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.
$14,827
H 20.48 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
1956 Hans J. Wegner-Cabinet Mod. AT 34 wood manufactured by Andreas Tuck
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Milano, Lombardia
“Many foreigners have asked me how we made the Danish style. And I’ve answered that it was rather a continuous process of purification.” Promoter of a synergy between modernity, cra...
Iron
Bar by Poul Nørreklit
By Poul Nørreklit
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Brazilian rosewood bar with white Formica top and chromed steel frame. 1960's. Poul Nørreklit / Geroge Petersens Møbelfabrik.
Formica, Rosewood
Bar by Poul Nørreklit
By Poul Nørreklit
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Brazilian rosewood bar with white Formica top from the 1960s. Poul Nørreklit / George Petersens Møbelfabrik.
Formica, Rosewood
Danish Freestanding Bar Cabinet by Poul Nørreklit
By Svend Langkilde, Poul Nørreklit, Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Andersen, Langkilde Møbler
Located in München, DE
Exceptionally beautiful Danish freestanding bar furniture from the 1960s. The high-quality craftsmanship and elegant design make this piece of furniture a true favorite. A very speci...
Metal
Rolf Hesland Rosewood Cube Bar by Bruksbo
By Bruksbo
Located in Highland, IN
This delightful piece designed by Rolf Hesland and crafted by Haug Snekkeri for Bruksbo serves double duty as both a side table and a small portable bar. It has great presence with b...
Brass
Kurt Østervig Bar Cabinet Produced by K.P. Møbler in Denmark
By Kurt Østervig
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Very rare bar cabinet designed by Kurt Østervig. Produced by K.P Møbler in Denmark.
Brass
Midcentury Table Bar Cabinet, Leif Alring, Sweden, 1960s
By Leif Alring
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
Cool table bar cabinet by Leif Alring in a boxy form, opens from the top with an inset round handle. Rosewood veneer, inside dressed with red felt.
Felt, Rosewood
Bar cabinet designed by Kurt Østervig for KP Møbler
By Kurt Østervig, KP Mobler
Located in Stockholm, SE
This rare Danish bar cabinet by Kurt Østervig for KP Møbler is a refined example of Scandinavian mid-century case furniture, combining disciplined proportions with thoughtful interio...
Rosewood
Hans J. Wegner AT-33 Telephone Table for Andreas Tuck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Model JH585 compact cabinet, designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced by Johannes Hansen in Denmark. Designed in 1954, the JH585 was conceived as a compact telephone table with integr...
Oak, Teak
$7,649
H 25.99 in W 39.38 in D 18.51 in
Svend Langkilde Sideboard / Bureau Produced by Langkilde Møbler
By Svend Langkilde
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare sideboard / bureau designed by Svend Langkilde. Produced by Langkilde Møbler in Denmark.
Rosewood
Hans Wegner Teak Dining Table for Andreas Tuck
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Large and rare Hans Wegner teak and steel legged drop-leaf dining table. Leaves can be also be removed. Manufactured by Cabinetmaker Andreas Tuck. Table measures 28" x 25" x 71" x 39...
Teak
Desk by A. Bender Madsen and Ejner Larsen for Willy Beck Cabinetmaker
By Ejner Larsen, Aksel Bender Madsen
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Interesting and rare Danish designed desk by A. Bender Madsen and Ejner Larsen and manufactured by Willy Beck. Desk features a 21-inch drop-leaf. Ta...
Rosewood, Teak
Thorald Madsens Nesting Tables
By Thorald Madsens Snedkeri
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Set of 3 teak and rosewood nesting tables manufactured by Thoralds Madsens of Denmark. Finely detailed and nicely constructed. Signed with plaque to bottom.
Teak, Rosewood
Josef Frank Cabinet for Svenskt Tenn
By Josef Frank
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Beautiful, elegant and large sideboard designed by Josef Frank. Manufactured by Svenskt Tenn, circa 1940s. Cabinet features four doors concealing one adjustable shelf per compartment...
Brass
Mogens Lassen 'Egyptian' Table
By A. J. Iversen, Mogens Lassen
Located in Pawtucket, RI
"The Egyptian Table" designed by Mogens Lassen and manufactured by A. J. Iversen, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1950s. Circular tray table top mounted with b...
Teak
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Desk Secretary
By Edward Wormley
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Very rare desk secretary designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Functional five drawers and letter slots on turned brass knobs and feet. With original Dunb...
Brass
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.
