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.
Hans Wegner Easy Chair Model AP-16 by AP-Stolen in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare easy chair model AP-16 designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by AP-Stolen in Denmark.
Fabric, Oak
$5,400
H 28 in W 28 in D 23 in
1951 HANS WEGNER Lounge chair, model no. CH-22 by Carl Hansen & Son, Denmark.
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1951 HANS J. WEGNER Lounge Chair, model no. CH-22 manufactured by Carl Hansen & Søn, Denmark. Oak frame with rush seat. Underside of arm branded with designer. In good vintage condi...
Rush, Oak
Hans Wegner Sawbuck Chair
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in New York, NY
A Danish oak and leather armchair. Designed by Hans Wegner Name - Sawbuck chair Model Number - CH-28 armchair was designed by Hans Wegner in 195...
Oak, Leather
Scandinavian Modern Lounge by Hans J Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Minneapolis, MN
This Scandinavian Modern original lounge chair is made from oiled oak with brass hardware. Wool upholstery in a neutral brown. Designed by Hans J Wegner for Getama. Professional,...
Oak
$17,640 / set
H 30.32 in W 28.75 in D 25.99 in
Hans Wegner Easy Chairs Model CH-28 Produced by Carl Hansen & Søn in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare pair of easy chairs model CH-28 designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by Carl Hansen & Søn in Denmark.
Leather, Oak
Scandinavian Armchair "The Chair", Designed by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Courbevoie, FR
Scandinavian desk chair in solid mahogany Hans Wegner. Edition Johannes Hansen, circa 1970. Assisi renovated full grain leather walnut Sørensen. The full grain leather is an uncorrec...
Mahogany
Hans Wegner Sawbuck Lounge Chairs Model CH28
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Uxbridge, GB
An iconic pair of lounge chairs from Danish designer Hans J Wegner, the Sawbuck Lounge Chair, is a timeless classic that beautifully combines form, function, and craftsmanship. Produ...
Hide, Beech, Teak
$7,631
H 39.38 in W 30.32 in D 31.5 in
Easy Chair Model AP-15 Designed by Hans Wegner Produced by AP-Stolen in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare easy chair model AP-15 designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by AP-Stolen in Denmark.
Fabric, Oak
$8,820
H 30.12 in W 24.81 in D 20.48 in
Hans Wegner Armchair Model JH-501 / The Chair Produced by Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare armchair model JH-501 / The Chair designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by Johannes Hansen in Denmark.
Cane, Teak
Early Production Hans Wegner Getama GE-240 Lounge Chair / Denmark
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early production Hans Wegner for Getama GE-240 lounge chair, sometimes called the Cigar series because of the shape of the arm. Teak arms with oak body. Somewhat beefier than the GE-...
Fabric, Oak, Teak
Hans J Wegner Lounge Chair
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in San Francisco, CA
Hans J Wegner design oak and teak lounge chair model JH-713 for Johannes Hansen, Denmark. Simple elegance combined with high quality construction and restorations make for the perfe...
Oak
Hans Wegner Buck Lounge Chair, Model JH517
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in San Francisco, CA
Hans J. Wegner buck lounge chair, Model JH517 for Johannes Hansen. A rare model chair by the master in original finish oiled teak and newly upholstered in a cog...
Teak
The Chair by Hans Wegner Model JH501 for Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in San Francisco, CA
Hans Wegner round chair model JH501 for Johannes Hansen, Denmark. Iconic chair by the master Hans Wegner and nick named "The Chair" after being featured in the JFK presidential debat...
Cane, Teak
Early Ib Kofod-Larsen Lounge Chair, Model 4346
By Ib Kofod-Larsen, Frits Hansen/Soren Hansen
Located in San Francisco, CA
Early and rare lounge chair by Ib Kofod-Larsen Model 4346 for Frits Hansen, Denmark. Signature sculpted solid teak exposed frame making the chair both eye catching and structurally s...
Upholstery, Teak
Nanna Ditzel Lounge Chair Model ND 83
By Nanna Ditzel
Located in San Francisco, CA
Nanna Ditzel design lounge chair model ND83, Denmark. First production edition manufactured by Søren Willadsen in oak with new periwinkle wool upholstery, ready ...
Upholstery, Oak
Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard Lounge Chair, Model FD 146
By Hvidt & Mølgaard
Located in San Francisco, CA
Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard design armchair model FD 146, Denmark. Elegant and comfortable lounge chair made with a teak frame, cane back with a new upholstered cushion. Newly refini...
Upholstery, Cane, 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.
