Best known for his chairs and other seating pieces — though a master of many furniture types like sofas and tables — Hans Wegner was a prolific designer whose elegant, often ebullient, forms and devotion to the finest methods in joinery made "Danish Modern" a popular byword for stylish, well-made furniture in the mid-20th century.
Wegner considered himself a carpenter first and a furniture designer second. Like his peers Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl, Wegner believed that striking aesthetics in furniture were based on a foundation of practicality: a chair must be comfortable and sturdy before it is chic.
In keeping with that tenet, several of Hans Wegner’s best chair designs have their roots in traditional seating forms. The Peacock chair (designed in 1947) is a throne-like adaptation of the Windsor chair; pieces from the China chair series (begun in 1944) as well as the 1949 Wishbone chair, with its distinctive Y-shaped back splat, are derived from 17th-century Ming seating pieces, as is the upholstered Ox chair (1960). Wegner’s comfy Papa Bear chair (1951) is an almost surreally re-scaled English wingback chair.
Wegner’s most representative piece, the Round chair (1949), gained a footnote in political history when it was used on the TV stage of the first Kennedy-Nixon debate of 1960. That chair, along with Wegner’s more bravura designs — for example, the 1963 Shell chair, with its curved surfboard-shaped seat — bring a quietly sculptural presence to a room.
Wegner was a designer who revered his primary material — wood — and it shows. His wood gathers patina and character with age; every Hans Wegner piece testifies to the life it has led.
Find vintage Hans Wegner lounge chairs, armchairs, daybeds and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Swedish Modern Painted Wooden Mirror by Erik Hoglund 'Höglund' for Eriksmåla
By Eriksmålaglas, Erik Höglund
Located in Stockholm, SE
Swedish modern painted wooden mirror by Erik Höglund for Eriksmåla, 1970. A chunky piece with wooden "arms" function as candleholders. Erik Höglund, the Swedish "le enfant terrible" ...
Mirror, Wood
Scandinavian Modern Signed Mirror by Erik Höglund for Kosta Boda, Sweden, 1967
By Eriksmålaglas, Erik Höglund
Located in Stockholm, SE
Scandinavian Modern Signed Mirror by Erik Höglund for Eriksmåla, Kosta Boda, 1967. Those familiar with Höglunds glass design will recognize the same simplicity, humor and a fine sense of material that defines his works in glass. He liked utensils to be robust, and a bit quirky. Among all types of wood, he favored pine, which he thought was as good as the most popular wood in the 1960s- imported teak. Erik Höglund, the Swedish "le enfant terrible" (1932-1988), was both a painter, sculptor as well as an craftsman. He worked for Kosta Boda, Strömbergshyttan and Eriksmåla. He are known in Sweden for his popular colorful glass and provokative motivs. These wooden pained mirrors...
Mirror, Wood
1940s Ercole Barovier & Toso Murano Glass Table Mirror
By Barovier&Toso
Located in Stockholm, SE
Ercole Barovier & Toso Murano Glass Table Mirror. An exquisite 1940s Barovier and Toso mirror frame graced with a captivating design, featurin...
Brass
Swedish Arts & Crafts Hand Carved Oak Mirror with Monkey and Birds
Located in Stockholm, SE
Swedish Arts & Crafts hand carved oak mirror. The entire wooden frame have a marvelous smiling monkey (baboon) in the middle holding two birds (maybe crows) in his hand. The glass a...
Oak
Side Table Model X601 by Alvar Aalto, Finland, Mid-20th Century
Located in Stockholm, SE
Side table model X601 designed by Alvar Aalto 1954, produced in Finland during the mid-20th century. The table features Aalto’s characteristic bentwood construction with laminated fa...
Ash, Birch
Set of Ten Danish Modern Teak Dinner Plate
Located in Stockholm, SE
A beautiful set of ten teak plates, manufactured in Denmark during the 1970s. These plates are intended to be used as underplates for porcelain dinner plates – an elegant way to prot...
Teak
Teak Wall Mirror with Shelf, Denmark, 1960s
Located in Nørre Aaby, DK
Elegant wall mirror crafted in teak with an integrated shelf, produced in Denmark during the 1960s. A timeless and functional piece of Scandinavian design, ideal for an entrance hall...
Teak
Mid-Century Adjustable Teak Table Vanity Mirror, Sweden, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in NUEMBRECHT, NRW
This large vanity mirror was designed and manufactured in Sweden in the 1960s. It features an adjustable teak framed mirror on teak stand. Condition is very good with just minor ...
Mirror, Teak
Mid-Century Danish Teak Wall Mirror With Shelf, Circa 1960s
By International Designers Group
Located in Richmond, Surrey
Mid-Century Teak Wall Mirror With Shelf, Made by ‘IDG’ International Designers Group, Denmark, 1960s The Mid-century teak wall mirror with a shelf, crafted by IDG International Desi...
Teak
Charming Vintage Swedish 1960s Teak Table Mirror
Located in Kramfors, SE
Vintage teak table mirror from Sweden. The mirror is made around the 1960s and is a timeless interior design item with plenty of retro charm. The fr...
Teak
Organic Danish Modern Shelved Wall / Table Mirror in Teak
Located in Berkeley, CA
Origin: Denmark Designer: Unknown Manufacturer: Unknown Era: 1960s Materials: Teak Measurements: 13″ wide x 21.75″ tall Condition: In excellent original condition with typical wear ...
Teak
Aksel Kjaersgaard teak hall set from 1960's
Located in Copenhagen, DK
A perfect Aksel Kjaersgaard teak hall set from 1960's in beautiful condition
Teak
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
If anyone is brave, humble and adept enough to recolor these mid-century masterpieces, it’s Ilse Crawford. Here, she gives us the details on her five earthy paint choices and tells us how she feels about design collaborations.
