Kho Liang Ie sideboard Fristho The Netherlands 1956

Kho Liang Ie

Indonesia, 1927 – 1975
Industrial designer

Rare small ‘JDK’ sideboard designed by Kho Liang Ie and manufactured by Fristho Franeker, The Netherlands 1956. Made from rosewood veneer with white laminated inner handles and a metal frame. It features a chrome-plated frame and strip on the top. The rosewood veneer has attractive details, and the matte chrome-plated metal frame is slightly wider than the cabinet, giving it an interesting appearance. The combination of white details and brushed steel complements the rosewood-grained wood creating a look of abstract a graphic artwork influenced by Wim Crouwel. Another nice detail is the steel strip on the top’s front. The sideboard provides lots of storage space with four drawers on the left and two drop down doors on the right. In fantastic original condition.

Important literature: Kho Liang Ie Interieurarchitect/industrieel ontwerper, Ineke van Ginneke, Uitgeverij 010 Rotterdan 1986, page 56.
Fristho ‘Vooruitstrevende meubelen’ 1921 – 1978 Bert Looper, page 105.

Born in 1927 in Magelang, Indonesia, of Chinese Parents, Kho Liang Ie came to the Netherlands in about 1949 where he started as a medicine student but shortly changed and trained as an interior designer and designer at the Rietveld Academy. After his study he became part of the Goed Wonen group in 1954 and from 1957 to 1963 he was editor of the same magazine. In 1958, he was appointed aesthetic consultant and designer at Artifort. His contribution shifted Artifort’s focus to the top of the international market. Kho Liang Ie attracted foreign designers such as Pierre Paulin and Geoffrey Harcourt, which has made his influence noticeable right up to the present day. As an interior designer, Kho Liang Ie made his name with his design for Schiphol Airport in the nineteen-sixties. His work reflects purity, warmth and freedom. Besides Artifort, Kho Liang Ie also worked for Bruynzeel and Mosa, and worked for example with Wim Crouwel from 1956 to 1960. Kho Liang Ie died in Amsterdam on 1st January 1975.

Fristho was founded in 1921 by Arnould Merckx, who harbored international aspirations and quickly collaborated with renowned designers, particularly from Scandinavia. Young designer Inger Klingenberg joined the team, and William Watting achieved great success with the Modernart series. During that time, Fristho stood out as the primary representative of Scandinavian design among Dutch furniture manufacturers. The distinction extended beyond just aesthetics, encompassing craftsmanship, material selection, and quality. While the general public embraced these furnishings, Danish design did not always find favor among the artistic segment of the industry, notably represented in the magazine Goed Wonen. Many considered the designs too traditional and harmonious, aiming for the cleaner lines of functionalism. However, Fristho demonstrated its ability to adopt a bolder, avant-garde style. In the latter half of the 1950s, the design duo Kho Liang Ie and Wim Crouwel were brought on board. They represented the sleeker functionalism that was sought after. Kho Liang Ie’s J-series, including a beautifully designed wall unit in rosewood, underscored Fristho’s new direction. By the late 1960s, this trend evolved. There was resistance to the strict functionalism, and a shift toward more romantic styles emerged. Fristho quickly adapted, introducing the Twen series—practical furniture targeted at a younger audience. This series included matching wall units, tables, and chairs in the characteristic colours and patterns of the flower-power era.