The story of 100 years in furniture
It all began back in 1902 in a small Danish village, aptly named Stouby, with twenty pounds, half a leather hide, a chaise longue frame, and some linen. That was all Stouby founder, Marius J. Blirup needed to take the first step. And despite the humble conditions and few capital resources, the furniture manufacturer’s desire to create was great. And Marius Blirup quickly established himself as a frequent exhibitor at “Købestævne” – the renowned international exhibition of the time.
A family tale
In 1944 son in law Børge Hansen took over and the family business continued. The company grew, and Stouby furniture was exported to all corners of the world, Austria, England, Kuwait, and the USA. In 1965 The New York Times praised Stoubys chair nr.13 for its sublime functionality and not least the exclusive design. And that same year, Børge Hansen states that: “I started out running a business. Now the business is running me.”
New owners
74 years in the hands of the one family finally comes to an end in 1976. Nonetheless Stouby keeps on growing in the same positive spirit with the new ownership structure and 1981 the old factory buildings finally becomes to cramped. The production moves to bigger and better locales in the village of Løsning, where it resides to this day.
The present ownership structure is established in 2009 and Stouby resides at Haremarksvej 7 in Løsning, Denmark.
Materials
Stouby use natural leather exclusively, and only the best hides. Leather is not just leather. You get what you pay for, and you can buff, polish, and paint to cover up the choice of inferior leather but in the long run you cannot hide lack of quality and true craftsmanship with cosmetic procedures. It always shows – because nothing can beat that special feeling only the best leather, treated just the right way, can provide. The leather we use is selected and treated by skilled and uncompromising craftsmen. This is the only way to ensure that Stouby furniture keeps their unique look for many years to come. However leather is a natural material and will change appearance as the years go by. How is up to the surface treatment, leather type – and you!
Stouby work only with the best and most recognised suppliers in the business and fabric quality is constantly monitored throughout the manufacturing process. The two most important quality parameters are durability and that the fabric is fast to light. Durability depends on the fabric’s structure, thickness, and yarn quality. The thicker and harder the weave, the stronger the fabric. Fast to light is the ability to resist sunlight and maintain colour when exposed to any lighting source. The more dye applied to the fibres the more fast to light they become. Dark colour nuances are generally more fast to light than lighter colour nuances. However any colour will fade to some degree over the years depending on how fast to light it is and the amount of light it is exposed to.
Most Stouby furniture is manufactured in solid wood, as this gives us the best quality and finish. But no two trees are similar. As a consequence variation in grain structure will occur in both sub-components and the completed piece of furniture. But that is what makes every single Stouby a unique piece of furniture. But one thing is certain: the wood will keep its natural and exclusive look for decades to come. Stouby use a wide variety of wood species: oak, cherry, walnut, and beech. Most of the timber is logged in European forests with the exception of cherry, as the best cherry wood originates from the United States.
Designers
Anders Jensen, Anders Nørgaard, Finn Østergaard, FurnID, Hans Thyge Raunkjær, Jakob Berg, John Sebastian, Justus Kolberg & Erik Simonsen Mdd, Karen H, Oluf Lund, Says Who, Stouby Design Team, Susanne Grønlund, Thomas Pedersen, Tom Stepp, Verner Østergaard, Vico Magistretti, Wojtek Depka Carstens
Products
Tables
Cirrus & Cumulus, Mojo Platform, Vico Magistretti Tableseries, Maria Table
Chairs
Vico Uno, Albert / Albert De Luxe, Concord High, Frost, Biloba, Interdane HJM Boston Stol, Wigwam High, HJM Soflex 150 Chair, Ram High, Ram, Hang On, Gemini Stol, Cubo Stol, Maria,
Sofas
Mirage, In Low, Ayo, V11, Metropole, Ace, Bace, Jive, Boat, Claudia, Oslo, Bella & Bella Lux, Monte, Eva, Lulu, Sanne, Kenzo, Paula, Metropole