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.
H 27.6 in W 25.6 in D 24.8 in
Hans Wegner Venus Chair Model GE1936 for GETAMA
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Bridgeport, CT
This fantastic shell chair with backrest and seat in walnut veneer on a base of soap treated oak is a 2015 re-issue by GETAMA of the classic chair designed by Hans Wegner in 1948. Wh...
Oak, Walnut
H 42 in W 29 in D 26 in
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
H 31 in W 27.75 in D 30 in
Hans Wegner for Getama Lounge Chairs
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Denton, TX
Rare Hans Wegner lounge chairs constructed in oak with grey upholstery by GEMTANA. Danish modern styling with the rustic quality of oak.
Upholstery, Oak
H 40.95 in W 29.93 in D 29.93 in
Hans J. Wegner Rocking Chair by GETAMA, Black Leather, Oak, 1970s
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair / rocking chair original black leather upholstery. Frame of soap treated oak Model Nøglehullet, made by GETAMA.
Leather, Oak
H 40.95 in W 29.93 in D 29.93 in
Hans J. Wegner Rocking Chair by GETAMA, Black Leather, Danish Design
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair / rocking chair new upholstered with black aniline leather. Frame of soap treated oak Model Nøglehullet, made by GETAMA.
Leather, Beech
H 29.14 in W 26.38 in D 28.75 in
Pair of Ge270 Chairs by Hans Wegner for Getama
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Little Burstead, Essex
This pair of lounge chairs by the master of Scandinavian mid century design Hans J Wegner and produced by Getama are in great original condition, the Teak has been dusted and oiled, ...
Fabric, Teak
H 29.93 in W 26.78 in D 29.93 in
Cigar Chair Model GE240 by Hans J Wegner for Getama
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Little Burstead, Essex
A very nice example of this classic chair, freshly uphosltered in Mocha coloured Boucle fabric. The frame in Oak and all in great condition.
Fabric, Oak
H 38 in W 32 in D 36 in
Model GE-375 Lounge Chairs in Oak by Hans Wegner for Getama
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in New York, NY
A quintessential piece of Danish Modern design, this pair of Model GE-375 lounge chairs, designed by the master Hans J. Wegner in 1969 for Getama, is a showcase of elegant simplicity...
Leather, Upholstery, Oak
H 30.71 in W 26.78 in D 29.53 in
Pair of GE 240 Cigar Chars by Hans J Wegner for Getama
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Little Burstead, Essex
Hopefully, as the photos show, these are a beautiful pair of cigar chairs, the frames in great condition, and with freshly upholstered cushions in Mocha colour boucle
Fabric, Oak
H 28.35 in W 29.93 in D 30.71 in
Plank Chair GE290 by Hans J Wegner for Getama in Oak
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Little Burstead, Essex
An immaculate example with original upholstery.
Fabric, 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.
