1957 Hans Olsen Modular Living Room Set
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GUEST:
I found this in an online ad for a garage sale, and I noticed this in the... tucked away in a photo in the back. And knew it was something I'd be interested in, so I made a trip out, made the purchase, and then kind of learned a little bit more about it as I brought it into my own home.
APPRAISER:
How long ago was the garage sale?
GUEST:
The garage sale, I guess was about six years ago.
APPRAISER:
And how much did you pay?
GUEST:
I paid $60.
APPRAISER:
The set's designed by Hans Olsen. He was a Danish furniture designer, studied in Denmark at the Danish Royal Academy. He began designing furniture in the '50s. This set was manufactured in 1957. It's a style based on its minimalism and its function, and its simplicity. It's made of teak. The back is wicker. I think what really makes this exceptional, though, or what makes it interesting and fun, is its flexibility.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
How many ways can you set this set up?
GUEST:
Yeah, I mean, we've... We've set it up a number of ways. It's fantastic that you're able to interchange the seats. The seats can be placed on the ground. We've had it in, in certain settings in a, in a total line. We've had in an L-shape like this. So, it's really just extremely flexible, and it fits, you know, a lot of different uses in our home.
APPRAISER:
So, referred to as a modular set, meaning that it can be flexible and adaptable.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
I just want to take off one chair here so we can see how this comes apart. So, this could be down on the floor. And then, this also could be used as a daybed.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
It's in great condition. We have a few little scratches up here, but, for the most part, that could be minimized very easily.
GUEST:
Sure.
APPRAISER:
And inexpensively. What made it popular in its day was the fact that it was informal, was fun, and flexible. And it's those three components that really make it desirable again today. It really hasn't fallen out of favor. In fact, it's become more fashionable. So, I think a good auction estimate would be $1,000 to $2,500, and probably closer to the high. You can find retail sales above that.
GUEST:
That's great.
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