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.
$5,956 / item
H 37.41 in W 33.86 in D 40.56 in
Hans J. Wegner GE-375 Lounge Chair, Oak Frame, Leather, 1960s
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair with loose cushions new upholstered with full grain vintage tan aniline leather. Frame of oak. With armrests. Model GE-375, made by GETAMA.
Oak, Leather
$3,931 / item
H 27.17 in W 25.2 in D 33.08 in
Hans J. Wegner GE-370 Lounge Chair, Oak Frame, Leather, Denmark, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair with loose cushions new upholstered with full grain aniline leather. Frame of solid soap treated oak Model GE-370, made by GETAMA.
Oak, Leather
$3,931 / item
H 27.17 in W 25.2 in D 33.08 in
Hans J. Wegner GE-370 Lounge Chair, Oak Frame, Leather, Denmark, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair with loose cushions new upholstered with full grain aniline leather from Sørensen. Frame of solid soap treated oak Model GE-370, made by GETAMA.
Wool, Oak
$4,765 / item
H 37.41 in W 25.6 in D 40.56 in
Hans J. Wegner GE-375 Lounge Chair, Oak Frame, Tan Leather, Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair with loose cushions new upholstered with vintage full grain tan aniline leather. Frame of oak. Model GE-375, made by GETAMA.
Oak, Leather
Hans J. Wegner GE-370 Lounge Chair, Oak Frame, Aniline Leather
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair with loose cushions new upholstered with vintage tan full grain aniline leather. Frame of solid oak Model GE-370, made by GETAMA.
Wool, Oak
Hans J. Wegner GE-370 Lounge Chair in Oak and Aniline Leather
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair with loose cushions new upholstered with vintage tan full grain aniline leather. Frame of solid oak Model GE-370, made by GETAMA.
Wool, Oak
$3,931 / item
H 27.17 in W 25.2 in D 33.08 in
Hans J. Wegner GE-370 Lounge Chair in Oiled Oak and Aniline Leather
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair with loose cushions new upholstered with vintage tan full grain aniline leather. Frame of solid oiled oak Model GE-370, made by GETAMA.
Wool, Oak
$4,765
H 30.32 in W 33.86 in D 31.89 in
Hans J. Wegner GE-370 Lounge Chair, Oak Frame, full grain leather
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair with loose cushions new upholstered with black full grain aniline leather. Frame of oak. With armrests. Model GE-370, made by GETAMA.
Leather, Oak
$4,765 / set
H 37.41 in W 25.6 in D 40.56 in
Hans J. Wegner GE-375 Lounge Chair, Oak Frame, Black Leather, 1960s
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair with loose cushions new upholstered with black leatheer. Frame of oak. Model GE-375, made by GETAMA.
Oak, Leather
$4,169
H 39.38 in W 29.93 in D 32.29 in
Hans J. Wegner Model 290A Lounge Chair, Solid Oak, Mid-Century Modern
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair made of solid oak. New upholstered with vintage tan aniline leather. Model 290A, made by GETAMA.
Wool, Oak
Vintage 1970s Leather Lounge Chairs by Elsa & Nordahl Solheim for Rybo Rykken
By Elsa and Nordahl Solheim, Rybo Rykken
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
A pair of rare sculptural Mid-Century lounge chairs, so called "Ry-Wing", designed by Elsa and Nordahl Solheim for Rybo Rykken & Co., Norway, circa 1970s. These stunning Scandina...
Leather, Beech
Vintage GE265 Oak Sofa by Hans J. Wegner and GETAMA, Denmark 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
Presenting this beautiful mid-century modern 2-seater sofa by Danish Hans J. Wegner from Getama Manufactor, see original stamp on photo. This compact model is rarely seen and has a c...
Oak
Vintage Danish Teak Armchair, Mid-Century Modern, 1950s
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
An elegant mid-century design armchair in solid teak wood. Showcasing a warm, reddish-brown hue and a beautiful, smooth finish. The wood has developed a lovely patina consistent with...
Fabric, Teak
Vintage Mahogany Senator High Back Lounge Chair by Ole Wanscher for Cado, 1960s
By Ole Wanscher, Cado
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
This Danish mid-century modern high-back lounge chair is a must for those seeking that classic Scandinavian design. Elegant and beautifully sculpted, Ole Wanscher captured that refi...
Fabric, Mahogany
Vintage 50s Teak Organic Modernism Armchair - Scandinavian Design
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
This elegant mid-century armchair embodies the refined craftsmanship and organic lines characteristic of Scandinavian design in the 1950s–60s. Likely of Norwegian origin with clear D...
Teak
Vintage Solid Oak Danish Brutalist Lounge Chair, Henning Kjærnulf style, 1960s
By Henning Kjærnulf
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
Presenting this exceptional lounge chair, attributed to Danish architect and designer Henning Kjærnulf, a masterclass in the "Baroque Modernism" style that defined his most celebrate...
Fabric, Oak
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.
