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.
Kurt Ostervig Sideboard for KP Mobler oak
By Kurt Østervig
Located in Kiel, SH
An oak sideboard designed by Kurt Ostervig for KP Mobler, Denmark. It has 4 doors with beautiful leather and brass handles. 3 upholstered drawers on the left side. Besides a slightl...
Leather, Oak
Minerva side table by Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard Nielsen for France & Søn
By Hvidt & Mølgaard
Located in Kiel, SH
Beautiful square Side table in solid teak designed in 1957 by Designer Duo Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard Nielsen manufactured by famous company France & Son conical legs and two she...
Teak
Oak nesting tables by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck AT-40
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Kiel, SH
Set of three nesting tables of solid oak model AT-40 designed by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck
Oak
Model 522 Teak Easy Chairs by Hans Olsen for Brdr. Juul Kristensen
By Hans Olsen
Located in Kiel, SH
Pair of teak easy chairs designed by Hans Olsen and manufactured by Brdr. Juul Kristensen original purple wool cushions probably by Kvadrat
Fabric, Teak
Danish teak armchair "Captain´s chair" by Arne Hovmand Olsen
By Arne Hovmand-Olsen
Located in Kiel, SH
The Armchair Captain's Chair by Arne Hovmand Olsen, crafted in teak and leather in 1958, is a timeless piece of mid-century modern design. This iconic chair features a sleek teak fra...
Leather, Teak
Swedish bar cart in pine from the 70s attr. to Sven Larsson
By Sven Larsson
Located in Kiel, SH
Swedish bar cart in pine from the 70s attr. to Sven Larsson in good used condition with signs of use and age. The trolley must disamble for the transp...
Wood, Pine
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
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
Hans J. Wegner Danish Modern Sideboard in Oak and Rattan Model "Ry26", 1960s
By Ry Møbler, Hans J. Wegner
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
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
Sideboard in Oak and Teak by Hans J. Wegner, 1959
By Ry Møbler, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Sideboard in Oak and Teak by Hans J. Wegner, 1959 Additional Information: Material: Oak and Teak Style: Mid Century, Scandinavian Sideboard Produced by Ry Møbler in Denmark Dimensio...
Oak, Teak
Rare Danish mid century sideboard model RY-26 designed by Hans Wegner, 1950´s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Rare Hans Wegner RY-26 Sideboard, a mid-century Scandinavian gem. Measuring 200 cm wide, 49 cm deep, and 79 cm high, this 1950s piece from Ry Møbler, Denmark, showcases luxurious woo...
Rosewood
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.
