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.
Vintage 1980s Three Seater Sofa by Weiman Furniture
By Weiman Preview Furniture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage 1980s three seater sofa manufactured by Weiman Furniture. The piece has beautiful sculptural lines and retains the original fabric and Weiman Tag. Measurements: 92 inches w...
Wood, Upholstery
3 Seater Sofa made in Italy by Antonello Mosca for Giorgetti, Italian Modern
By Giorgetti S.p.A.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A refined and sculptural “Maharaja” three-seater sofa designed by Antonello Mosca for Giorgetti, made in Italy. Part of Giorgetti’s celebrated Maharaja collection, this model is know...
Fabric, Wood
Vintage Serpentine Sofa with Plinth Base
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Introducing our exquisite Vintage Serpentine Sofa with Plinth Base, a timeless addition to any living space. Crafted with utmost attention to d...
Textile, Wood
"Ottomama" Four Seater Sofa Designed in Italy by B&B Italia, Dated 1985
By B&B Italia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage four seater sofa designed and manufactured in Italy by B&B Italia. The sofa is part of the "Ottomama" collection and manufactured for the American branch of B&B Italia that ...
Metal
"Ottomama" Four Seater Sofa Designed in Italy by B&B Italia, Dated 1985
By B&B Italia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage four seater sofa designed and manufactured in Italy by B&B Italia. The sofa is part of the "Ottomama" collection and manufactured for the American branch of B&B Italia that ...
Metal
Iconinc Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Soriana Sofa for Cassina, Italy 1970's
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Iconic and highly collectible Soriana sofa designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, one of the most celebrated examples of Italian modern design from the 1970s. Winner of the Com...
Fabric
AP18 Sofa by Hans J. Wegner for AP Stolen 1950
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Handewitt, DE
Model AP18 3-seat heigh sides sofa by Hans J. Wegner for. AP. Stolen, Denmark. Designed 1950. At the momnet upholstered with 2 different fabrics in 3 different colors. later new fabr...
Oak
Upholstered Sofa by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen
By A.P. Stolen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A sculptural, tailored and fully upholstered (and very comfortable) sofa floating on well-scaled turned oak dowel legs and retaining its original cream strie´ wool fabric.
Oak, Upholstery
Hans Wegner AP33 Four-seater Sofa for A.P. Stolen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Winnipeg, MB
Monumental and rare four-seater AP33 sofa designed by Hans Wegner for AP Stolen, Denmark. This piece features angled oak legs and the original wool upholstery. It has a streamlined a...
Wool, Upholstery, Oak
Three Seater Sofa, Model AP 18S, Designed by Hans J. Wegner, 1960s
By A.P. Stolen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Lejre, DK
The three-seater sofa, Model AP 18S, upholstered in green wool fabric and with dark wood legs, was designed by the Danish architect Hans J. Wegner in 1960. Wegner, known for his uniq...
Wool, Wood
Upholstered Sofa by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen
By A.P. Stolen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A tailored and fully upholstered sofa floating on well-scaled turned oak dowel legs. Model AP32-S by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen in original upholstery.
Upholstery, Wool, Oak
Roll Arm Sofa by Hans J. Wegner for AP Stolen
By Hans J. Wegner, A.P. Stolen
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A straight-back roll arm sofa retaining its original brown wool strie´ upholstery, the seating element having a comfortable pitch and elevated by solid squared teak legs.
Teak, Upholstery
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.
