Edgeland House, built on a cliff-top lot in Austin by architect Thomas Bercy for lawyer and writer Chris Brown, is topped by a living roof that helps it blend into the landscape. The concrete, steel, and glass house is divided into two distinct public and private halves.

In the living and dining area of Jean Risom's Block Island family retreat, mostly vintage Risom furnishings share space with a few new additions, the view facing north is framed by the wall of glass. Photo by: Floto + Warner

A portrait of the designer. “Architecture, to me, is the most beautiful of the arts. I always knew that I wanted to design, but only [if I could] create products over which I had total control.”

The sofa is a prototype that never went into production—the base slides out and the two cushions become flat for sleeping. Today, one can buy Risom furniture from a variety of sources, including Knoll, Design Within Reach, and Ralph Pucci.

An orange chair and cream ottoman of Risom's design.

A low stone wall surrounds the perimeter, which Jens planted with trees in order to create a buffer between the house and the surrounding vista.

This shade has a levity about it that works well with both muted neutrals and darker colors. Benjamin Moore’s Blue Seafoam (2056-60) is a good example of a relaxing blue paint color that works well for interior and exterior walls.

On the north-facing facade, it’s easy to discern where the original glass doors used to open directly to the deck. In spring of 2012, Block Island contractor John Spier replaced the entire wall of glass panels.

Risom's chairs were cheap and easy to manufacture, making them an ideal wartime design. Photo courtesy of Knoll.

Originally, glass doors opened to the deck, but after years of gusty winds, it was decided that a side entrance, protected by a sliding steel door, would be the preferred entrance.

A bright-yellow “R” sign, from a truck that used to deliver furniture from Jens Risom Design, sets off the southern facade. When Jens designed the house, he stipulated that he wanted cedar shingles, not the asphalt ones that came with the original design from the catalog.

The Risom plot, located on the northern portion of the island, is bordered by a low stone wall, an aesthetic element that appears throughout Block Island.

Mid-century designer Jens Risom's A-framed prefab family retreat, located on the northern portion of Block island, is bordered by a low stone wall, an aesthetic element that appears throughout the land.

In legendary designer Jens Risom's home, the painted white brick fireplace is flanked by wood bookshelves that join to form a mantle.

Rocket Gallery Jens Risom Furniture

Chris Hardy and Jens Risom's Vens collection is on display at now at WantedDesign.

The Risom Stool, $348

Danish designer Jens Risom, who designed the first-ever Knoll chair, collaborated with DWR to offer their Jens Risom Collection. Here's a few of our favorite pieces.

A view of the open plan living space inspired by Jens RIsoms Danish childhood. Risom Library chairs from the early 1960s surround the dining table.

The living room is outfiited with Jens Risom chairs found on eBay.

Mid-century walnut coffee table by Jens Risom, $1600. Read Amanda's article about Risom's family home off the coast of Rhode Island here.

Jens Risom’s 1941 lounge chair for Knoll sits alongside custom-made cabinets in the Wilson’s master bedroom. Ken’s father, an archeologist, collected the pottery and wall hanging in the American southwest.

Chris Grimley and Kelly Smith transformed a cramped apartment into a family-friendly home. The room shared by Mae, three, and her little brother Roen, one, features a custom prototype mural by FilzFelt, their mother’s textile design company. The carpet is by Flor, and the child-size chair and Amoeba table are both by Jens Risom for Knoll.

The Risom Rocker (2009) has a nine-button tufted back; a nod toward the classic Danish modern aesthetic that can be found in all of Risom’s work. Made in U.S.A. Contact DWR for details

Jens Risom Design offered a wide array of cabinets, which were both functional and stylish with their multicolored paneling. Risom’s home is well furnished with the fruits of his still-active career.

A Risom Lounge Chair by Knoll faces a BoConcept bed. A Tizio desk lamp from Design Within Reach acts as additional lighting. Custom casework by Hutchison and Allbee matches the kitchen’s finished look.

The dining area features an ash table designed by Desai Chia and created by Gary Cheadle. The chairs are by Jens Risom. - Leelanau County, Michigan Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017

Like many of his generation, Risom still sketches by hand.

A workstation in Risom’s office (bottom) shows evidence that the designer is still very much active; a pile of sketches sits in the basket to the left of the table, and ephemera from early Jens Risom Design marketing material decorate the wall.

Renowned designer and architect Jens Risom sourced parts from a catalog for his customized A-frame and had them delivered in pieces to his remote island site off Rhode Island, helped to raise the aesthetic profile of modular construction.

Kate sits in the living room, which is outfitted with vintage Eames and Jens Risom chairs.

Atlanta-based furniture designer Chris Hardy collaborated with midcentury master Jens Risom, who just turned 99, on the Ven storage collection for Design Within Reach. The midcentury-inspired pieces will be on view at WantedDesign. (11th Avenue between 27th and 28th)

What was the collaborative process like? At first it was just trying to understand who he was. His family would send me old catalogues and brochures, and I'd go through and look for trends in his work. I wanted to get a basic understanding of what's important to him, both in his business and design philosophy, then I'd go to his home and interview him. Finally, when I felt comfortable with who he was, I started looking for ways to put a contemporary twist on his work.

How did you incorporate your own style into the finished piece? I was excited by this red laminate that Risom once used and really championed it. At one point, I wanted to put it on the outside, but I ended up toning it down. Instead, we allocated it to details. It's present on the floors of the drawers.

When you began to dig into his work, what details struck you that you hadn't noticed before? Risom's all about the nuance of a piece. It's very Danish. One thing that I noticed in his work, he likes to separate things visually, like floating tabletops that are a little disjointed. It breaks the piece visually.

Inside the house, a relatively new Rais wood-burning stove is next to a Risom Rocker from Design Within Reach, a 2009 piece from the designer.