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.
Danish Modern Rosewood Credenza with Sliding Doors & Exposed Drawers
Located in Fulton, CA
Extra wide Danish Modern rosewood credenza. Made in Denmark, Circa. 1960's. Very nice original finish with nice glow from patina. Two sliding doors with hidden storage and four expos...
Rosewood
Scandinavian Modern Teak Credenza by Tage Olofsson A pair
Located in Fulton, CA
Scandinavian Modern teak credenza designed by Tage Olofsson. Made in Tibro, Sweden, a town known highly renowned for its rich history in high-quality furniture production. circa. Ex...
Teak
Vista of California Mid-Century Modern Low Dresser
By Vista of California
Located in Fulton, CA
A 6 drawer low dresser by Vista of California. Exoskeleton steel frame with water-proof faux wood Formica top and walnut drawers. Drawers glide smoothly and effortlessly. Very good o...
Steel
Danish Modern Teak Stereo Cabinet / Credenza with Smokey Glass Doors
Located in Fulton, CA
Teak Danish Modern stereo cabinet, circa. 1970's-1980's. Designed specifically to store and access stereo equipment. Features smoked glass magnetic doors, pull-out drawer, and a slid...
Smoked Glass, Teak
1960's Mid-Century Modern 9 Drawer Low Dresser by Century Furniture
By Century Furniture
Located in Fulton, CA
A fine Mid-Century Modern low dresser by Century Furniture. Circa. 1960's. Dovetail construction with solid oak secondary woods and mahogany drawer bottoms. Beautiful original warm w...
Cherry
Mid-Century Modern Paul McCobb Perimeter Group Dresser
By Paul McCobb, Winchendon
Located in Fulton, CA
A nice, original example of a Paul McCobb "Perimeter Group" 5 drawer dresser. Original finish and original pulls. Made of birch with rosewood and aluminum hardware. Drawers glide eff...
Aluminum
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
Hans Wegner Teak President Tambour Door Credenza Sideboard
By Hans J. Wegner, Ry Møbler
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Elegant President credenza in teak designed by Hans Wegner and manufactured in Denmark by Ry Mobler. This handsome credenza has smooth sliding tambour doors with chrome and teak pull...
Teak
Teak Cabinet by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
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
Mid Century Danish Modern Teak Credenza with Tambour sliding doors
By Hans J. Wegner, Brande Møbelfabrik, Ib Kofod-Larsen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rare and refined sideboard signed by the famous Danish designer IB Kofod-Larsen for Brandes Møbelfabrik, a Scandinavian design classic of the 1950s. Made of teak, this piece has a mi...
Birch, Teak
Large High Teak Sideboard with Floating Top 1950s, Made in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Antwerp, BE
Beautiful high sideboard with floating top and solid wenge handles, a timeless design of furniture with lots of storage space on the left side 2 panel doors and 2 shelves on the right side 2 panel doors short and 1 shelve below 2 wide drawers. Simple modern storage unit...
Teak
Large Danish Modern Teak Credenza by Axel Christensen Odder
By Aco Møbler, Axel Christensen
Located in Buffalo, NY
beautiful teak sideboard / CREDENZA by Axel Christensen for ACO Møbler. The sideboard has four sliding doors and three drawers and right / left open shelving.. Superior quality and...
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.
