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 Oak Desk for P.J. Møbler, 1970s Mid-Century Design
By P.J. Møbler, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Queens, NY
Mid-Century Danish (1970s) rectangular oak table desk having 4 pullout drawers with sculpted round knobs (the right drawer can be locked), and rounded corners resting on cylindrical ...
Brass
$8,500
H 28.75 in W 54.25 in D 30 in
Hans Wegner For Andreas Tuck Danish Desk in Teak and Oak Circa 1950s
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Peabody, MA
Danish three drawer writers desk in teak and oak, model AT 305, by Hans Wegner for Andreas Tuck, circa 1950s.
Oak, Teak
Hans Wegner, Wishbone Desk, Oak, Teak, Denmark, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in High Point, NC
A dark-stained oak and teak "Wishbone" desk designed by Hans Wegner and produced by Johannes Hansen, Denmark, c. 1950s. Dimensions: 29.5” H x 67.8” W x 33” D
Oak, Teak
$7,500
H 28.75 in W 54.25 in D 30 in
Hans Wegner Model 305 Writing Desk, Teak & Oak, Scandinavian Modern
By Hans J. Wegner, Andreas Tuck
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Hans Wegner Model 305 Teak 3 drawer desk. Effortlessly graceful in its simplicity and function. Has had the top refinished and everything else cleaned and oiled. Teak with oak con...
Teak
Early Hans J. Wegner teak desk model AT-305, 1955
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Early Hans J. Wegner teak desk with three integrated drawers and two drop leaves. Designed 1955 and manufactured by cabinetmaker Anders Tuck, Denmark. Marked by maker. Dimension:...
Teak
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
Hans J. Wegner Model 305 Drop-Leaf Desk, Oak & Teak, 1960
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Hans J. Wegner Model 305 Writing Desk with two 18.75 drop-leaves on both ends. Iconic, beautiful and elegant design that functions beautifully! Oak body with Teak Top and drop-leaf...
Brass
$14,891
H 28.75 in W 56.3 in D 27.56 in
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
$64,000
H 28.55 in W 76.78 in D 36.23 in
Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen Rare ‘Architect’s Desk’ in Teak and Oak
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, writing desk, model 'JH571', teak, oak, metal, Denmark, 1953 Out of all the desks that Wegner designed, the ‘JH571‘ is the most 'Wegnerian'. This...
Metal
Desk 'RY 32' Designed by Hans J. Wegner for Ry Møbler
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Stockholm, SE
This Hans J. Wegner oak desk, model RY 32, is a quiet and assured example of Danish modern design. Crafted in solid oak, it features a slim rectangular top supported by tapered legs,...
Oak
Hans Wegner Danish Oak AT-305 Desk, 1953
By Hans J. Wegner, Andreas Tuck Møbelfabrik
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
Severin Hansen Danish Model 36 Oak Desk - 1958
By Severin Hansen
Located in London, England
Severin Hansen - Model 36 Desk, 1958 This is an official new edition of this iconic design from the 1950s. Now produced under license in Denmark. Severin Ha...
Oak
Danish Mahogany Desk by Ole Wanscher & A.J. Iversen, 1959
By A. J. Iversen, Ole Wanscher
Located in London, England
A rarely seen large desk from Dabish architect Ole Wanscher. This exquisite writing desk was produced by Wanscher's long-term collaborator, master cabinetmaker A.J. Iversen in Copenh...
Mahogany, Oak
Frits Henningsen 1940s Danish Mahogany Desk
By Frits Henningsen
Located in London, England
Frits Henningsen - Mahogany Writing Desk, 1940s Rarely seen design from master cabinetmaker of the early Danish Modern period: Frits Henningsen. Henningsen produced all of his desig...
Mahogany, Oak
Sven Langkilde 1960s Danish Mahogany Desk
By Langkilde Møbler, Svend Langkilde
Located in London, England
Sven Langkilde - Rare Mahogany Desk This delightful and sophisticated desk was made in highly limited quantities by Danish designer Sven Langkilde and produced by his own company La...
Mahogany
Severin Hansen Model 36 Desk by Dagmar in Oak - New Edition
By Severin Hansen, Dagmar
Located in London, England
Severin Hansen - Model 36 Desk, 1958 This is an official new edition of this iconic design from the 1950s. Now produced under license in Denmark. Severin Hansen’s Model 36 desk, d...
Oak
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.
