS Royal Hotel in the 1960's
    Exterior of the SAS Royal Hotel today
    Interior of the SAS Royal Hotel in the 1960s
    Leather Fritz Hansen Egg Chair in front of a window
    Leather Swan Lounge Chair in production
    Set of 2 leather Swan Lounge Chairs in situ
    Fritz Hansen Drop Chair from the 1960s
    Fritz Hansen Drop Chair at a dressing table
    Inside Room 606 of the SAS Royal Hotel
    We're here to help illustration

    We're here to help

    Call us on 0114 243 3000
    or email us info@nest.co.uk

    Email Icon
    Inside inspiration
    Sign up for our emails and enjoy hearing about all things design.

    We're here to help

    Call us on 0114 243 3000
    or email us at info@nest.co.uk

    Follow us on:

    About us

    • About
    • Our history
    • Meet the team
    • Join our team
    • What our customers say

    Inspire

    • Buying guides
    • Journal
    • Showroom

    Customer service

    • Contact us
    • Help and advice
    • Delivery

    Professional

    • Contracts
    • Press
    • Contact our buyers

    Useful links

    • Terms & conditions
    • Privacy & cookie policy
    • Site security
    • GDPR compliance
    • Offers & promotions

    Inside Inspiration

    Sign up for our emails and we'll deliver exclusive content direct to your inbox covering all things design. From new arrivals and limited editions, to leading design events, promotions and more - you'll be kept firmly in the loop.

    Subscribe to receive email updates about Nest products, services, offers and events. When you subscribe, you confirm you have read Nest's Privacy Policy. You may opt out of receiving email updates at any time by using the unsubscribe link in the emails. Nest is fully commmitted to respecting your privacy, and protecting any information you provide. You provide your personal information voluntarily and Nest can only send you updates with your consent. Nest uses your personal information to better tailor our customer service.

    Welcome to our world of forever design

    Thanks for signing up to Nest. We will keep you up-to-date with all of our latest offers, stories, new releases and events. Look out for your 10% off promo code in your inbox.

    context-logo

    We offer worldwide delivery

    Simply select the country you would like to deliver to and the currency you would like to shop in.