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.
Finn Juhl for France & Son Made by Povl Dinesen Teak Coffee Table, 1960s
By Povl Dinesen, Finn Juhl, France & Søn
Located in Wheat Ridge, CO
Finn Juhl for France & Son Made by Povl Dinesen Teak Coffee Table, Denmark, 1960s Beautiful vintage Danish Modern coffee table designed by Finn Juhl and made by cabinetmaker Povl Di...
Teak
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
Swedish Modern “Frisco” Teak Side Table by Folke Ohlsson for Tingströms
Located in Wheat Ridge, CO
A vintage Scandinavian modern side table, model Frisco, designed by Folke Ohlsson for Tingströms and produced by Bra Bohag, Sweden, circa 1960s. Beautifully crafted in warm teak, the...
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Side Table by Lane Furniture, Walnut, USA, 1965
By Lane Furniture
Located in Wheat Ridge, CO
A beautifully crafted mid-century modern side table from the Perception collection by Lane Furniture, produced in the United States during the 1960s. This piece exemplifies the refin...
Walnut
Arthur Umanoff Mid-Century Modern Walnut Side Table, USA, 1960s
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Wheat Ridge, CO
Arthur Umanoff Mid-Century Modern Side Table A sculptural mid-century side table designed by Arthur Umanoff, circa 1960s. This elegant piece features a circular white laminate top s...
Laminate, Walnut
American of Martinsville Mid-Century Modern Two Tier Step Table, circa 1965
Located in Wheat Ridge, CO
American of Martinsville walnut step end table, circa 1960s, showcasing the brand’s signature balance of clean lines and subtle decorative detail. The two-tier design features a lowe...
Metal
Hans Wegner for Andreas Tuck Teak and Oak Coffee Table
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Beautiful Teak and Oak Hans Wegner coffee table for Andreas Tuck,model AT-11. features teak top with raised lip and round tapered Oak legs. Classic danish modern design. marked on un...
Oak, Teak
Danish Teak Coffee Table by Hans J. Wegner, Mid-Century Modern
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A brown, vintage Mid-Century Modern Danish coffee, sofa table made of hand crafted Teakwood, designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced by Andreas Tuck in good condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Circa 1960 Denmark, Scandinavia. Hans Jorgensen Wegner...
Teak
Mid-Century Modern Teak and Cane Coffee Table by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in North Hollywood, CA
The Scandinavian AT-10 coffee table, designed by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck in the 1950s, embodies the philosophy that made Danish Modern design an enduring benchmark of craftsm...
Cane, Oak, 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
Danish Expandable Teak Coffee Table Designed by Johannes Andersen
By Johannes Andersen and C. F. Christensen
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Expandable teak coffee table designed by Johannes Andersen and produced by CFC Silkeborg. Featuring beautiful teak woodgrain, sculptural...
Teak
Hans Wegner AT-15 Solid Teak and Oak Coffee Table for Andreas Tuck
By Hans J. Wegner, Andreas Tuck
Located in Balen, BE
Minimalistic and elegant, oiled teak and oak coffee table by Hans J. Wegner, Model AT15 produced by Andreas Tuck. The materials used in this coffee table are solid teak and oak wood...
Brass
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.
