Block Island Collection - Design Within Reach

Designed by modern master Jens Risom for his own home in Block Island, this classic collection features slatted, solid teak pieces with squared lines; open, sturdy sled bases; and comfortably pitched seats and backs with optional cushions.

Lollygagger Picnic Table with Lollygagger Benches

Lollygagger Picnic Table

A dream realized: Discover how DWR brought Jens Risom’s designs to life.

Well-crafted in every detail

Block Island Coffee Table — Quality teak

Every piece is crafted from grade-A, straight-grain, solid teak, harvested from strictly managed plantations, ensuring its sustainability. It will weather to a silvery grey over time.

Block Island Sofa Cushion — Pitched seats and backs

The pitched seat and back of the chairs and sofa invite you to lean back, with optional cushions for added softness.

Block Island Dining Armchair and Block Island Dining Table — Thoughtful details

Square lines and sled bases lend an open, airy feel but also add stability. Slatted chairs and tables add distinctive detail, while allowing air to circulate and rain to run off easily.

Block Island Lounge Chair Cushion — Cushioned comfort

Risom sketched out the designs for this furniture but it was never actually made. After his death in 2016, his son Sven approached DWR about realizing his father’s designs, and we were honored to bring them to life posthumously.

Time capsule

Block Island Lounge Chair — An A-frame by the sea

In 1967, Danish modernist master Jens Risom, one of the founding designers of Knoll, built a pre-fab A-frame vacation house for his family on Block Island, Rhode Island. He replaced the front with a wall of glass, opening up sweeping views of the ocean.

Jen Risom Block Island sketch — Nature’s respite

For a walking trail beside the house, Risom generously sketched out plans for furniture for passersby to enjoy the surroundings, but it was never built. After Risom’s death at age 100 in 2016, his son Sven came across the plans and asked DWR if we would be interested in producing them. The rest is modern design history.

Risom Family photo on Block Island — A design legacy

More than fifty years later, the modest but striking A-frame house on Block Island is still in the Risom family. DWR worked with Jens Risom well into his later years, producing designs such as his Risom Rocker (2009) when he was 93. “In our opinion, DWR has done a fantastic job of revitalizing Jens’ vision and bringing his sketches to life,” says his son, Sven.

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