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 J. Wegner Teak At-33 Sewing Table
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Kastrup, DK
Sewing table, model AT-33 in solid teak. Features drop leaves, a wicker basket for knitting’s, and a drawer with spindles and divisions for thread and other supplies. Designed by Ha...
Cane, Teak
1950s Hans Wegner Danish Modern at-33 Teak and Oak Sewing Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautifully crafted early example of model AT-33 sewing table designed by Hans Wegner and manufactured in Denmark by cabinet maker, Andreas Tuck. This teak and oak table has two exte...
Teak
AT 33 - Sewing table in teak by Hans J. Wegner
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
AT 33 - Sewing table in solid oak and top in light teak. Two flaps and side with drawer divided into small compartments, including basket in patinated cane. Stamped by cabinetmaker A...
Oak, Teak
$2,200
H 23.75 in W 26.25 in D 23.5 in
Hans Wegner for Andreas Tuck Model AT33 Drop-Leaf Sewing Table in Teak
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Brooklyn, NY
1950s Danish solid teak sewing or side table (model AT33) designed by Hans J Wegner and manufactured Andreas Tuck. Crafted with two drop leaves that...
Teak
Early Hans J. Wegner teak desk model AT-305, 1955
By Hans J. Wegner, Andreas Tuck
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
$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 Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
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
Hans Wegner Teak At-33 Sewing Table
By A.P. Stolen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Danish Modern AT-33 sewing table designed by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck. Executed in teak, the design reflects Wegner’s disciplined approach to proportion and utility, with soft...
Teak
$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 Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
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
Hans Wegner Teak Drop Leaf Sewing Table with Woven Basket Storage
By Andreas Tuck
Located in Queens, NY
American mid-century teak wood sewing table with two drop leaves on either side, a single drawer with two wooden knob drawer pulls, and a sliding compartment containing a removable woven wicker basket over a smaller stretcher shelf connecting four...
Wood, Teak
Hans J. Wegner Danish Modern Teak Drop-Leaf Dining Table, Newly Refinished
By Hans J. Wegner, Andreas Tuck
Located in South Bend, IN
A rare and exceptional Danish Modern drop-leaf dining table By Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck Denmark, 1950s Teakwood top, on tapered dowel oakwood legs with arched aprons....
Oak, Teak
Falster Danish Modern Teak Boat-Shaped Extension Dining Table, Newly Refinished
By Falster Møbelfabrik
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Danish Modern teak boat-shaped extension dining table By Falster Møbelfabrik Denmark, 1960s Measures: 61.5"W x 40"D x 29.25"H. Extends up to 103"W with two built-in...
Teak
Ingmar Relling for Westnofa Bentwood Teak Siesta Occasional Side Table
By Westnofa Furniture, Ingmar Relling
Located in South Bend, IN
A sleek and stylish Minimalist Scandinavian Modern bentwood teak occasional side table By Ingmar Relling for Westnofa Furniture Norway, circa 1960s Measures: 27.5"W x 21.75"...
Teak
Eldred Wheeler Early American Shaker Cherry Wood Dining Table, Newly Refinished
By Eldred Wheeler
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Early American Shaker style solid cherry wood drop-leaf harvest farmhouse dining table By Eldred Wheeler USA, Circa Late 20th Century Measures: 74"W x 42"D x 29"H. ...
Cherry
Falster Danish Modern Teak Boat-Shaped Extension Dining Table, Newly Refinished
By Falster Møbelfabrik
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Danish Modern teak boat-shaped extension dining table By Falster Møbelfabrik Denmark, 1960s Measures: 61.75"W x 39.75"D x 29.25"H. Extends up to 101.25"W with two b...
Teak
Harvey Probber Style Mid-Century Modern Walnut Dining Table, Newly Refinished
By Harvey Probber
Located in South Bend, IN
A stunning Mid-Century Modern drop leaf extension dining table In the manner of Harvey Probber USA, 1960s Gorgeous figured wa...
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.
