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.
$6,800Sale Price|20% Off
H 28.75 in W 78 in D 35 in
Hans J. Wegner for Getama – Model GE6 Teak Daybed, Denmark, 1960
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Chicago, IL
Hans J. Wegner for Getama – Model GE6 Teak Daybed, Denmark, 1960 A classic Danish modern daybed designed by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, model GE6, crafted in teakwood with newly uph...
Upholstery, Teak
$10,013
H 25.99 in W 78.35 in D 35.04 in
Hans J. Wegner Danish Modern Daybed in Teak and Rattan GE7 Made at GETAMA, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Odense, DK
Designed by Hans Wegner for GETAMA this amazing convertible daybed / sofa features a beautifully patinated teakwood frame and woven cane / rattan back seat which reveals a hidden spa...
Wool, Cane, Rattan, Teak
$10,013
H 25.99 in W 78.35 in D 35.04 in
Hans J. Wegner 1950s Danish Modern Daybed in Oak and Rattan "GE7" Made at GETAMA
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Odense, DK
Designed by Hans Wegner for GETAMA this amazing convertible daybed / sofa features a beautifully patinated oak frame and woven cane / rattan back seat which reveals a hidden space fo...
Wool, Cane, Rattan, Oak
Early Daybed GE-258 in Oak and Cane by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Handewitt, DE
Daybed GE-258 in oak by Hans J. Wegner for Getama Denmark 1954. Backrest in wicker cane. Original mattress with grey fabric. Early production 1950s. with beatiful patina and round legs.
Fabric, Cane, 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
$2,827
H 16.93 in W 70.87 in D 29.53 in
Mid-Century Danish Teak Daybed Model GE19 by Hans J. Wegner, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Nørre Aaby, DK
An elegant and lightweight teak daybed, model GE19, designed by Hans J. Wegner in the 1960s, exemplifying the refined simplicity and exceptional craftsmanship of Danish modern design...
Teak
$4,640Sale Price|20% Off
H 30 in W 77 in D 34 in
Danish Mid-Century Modern Daybed Sofa by Hans Wegner for Getma
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in New York, NY
Iconic Danish Mid-Century Modern daybed, sofa - model GE- 258 designed by Hans Wegner for Getma. This example is in very good, estate condition, specifically the fabric shows wear, s...
Upholstery, Teak
$14,895
H 31 in W 67 in D 31 in
Expertly Restored - Early Hans J. Wegner JH-555 Teak Sofa for Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Materials: Teak Wood, New Tweed Fabric, New High-Density Foam ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history b...
Fabric, Foam, Wood, Teak
Hans Wegner Four Seater Sofa in Teak For Getama, Model GE-236
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in San Diego, CA
A masterclass in Danish Modern design, the Model GE-236 four-seat sofa by Hans J. Wegner for Getama embodies the effortless balance of sculptural beauty, exceptional craftsmanship, a...
Teak, Fabric
Grete Jalk Mid Century Danish Teak Sofa
By Grete Jalk
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Grete Jalk Mid Century Danish Teak Sofa This sofa measures: 71.75 wide x 26.5 deep x 27.25 inches high, with a seat height of 15 and arm height of 22 inches Good Vintage Condition ...
Upholstery, Teak
Yngve Ekström Pine Sofa, Swedese, Mid Century Modern, 1970s
By Swedese, Yngve Ekström
Located in Chicago, IL
Yngve Ekstrom Sofa, c. 1970 Swedese Pine frame, newly reupholstered in Knoll Textiles "Ferry - Whitehall" 27 1/2" H x 77 1/2" W x 30" D Condition: Very good overall condition. Pine ...
Pine
1960 Alvar Aalto Cantilever Chair Model 406 by Artek in Birch and Cane Webbing
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Chicago, IL
Alvar Aalto, cantilevered chair model 406. Laminated birch, cane. circa 1960 The model 406 chair was originally designed in 1938-39. 35"H x 24"W x 27...
Cane, Birch
1960 Alvar Aalto Cantilever Chair Model 406 by Artek in Birch and Cane Webbing
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Chicago, IL
Alvar Aalto, cantilevered chair model 406. Laminated birch, cane. circa 1960 The model 406 chair was originally designed in 1938-39. Measures: 35"H x...
Cane, Birch
Pair of Alvar Aalto Cantilever Chairs Model 406 by Artek in Birch Cane Webbing
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Alvar Aalto, cantilevered chairs model 406. Laminated birch, cane. circa 1960 The model 406 chair was originally designed in 1938-39. 35"H x ...
Cane, Birch
Yngve Ekström Pine Lounge Chair, Swedese, Mid Century Modern, 1970s
By Yngve Ekström, Swedese
Located in Chicago, IL
Yngve Ekstrom Lounge Chair, c. 1970 Swedese Pine frame, newly reupholstered in Knoll Textiles "Ferry - Whitehall" 37" H x 31" W x 30" D Condition: Very good overall condition. Pine ...
Pine
Modern Alexander Bench in Oak by Last Workshop, Custom Options
By Last Workshop
Located in Chicago, IL
"Alexander Bench" by Last Workshop in solid white oak Measures: 48" x 15" x 16"H Shown here in natural oak, and white oiled oak. Please inquire for custom sizes and finishes. ...
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.
