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 Teak Credenza Model RY-26 for RY Mobler
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in San Francisco, CA
Hans Wegner design teak credenza model RY-26 for RY Mobler, Denmark. High quality construction and attention to detail made with a teak case and oak interior. In very good original c...
Brass
Scandinavian Modern Gustav Bertelsen Teak Credenza
By Gustav Bertelsen
Located in San Francisco, CA
Scandinavian Modern design tambour door credenza by Gustav Bertelsen, Denmark. High quality construction and materials by master cabinet maker Gustav Bertelsen. Three solid teak drawers across the top with lovely carved pulls. Beautiful contrasting lemon wood interior with four adjustable shelves. Elegant sculpted teak gallery top trim makes this a very usable storage cabinet...
Teak
Bernard Pedersen & Son Teak Credenza
By Bernhard Pedersen & Son
Located in San Francisco, CA
Bernhard Pedersen & Son teak credenza, Denmark. A magnificent tambor door credenza, model BPS142 in excellent condition. This is a newer production model from 2020 or so in waxed tea...
Teak
Hans J. Wegner Rosewood President Credenza for RY-Mobler
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in San Francisco, CA
Hans J. Wegner rosewood President credenza for RY-Mobler, Denmark. Iconic design by the master Hans Wegner in Brazilian rosewood with a white oak interior. Made from high quality mat...
Stainless Steel
Niels Vodder Teak Credenza NV54
By Niels Vodder
Located in San Francisco, CA
Niels Vodder design credenza model NV54, Denmark. Niels Vodder was a premier cabinet maker that is best known for his execution of Finn Juhl's most successful and beautiful creations...
Teak
Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard-Nielsen Credenza, Model 309
By Hvidt & Mølgaard
Located in San Francisco, CA
Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard-Nielsen credenza, Model 309. High quality construction and materials crafted in solid teak with a tambour door. Sophisticated cabinetry skills make this c...
Teak
Hans J. Wegner Danish Modern Sideboard in Oak and Rattan Model "Ry26", 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner, Ry Møbler
Located in Odense, DK
Beautiful and rare low oakwood sideboard / credenza model "RY-26" from the 1960s by Hans J. Wegner. Made by "RY Møbler", Denmark. The sideboard features rattan / woven cane and inlai...
Rattan, Oak
Hans Wegner for Ry Møbler RY-20 Danish Teak, Rattan Highboard Credenza - Hutch
By Hans J. Wegner, Ry Møbler
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Hans Wegner for Ry Møbler RY-20 Mid Century Danish Teak and Rattan Highboard Credenza with Hutch This credenza with hutch measures: 71 wide x 19.5 deep x 71 inches high Good Vintag...
Rattan, Teak
Hans Wegner RY-33 Teak, Steel, Oak & Rattan Sideboard Cabinet -Denmark 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Southampton, NJ
An exceptionally rare Model RY-33 high-board designed by Hans J. Wegner for Ry Mobler. Teak case having detailed oak interior featuring 4 adjustable shelves to the left, 3 canter she...
Stainless Steel
RY 26 - Sideboard in oak by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner, Ry Møbler
Located in Copenhagen, DK
RY 26 - Sideboard in oak and cane by Hans J. Wegner. Made by RY Møbler.
Oak, Cane
Teak Cabinet by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A credenza in warm teak with a bank of five drawers and twin sliding doors, floating on turned solid teak dowel legs.
Teak
Modell RY 26 Sideboard in Teak by Hans Wegner for Ry Møbler, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Kiel, SH
Modell RY 26 Sideboard in Teak by Hans Wegner for Ry Møbler, 1950s in used condition. The sideboard has some signs of use and age. One big spot on the top
Wicker, Wood, 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.
