We talk about the furniture of Jiří Jiroutek A LOT so we felt it high time to shine a spotlight on the man himself. Here’s a wee homage to one of our favourite Czech furniture designers ever.
Photo credit: David Turecký
Jiří Jiroutek is a Czech furniture and interior designer whose renown culls from his midcentury tenure at Interier Praha, during which he orchestrated the firm’s famed U-450 series of modular sideboards—today, perhaps the leading exemplar of Czech “Brussels Style” furniture.
Born in 1928, Jiroutek completed his professional studies at Prague’s Academy of Applied Arts and began his career at the newly created Interier Praha Company.
On the heels of early successes, Jiroutek became the head of design in 1958 and soon after began work on the U-450 series. The designs were heavily inspired by the watershed ’58 Expo in Brussels, which moved Czech post-war design generally toward “softer” modernism—one characterised by pastel colours, new geometries, and the use of modern materials like engineered composites, glass, and concrete. Jiroutek became know especially for the simple morphologies of oak-veneered sideboards and cabinets with sleekly colour-block sliding doors and drawers.
Immensely popular, the U-450 series pushed Jiroutek and, subsequently, Interier Praha to focus mainly on the large-scale production of modular furniture.
In the autumn of 1968, Jiroutek met Ingvar Kamprad, who was on a business trip in Czechoslovakia. He offered him a place in the center of his Swedish company IKEA. Jiří accepted the position abroad and for the next three years worked on the proper introduction of the so-called ‘project documentation’, which would enable the easy transport of furniture in boxes and its subsequent assembly direct in the living room of the consumer. After his return to Communist Czechoslovakia, Jiroutek was unable to continue working as a designer (due to a jealousy of some in the Communist Party) . He therefore took up the position of a clerk at Ligna Company and later moved to the Foreign Trade Department and began organising furniture exhibitions throughout Europe. Jiri Jiroutek still lives and is designing to this day in his Prague studio.
Some words taken from Design Addict and Lidovky.
Take your own Jiří Jiroutek piece home! Check out what is available now:
This is another design classic of the so called 'Brussels Style', a popular Czech version of Mid Century aesthetics adopted by many Czech households.
This Coffee Table is believed to be created by a celebrated Czech furniture designer Jiri Jiroutek (1928-2023) and was originally produced by Interier Praha during the 1960's. The table was designed in two sizes and two colour versions - with a white or with a black Opaxite glass.
The table has been designed with careful attention to detail and has got a simple, slender design. The shiny black glass table top contrasts beautifully with the beech wooden structure. A particularly nice detail is the additional piece of bentwood that protrudes around the corners, making the glass top stay safely in its position. It then stops short so that you get a glimpse of the middle section of the table and the full depth of the glass; this effect means the table look even thinner, lighter and more dynamic.
Jiroutek is mostly known for his range of colourful formica sideboards but this piece also shows well Jiroutek's talent to design furniture that is practical, popular and eventually becomes iconic.
The four legs can be easily unscrewed (and screwed back again) which allows the table to be comfortably transport or stored when necessary.
The Coffee Table is in very good original condition with some scratching on the glass surface and small wear and tear on the wooden parts gained over the years. .
Quantity: 1
Period: 1960's
Designer: attributed to Jiri Jiroutek
Manufacturer: Cesky nabytek, Czechoslovakia
Dimensions: w 120 cm, d 54 cm, h 60 cm
Materials: Beech, Opaxit glass
Please note delivery cost is not included in the price. Each item's delivery is calculated individually at the checkout. The cost of delivery of this item is 120 Euro to the EU.
Safe delivery worldwide: If you are based outside the EU or in the US, please email us at info@bybarnabas.com for a delivery quote.
Another design classic of 1960’s Czech furniture design.
This Coffee Table was created by the celebrated Czech furniture designer Jiri Jiroutek (1928-2023) and was produced by Interier Praha during the 1960's. The table was designed with a removable tabletop, each with their own colour version: bright yellow or black and white abstract patterned formica surface. This tabletop can be easily flip and installed.
The table consists of four slightly tampered oak legs that supports a rectangular wooden frame with angled sides. Inside the frame is a formica table top.
The four legs can be easily unscrewed (and screwed back again) which allows the table to be comfortably transported or stored when necessary.
Jiroutek is mostly known for his range of colourful formica sideboards but this piece also exemplifies Jiroutek's talent to design furniture that is practical, popular - and iconic.
The Coffee Table is in very good original condition with some small scratches on the yellow formica surface and only minimal wear and tear on the wooden parts gained over the years. .
Quantity: 1
Period: 1960's
Designer: Jiri Jiroutek
Manufacturer: Interier Praha, Czechoslovakia
Dimensions: w 113 cm, d 53 cm, h 60 cm
Materials: Oak, Formica
Please note delivery cost is not included in the price. Each item's delivery is calculated individually. The cost of delivery of this table to UK will be £60 and 80 Euro to the EU. Please email us on info@bybarnabas.com if you would like a quotation for delivery outside EU or the US.
