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.
Sofa by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
AP 20S - sofa in oak and new textile in Vidar 3 (colour 323 and cushion in colour 333). Hans J. Wegner / AP Stolen.
Oak
Rare Sofa by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Rare sofa with patinated oak legs, newly upholstered in textile (DAW, color Stripe 7) Hans J. Wegner / Johannes Hansen.
Oak
Midcentury Sofa by Hans Wegner, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner, A.P. Stolen
Located in Lejre, DK
Sofa by Hans J. Wegner - Upholstered and restored with custom-made fabric by Hanne Vedel in Denmark. In great condition, made by AP Stolen in the 1950s."
Fabric
Hans J. Wegner AP18 Sofa
By A.P. Stolen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Chicago, IL
Made by: A.P. Stolen, Denmark Material: oak, upholstery Size: 75 W × 31 D × 30 H in seat height 16 inches.
Upholstery, Oak
Midcentury Scandinavian Two Seater Sofa by Hans Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Berlin, DE
Designed by Hans Wegner for Getama in 1953, the GE 290 sofa is one of Hans Wegner's timeless pieces. The solid oak frame has angled, diagonal legs. The armrests are flat and wide, thus giving this sofa it's nickname: the plank sofa...
Fabric, Oak
Upholstered Sofa by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen
By Hans J. Wegner, A.P. Stolen
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A tailored and fully upholstered sofa floating on well-scaled turned oak dowel legs. Model AP32-S by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen in original upholstery.
Upholstery, Wool, Oak
Upholstered Sofa by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen
By Hans J. Wegner, A.P. Stolen
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A sculptural, tailored and fully upholstered (and very comfortable) sofa floating on well-scaled turned oak dowel legs and retaining its original cream strie´ wool fabric.
Oak, Upholstery
Sofa in Leather and Oak by Hans Wegner, 1949
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
This rare sofa, model JH-555, was designed by Hans Wegner and produced by the cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen in Denmark in 1949. It represents an early and exceptional example of Wegne...
Leather, Oak
GE-236/3 Sofa in Teak by Hans J. Wegner 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Handewitt, DE
GE-236 / 3 sofa in solid teak, designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1955. Manufactured by Getama in 1960s. Original cushions in creme / green stripes wool fabric,
Teak
Roll Arm Sofa by Hans J. Wegner for AP Stolen
By Hans J. Wegner, A.P. Stolen
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A straight-back roll arm sofa retaining its original brown wool strie´ upholstery, the seating element having a comfortable pitch and elevated by solid squared teak legs.
Teak, Upholstery
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.
