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.
$10,500
H 20.5 in W 28.75 in D 20.75 in
Solid Teak and Oak Side Table by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, 1950's
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A rare handcrafted teak and oak end/side table with a lower shelf.
Wood
Danish Vintage Teak Side Table by Johannes Andersen
By Johannes Andersen
Located in London, GB
A stylish and elegant Danish vintage teak side table by Johannes Andersen. It was made in Denmark, it dates from the 1960’s. The quality is excellent and this has an exceptionally b...
Teak
$2,975
H 23.5 in W 26 in D 26 in
Finn Juhl for Baker Furniture side table with shelf mid century teak walnut USA
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Bridgehampton, NY
RARE production piece from Baker Furniture. Wegner designed for the company in the 1950s in order to gain an international / American presence.
Wood
$2,750
H 24 in W 26 in D 18.88 in
Borge Mogensen for Soborg Model 149 Danish Teak Expandable Side Table, Ca. 1950s
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Peabody, MA
A rare teak side table with flip top and under-drawers, Model 149, designed by Borge Mogensen for Soborg Mobelfabrik, Denmark, ca. 1950s. In the closed posi...
Teak
$5,500
H 23.5 in W 27.25 in D 23.5 in
Hans Wegner for Andreas Tuck Mid-Century Wooden Drop Leaf End / Side Table
By Andreas Tuck
Located in Queens, NY
Scandinavian Mid-Century end / side table with a rectangular top and drop leaf extensions on either side and a lower stretcher shelf connecting four taper...
Wood
$2,730Sale Price|35% Off
H 20 in W 30 in D 30 in
Danish Modern Teak Side Table by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen
By Peter Hvidt, John Stuart
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Elegant, Mid-Century Modern, teak, side table by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen sold by John Stuart features sleigh legs that are interesting from all angles. Two tables are...
Teak
$899
H 18.5 in W 27.5 in D 17.75 in
Mid-Century Modern Side Table by P.S. Heggen, Teak, Norway, Circa 1960
By P.S. Heggen
Located in Wheat Ridge, CO
A beautifully crafted Mid-Century Modern side table attributed to Heggen of Norway, showcasing the clean lines and warm materiality characteristic of Scandinavian design. Constructed...
Teak
Danish Mid-Century Modern Teakwood Side Table, Handcrafted, 1940s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A rectangular, vintage Mid-Century modern Danish sofa, side table made of hand crafted Teakwood in good condition. The small Scandinavian end table has four round wooden legs, enhanc...
Teak
Vintage Danish Teak Side Table, 1960s
Located in Asaa, DK
Vintage Danish teak side table, 1960s Elegant Danish Mid-century modern side or coffee table with underlying shelf. Table top with wrapped gri...
Teak
$2,730Sale Price|35% Off
H 20 in W 30 in D 30 in
Danish Modern Teak Side Table by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen
By Peter Hvidt, John Stuart
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Elegant, Mid-Century Modern, dark teak, side table by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen sold by John Stuart features sleigh legs that are interesting from all angles. Two table...
Teak
1960s Danish Solid Teak Coffee Table by Hans Wegner
Located in Victoria, BC
A rare solid teak example of Hans J. Wegner’s AT-15 coffee table, produced by Andreas Tuck in the 1960s. This smaller-format version is far less common an...
Teak
1950s Solid Teak Side End Table by Hans C Andersen
Located in Victoria, BC
An exquisite solid teak end table, designed by the renowned Hans C Andersen in the 1950s, boasts a stunning display of unique old growth graining, captivating turned legs, and remain...
Teak
1960s Minerva 417 Corner Table by Peter Hvidt & Orla Nielsen for France & Son
By Peter Hvidt
Located in Victoria, BC
This Minerva 417 Abcc corner table was designed by Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard-Nielsen and produced by France & Son in Denmark during the 1960s. Part of the Minerva modular sea...
Rattan, Teak
1950s Solid Teak Danish Coffee Table by Peter Hvidt
By Peter Hvidt
Located in Victoria, BC
Elegant Danish teak coffee table, a creation by Peter Hvidt for France & Daverkosen in the 1950s. Meticulously crafted from solid teak, it highlights the wood's stunning grain. Recen...
Teak
1950s Flip Top Dining Table by Borge Mogensen for Soborg Mobelfabrik in teak
Located in Victoria, BC
This flip top dining table was designed by Borge Mogensen and produced by Soborg Mobelfabrik in Denmark during the 1950s. It is crafted in teak, with a compact rectangular form that ...
Teak
1950s Side Table Model 3361 by T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb in walnut
By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Located in Victoria, BC
This side table, model 3361, was designed by T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings in 1957, produced by the John Widdicomb Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The piece reflects Robsjohn-Gibbings’ ...
Walnut
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.
