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.
Kastrup Chair In Cognac Leather Model AP40 By Hans J. Wegner
By Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Lejre, DK
The AP40 lounge chair, designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1958, is a remarkable part of the minimalist Kastrup series, which is still in use in the welcoming interior of Copenhagen Airpor...
Leather
2021 CH33T Dining Chair by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen in White 3x Available
By Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & Søn
Located in Philadelphia, PA
These are three (sold separately) CH33T Chairs, designed by Hans Wegner and produced by Carl Hansen & Son in Denmark. The chairs are made with a solid beech frame, painted white. The...
Beech
Wingback Armchair by Hans J. Wegner for Getama
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A wingback lounge armchair with a teak frame, retaining the original grey wool upholstery.
Oak, Upholstery
$3,500Sale Price / set|59% Off
Hans Wegner Midcentury Armchairs for GETAMA, Set of Four
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Rochester, England
Designed by Hans J. Wegner for GETAMA, this set of four GE 151 armchairs are a Classic example of Mid-Century Modern design. Featuring angular black painted beechwood frames and arms, the newly restored chairs...
Faux Leather, Wood
Rare Set of Four Solid Teak Chairs Original Leather Upholstery by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner, A.P. Stolen
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A rare set of four (4) armless dining chairs retaining the original green oxhide upholstery.
Teak, Leather
$4,407Sale Price / set|37% Off
Set Of 4 "Airport-Chairs" Model AP37 By Hans J. Wegner From 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner, A.P. Stolen
Located in Lejre, DK
The set of four "Airport-Chairs," model AP37, designed by Hans J. Wegner and manufactured by AP Stolen in the 1950s, is a stunning and iconic collection of chairs. Hans J. Wegner, a...
Chrome
Airport Chair, Model Ap-38, by Hans J. Wegner and A.P. Stolen, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner, A.P. Stolen
Located in Lejre, DK
The airport chair, model AP-38, designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1958 and manufactured by A.P. Stolen in the 1960s, is a classic and iconic piece of furniture in the mid-century modern ...
Leather
$13,917 / set
Pair of Armchairs Designed by Hans Wegner for Getama
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Paris, FR
Solid oak, wool seat 80 x 75 x 85 cm
Wool, Oak
Hans J. Wegner Jh-515 Armchair for Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Hans J. Wegner model JH 515 oak armchair. Seat and back upholstered with canvas. Executed by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen, Denmark.
Fabric, Oak
Mid-Century Modern Bar Stool CH 56 by Hans Wegner, New Edition
By Carl Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Courbevoie, FR
Mid-Century Modern CH 56 stool by Hans Wegner. New edition. This elegant 76 cm barstool was designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1985. It is available in oak o...
Oak
Pair of Hans J. Wegner JH-515 Armchairs for Johannes Hansen
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Hans J. Wegner model JH 515. A pair of oak armchairs. Seat and back upholstered with brown felted wool. Executed by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen, Denmark.
Fabric, Oak
1960s Pair of Hans Wegner AP38 Airport Chairs by A.P. Stolen of Denmark
By A.P. Stolen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a pair of 'Airport' Chairs, Model AP38, designed by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen in 1958. The design is named after Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport, though it was not specific...
Steel
Hans Wegner JH 503 Walnut Chair by Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Miami, FL
A sculptural walnut armchair designed by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, Denmark, circa 1950s. This iconic design, often referred to as “The Chair” or “The Round Chair”, exemplif...
Leather, Walnut
Mid-Century Modern Set of 4 Chairs by Hans Wegner, Black Wood and Rope, Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Set of 4 Chairs by Hans Wegner, Black Wood and Rope, Denmark, 1950 Hans J. Wegner (Danish, 1914–2007) was a renowned furniture designer associated with Organic Fu...
Rope, Wood
2020 CH33T Dining Chair by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen in Silver Grey
By Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a CH33T Chair designed by Hans Wegner and produced by Carl Hansen & Son in Denmark. The chair is made with a solid beech frame and painted Silver Grey (we believe ...
Beech
$14,496 / set
Fauteuils Lounge Getama Getama Lounge Armchairs
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Paris, FR
95 x 103 x 86 cm Original leather
Leather, Wood, 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.
To celebrate the Wishbone’s 70th anniversary, Carl Hansen & Søn’s third-generation CEO, Knud Erik Hansen, shares some of the secrets behind the beloved chair.
In an innovative display, the Designmuseum Danmark is permanently exhibiting the 20th century's most iconic seats.