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.
Danish Modern Woven Rope Lounge Chair by Axel Larsson
By Axel Larsson
Located in Atlanta, GA
Danish Modern Woven Rope Lounge Chair by Axel Larsson, Sweden, circa 1960s. Very organic modern form with curvaceous wood frame and textural woven rope or seagrass upholstery.
Rope, Wood
$2,900 / set
H 29 in W 24 in D 29.5 in
Hans Wegner Style Mid Century Folding Lounge Chairs, Teak /Rope Accent Chairs
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Buffalo, NY
Pair of Hans Wegner Style Mid Century Folding Lounge Chairs, Accent Chairs This stunning pair of vintage lounge chairs features sculptural teak wood frames and original hand woven r...
Rope, Teak
$11,000
H 30 in W 24.25 in D 30 in
Hans J. Wegner 1950s Folding Chair, Oak Frame with Cane, Scandinavian
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed in 1949 by Hans Wegner and produced c.1950s for Johannes Hansen. The cane chair features an oak frame with the original cane. The seat of the chair sits at a slant offering ...
Cane, Oak
Hans Wegner JH-512 Oak Folding Chair, c. 1950s
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in London, England
This classic folding chair in oak and cane was one of Danish master Hans J. Wegner's most important and iconic works. The model 512 chair was produced by master cabinetmaker Johannes...
Rattan, Oak
Midcentury French Oak & Rope Woven Armchair
Located in Chicago, IL
Midcentury French oak arm chair with curved, sculptural arms. Woven seat and back supports are comprised of groups of 8 thin ropes form each "stripe" to create a square-style pattern...
Rope, Oak
$6,400
H 31 in W 25 in D 28 in
Hans Wegner Midcentury Original Classic JH-512 Folding Lounge Chair, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Studio City, CA
Iconic in design and aesthetic. This exquisite folding chair was designed by famed Danish designer Hans Wegner and is in its original finish and cane seat and back. The chair has the...
Cane, Oak
$2,080Sale Price|40% Off
H 29.53 in W 24.02 in D 21.66 in
Danish Hand woven Frits Schlegel Wicker Rocking Chair by Fritz Hansen, 1940s
By Frits Schlegel
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Frits Schlegel Wicker rocking chair in lacquered beech and with tight and intact paper weave in both seat and back. The chair was designed in the 1940s in Denmark and is produced ...
Wicker, Papercord, Rattan, Beech
Hans J. Wegner Folding Chair for Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Hans J. Wegner folding chair of oak model JH-512, 1949. Executed by Johannes Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Cane, Oak
Folding Lounge Chair · Cedar and Handwoven Palm
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Mexico, circa 1970 · Muebles Toluca. Some objects need no justification. The earth makes them, the hand refines them, and time gives them what no design can buy. The chair rests on ...
Seagrass, Oak
Mexican Folding Lounge Chair · Oak and Handwoven Palm
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Mexico, circa 1970 · Muebles Toluca. Some objects need no justification. The earth makes them, the hand refines them, and time gives them what no design can buy. The chair rests on ...
Seagrass, Oak
Vintage 'Fortino' High Back Lounge Chair by Yngve Ekström for Swedese
By Swedese, Yngve Ekström
Located in Raleigh, NC
Mid-century ‘Fortino’ high back armchair designed by Yngve Ekström for Swedese. This Swedish design features a connected bentwood beech wood frame. The frame is the most impressive f...
Fabric, Upholstery, Foam, Beech, Bentwood
Mid-Century Single Chair by Erik Ole Jørgensen
By Erik Ole Jørgensen
Located in Raleigh, NC
Mid-century single teak dining / desk chair. Designed by Erik Ole Jørgensen, Denmark circa 1970s. A perfect piece for unique desk chair, corner chair, or head of a dining table. Feat...
Wood, Teak
Mid-Century Barrel Lounge Chair with Ottoman by Dunbar
By Dunbar Furniture
Located in Raleigh, NC
Mid-century barrel back lounge chair and ottoman attributed to Dunbar. This chair has a classic barrel design with armrests that connect to the backrests. The backrest is curved whic...
Fabric, Foam, Wood
1950s Scoop Lounge Attributed to Allan Gould
By Adrian Pearsall, Allan Gould, Thayer Coggin
Located in Raleigh, NC
1950s single scoop lounge attributed to Allan Gould. Highback that scoops into the seat create a unique profile. A minimalist design seated atop four tapered flared wooden legs. This...
Leather, Wood, Walnut
Vintage Swivel and Tilt Lounge by Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin
By Milo Baughman, Thayer Coggin
Located in Raleigh, NC
Mid-century swivel and tilt lounge. Designed by Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin, U.S. A low profile lounge that has a rounded back and provides a comfortable seated position. Sitting...
Metal
Vintage Klismos Style Dining Chairs - Set of Six
By Drexel, Paul McCobb, Paul Frankl
Located in Raleigh, NC
Vintage set of six Klismos style dining chairs. Set includes one armchair and five side chairs. The wooden frames are sturdy and are currently in a dark brown coloration. This set wo...
Wood
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.
