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.
1960s GE-375 Modular Seating System by Hans J. Wegner for Getama in oak
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Victoria, BC
Designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1969 and produced by Getama in Denmark, the GE-375 is one of the designer's most innovative seating systems. Created as a truly modular collection, it a...
Oak, Fabric
1950s Danish Sofa by Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard
By Peter Hvidt
Located in Victoria, BC
A rare and elegant sofa by Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, showcasing the refined proportions and architectural clarity that define his early Danish modern work. The sculptural frame, angled ...
Wood
1960s MP-123 Modular Bench by Percival Lafer for Lafer, Completely Original
By Percival Lafer
Located in Victoria, BC
Designed by Percival Lafer and produced in Brazil during the 1960s, the MP-123 Modular Bench reflects the designer's innovative approach to modular furniture and exposed construction...
Hardwood
1960s Three-Seat Sofa by Knut Sæter for Vatne Møbler in rosewood
Located in Victoria, BC
Designed by Knut Sæter and produced by Vatne Møbler in Norway during the 1960s, this three-seat sofa reflects the material quality and restrained proportions associated with Norwegia...
Fabric, Rosewood
1950s Minerva Sofa Daybed by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen
By Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, Peter Hvidt
Located in Victoria, BC
Designed by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen and produced by France & Daverkosen in Denmark during the 1950s, the Minerva Sofa Daybed is one o...
Steel
1960s Danish Oak Lounge Chair by Fritz Hansen
By Fritz Hansen
Located in Victoria, BC
A beautifully crafted Danish high-back lounge chair by Fritz Hansen, made in solid oak with the clean, sculpted lines that define the period. Recently reupholstered in a warm texture...
Oak
Hans J. Wegner Danish Modern Daybed in Teak and Rattan GE7 Made at GETAMA, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Odense, DK
Designed by Hans Wegner for GETAMA this amazing convertible daybed / sofa features a beautifully patinated teakwood frame and woven cane / rattan back seat which reveals a hidden spa...
Wool, Cane, Rattan, Teak
Hans J. Wegner 1950s Danish Modern Daybed in Oak and Rattan "GE7" Made at GETAMA
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Odense, DK
Designed by Hans Wegner for GETAMA this amazing convertible daybed / sofa features a beautifully patinated oak frame and woven cane / rattan back seat which reveals a hidden space fo...
Wool, Cane, Rattan, Oak
Hans J. Wegner for Getama – Model GE6 Teak Daybed, Denmark, 1960
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Chicago, IL
Hans J. Wegner for Getama – Model GE6 Teak Daybed, Denmark, 1960 A classic Danish modern daybed designed by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, model GE6, crafted in teakwood with newly uph...
Upholstery, Teak
Mid-Century Danish Teak Daybed Model GE19 by Hans J. Wegner, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Nørre Aaby, DK
An elegant and lightweight teak daybed, model GE19, designed by Hans J. Wegner in the 1960s, exemplifying the refined simplicity and exceptional craftsmanship of Danish modern design...
Teak
Early Daybed GE-258 in Oak and Cane by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Handewitt, DE
Daybed GE-258 in oak by Hans J. Wegner for Getama Denmark 1954. Backrest in wicker cane. Original mattress with grey fabric. Early production 1950s. with beatiful patina and round legs.
Fabric, Cane, Oak
1950s Hans J Wegner Daybed Model Ge19 by GETAMA, Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Praha, CZ
- good original condition with good original corduroy fabric - sturdy and stable.
Fabric, Wood
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.
