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.
Hans J Wegner Danish Mid-Century Circle Chair
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in London, GB
A scarce mid-century open lounge chair by Hans J Wegner. Circle chair for PP mobler. Denmark, c1980s. Suprisingly comfy, the original upholstery has been retained but has...
Oak
$6,530 / item
H 28.75 in W 27.96 in D 28.75 in
Hans J. Wegner CH25 Lounge Chair Black Oak Black Papercord for Carl Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & Søn
Located in New York, NY
The woven paper cord in the CH25 Lounge Chair was a replacement for seagrass developed during World War II. Hans J. Wegner was enthusiastic about the look of the material and its non...
Papercord, Oak
Yngve Ekström 'Circle' Rocking Chair, Sweden, circa 1960
By Møbel AB Sweden, Yngve Ekström
Located in Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland
Rare ‘Circle’ rocking chair by Yngve Ekström – Sweden, 1960s. Designer: Yngve Ekström Manufacturer: Stol AB Sweden. Country: Sweden Mo...
Velvet, Wood
$5,870 / item
H 28.6 in W 27.4 in D 24.2 in
Hans Wegner 'CH22' Chair in Black Painted Oak for Carl Hansen & Son
By Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hans Wegner 'CH22' Chair in Black Painted Oak for Carl Hansen & Son The story of Danish Modern begins in 1908 when Carl Hansen opened his first workshop. His firm commitment to ...
Papercord, Oak
$1,070 / item
H 30.32 in W 26.38 in D 21.66 in
Original Black "Circle" Chair by Yngve Ekström for Swedese, 1960s, Sweden
By Yngve Ekström
Located in Argelato, BO
It is one of the most iconic and representative chairs of Swedish design, designed by Yngve Ekström and produced in the 1960s for Swedese, Sweden. With colleagues such as Aalto, M...
Fabric, Wood
$7,644
H 35.04 in W 31.5 in D 27.96 in
PK 20 - Lounge chair in original black leather by Poul Kjærholm
By Fritz Hansen, Poul Kjærholm
Located in Copenhagen, DK
PK 20 - Armchair in original black leather with neck cushion and spring steel frame. Designed in 1968 by Poul Kjærholm. Made by Fritz Hansen.
Steel
$5,258
H 28.35 in W 28.75 in D 28.35 in
Danish Modern Black Lacquered Beech and Lounge Chair by Illum Wikkelsø, 1950s
By Illum Wikkelsø, Niels Eilersen
Located in Odense, DK
Rare and important 1950s lounge chair in lacquered beech and paper cord by Danish designer Illum Wikkelsø. This stunning chair was manufactured at the cabinetmaker N. Eilersen in the...
Papercord, Beech
Yngve Ekström Circle Chair for Swedese, 1960s, Swedese Sweden
By Yngve Ekström, Swedese
Located in Krefeld, DE
Midcentury circle lounge chair by Yngve Ekström for Swedese, Sweden. Cushions with some spots. The blue fabric turned into grey from being expose the sun :-). Paint with some damages...
Wood
$5,175 / item
H 28.75 in W 27.96 in D 28.75 in
Mid-Century Modern Scandinavian Armchair in Oak Model CH 25 by Hans Wegner
By Carl Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Courbevoie, FR
Mid-Century Modern CH 25 armchair by Hans Wegner. New product. Designed in 1950, the CH25 lounge chair was one of the first four chairs Hans J. Wegner created especially for Carl Han...
Oak
$2,899 / item
H 28.35 in W 24.61 in D 29.34 in
Poul Kjærholm PK4 Lounge Chair Natural Flag Halyard Black Steel for Fritz Hansen
By Poul Kjærholm, Fritz Hansen
Located in New York, NY
The PK4™ is a modern, relaxed lounge chair designed by Poul Kjærholm in 1952. It radiates the designer’s distinctive elegance through a light, minimalistic expression in steel and fl...
Steel
New Getama GE236 Sofa 3-Seater, Original Hans Wegner produced in 2023
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Miami, FL
This is an original GETAMA GE236 3-Seater sofa produced in Denmark in December of 2023 shortly before the Getama production facility burned down. This is an original design by Hans J...
Wool, Oak
New GE 240 Getama "Cigar" Chair and Footstool with Johanna Gullichsen Cushions
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Miami, FL
We are a Scandinavian Design Showroom based in Miami. We specialize in iconic, mid-century original Nordic and Scandinavian designs, handmade at the original factories. It's our Semi...
Oak
Set of 4 Fjord Fiesta Bambi Dining Chairs, Like New produced in Norway 2023
By Adolf Relling and Rolf Rastad
Located in Miami, FL
The gorgeous Bambi series by Norway's Fjordfiesta was relaunched in cooperation with Utopia Workshop and Rastad & Relling. The dining chair Bambi 57/4 is produced in solid oak with p...
Papercord, 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.
