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 Mid-Century Shaker Dining Table by Børge Mogensen, Wood, 1960s
By Børge Mogensen, FDB Møbler
Located in Queens, NY
Danish mid-century Shaker-style wooden dining table with a rectangular wooden top resting on two double T-shaped legs. (BØRGE MOGENSEN FOR FDB MØBLER)
Wood
Danish Mid-Century Modern Teak Desk
Located in Queens, NY
Mid-Century Danish teak desk with rectangular top and two sets of drawers float-mounted under the desktop (2 drawers on left, 3 drawers on right).
Danish Mid-Century Console Table by Jens Risom with Leather Top
By Jens Risom
Located in Queens, NY
Danish Mid-Century console table with a walnut frame and rectangular table top with a beige leather wrap. (JENS RISOM) Leather needs cleaning and is separating from table top aroun...
Leather, Wood, Walnut
1970s David Linley Writing Desk in Cherry, Maple & Burr-Ash
By David Linley
Located in Queens, NY
English Contemporary cherry, maple, and burr-ash writing desk having banded inlaid trim witth a diamond design top overthree drawers resting on tapere...
Maple
Mid-20th Century Raw Oak Desk and Tabouret Set in Good Condition
Located in Queens, NY
Contemporary 2-piece desk set comprised of a bracket-form raw oak table desk with dovetailed joints and a matching under table 3-drawer raw oak chest resting on four casters. (PRICED...
Wood, Oak
Johan Tapp Mid-Century Maple Flip Flop Console Table, 1950-1970
By Johan Tapp
Located in Queens, NY
American Mid-Century Maple Custom "Flip Flop" Console Table with drop leaf sides supported by oval cut out moveable panels (JOHAN TAPP)
Wood
Danish Mid Century Wooden Desk Model 36 in Plain Oak by Severin Hansen, 1960s
By Severin Hansen
Located in Stockholm, SE
A rare Danish mid century wooden desk "model 36" in natural plain oak with brass details and four book matched drawers by Severin Hansen produced for Haslev cabinetmakers in Denmark ...
Oak
Hans Wegner Danish Oak AT-305 Desk, 1953
By Andreas Tuck Møbelfabrik, Hans J. Wegner
Located in London, England
Hans Wegner - Model 305 Desk, 1953 Oak desk from Danish icon Hans Wegner produced by master-cabinetmaker Andreas Tuck for his own company c1950s. The 305 is considered Wegner's fine...
Oak
Nanna Ditzel Oak Desk Søren Willadsen 1958 Denmark Mid Century
Located in Berlin, BE
An exceptional example of Danish Modern craftsmanship, this iconic desk was designed by Nanna Ditzel and manufactured by Søren Willadsen in Denmark during the 1950s. Celebrated for i...
Oak
1950s Danish Oak + Teak Desk by Poul Volther
By Poul Volther
Located in Philadelphia, PA
The "Model 158" Desk by Poul M. Volther (b. Denmark, 1923 - 2001) , designed in the 1950s and manufactured by Korsbjerg Møbelsnedkeri, is an excellent example of Danish mid-century d...
Oak, Teak
Mid century Hans Wegner desk model 156 GETAMA Solid Oak
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage 1960s Danish solid white oak desk Model 156 with (2) drawers designed by Hans J. Wegner for GETAMA Manufacturer. The Solid Oak desk with Brass key lock with key on (1) drawer...
Wood, Oak
Rare Hans J. Wegner PP-312 Teak Desk 1960s.
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Handewitt, DE
Rarely offered Hans J. Wegner desk in sold teak. Model PP-312. This is probably an earlier version of the current PP-312. Like its predecessor, the PP-305, this model still has thre...
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.
