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.
1950s Danish Sofa by Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard
By Peter Hvidt
Located in Victoria, BC
A rare and elegant sofa by Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, showcasing the refined proportions and architectural clarity that define his early Danish modern work. The sculptural frame, angled ...
Wood
1960s Danish Oak Lounge Chair by Fritz Hansen
By Fritz Hansen
Located in Victoria, BC
A beautifully crafted Danish high-back lounge chair by Fritz Hansen, made in solid oak with the clean, sculpted lines that define the period. Recently reupholstered in a warm texture...
Oak
1960s Three-Seat Sofa by Knut Sæter for Vatne Møbler in rosewood
Located in Victoria, BC
Designed by Knut Sæter and produced by Vatne Møbler in Norway during the 1960s, this three-seat sofa reflects the material quality and restrained proportions associated with Norwegia...
Fabric, Rosewood
1960s MP-123 Modular Bench by Percival Lafer for Lafer, Completely Original
By Percival Lafer
Located in Victoria, BC
Designed by Percival Lafer and produced in Brazil during the 1960s, the MP-123 Modular Bench reflects the designer's innovative approach to modular furniture and exposed construction...
Hardwood
1950s FD116 lounge chair by Tove and Edvard Kindt-Larsen for France & Daverkosen
By Tove & Edvard Kindt-Larsen
Located in Victoria, BC
A 1950s Model FD116 lounge chair designed by Tove and Edvard Kindt-Larsen for France & Daverkosen, featuring a sculptural beech frame and newly upholstered leather covers. The chair...
Leather, Beech
1960s Jangada Chair and Ottoman by Jean Gillon
By Jean Gillon
Located in Victoria, BC
A profoundly authentic expression of Brazilian modernism, this 1960s Jangada lounge chair and ottoman by Jean Gillon embodies the relaxed sophistication and material honesty that def...
Rosewood
Mid-Century Scandinavian Modern Sofa & Armchair by Hans J. Wegner for Getama
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
This elegant lounge set consist of a three-seater sofa and an armchair. The set was designed by Hans J. Wegner for the Getama Gedsted in Denmark during the 1960s. This is the GE-530 ...
Wool, Oak
Model GE-375 Lounge Chairs in Oak by Hans Wegner for Getama
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in New York, NY
A quintessential piece of Danish Modern design, this pair of Model GE-375 lounge chairs, designed by the master Hans J. Wegner in 1969 for Getama, is a showcase of elegant simplicity...
Leather, Upholstery, Oak
Danish Design Classsic GE 290 Three Seater Sofa by Hans Wegner for GETAMA, 1960s
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Renens, CH
One of the most recognized designs by Hans Wegner and probably the whole danish mid-century modern period is the GE 290 sofa and arm chair produced by Getama....
Wool, Oak
Hans J. Wegner Model 290 Three-Seat Sofa, Oak & Wool, Mid-Century
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Hans J. Wegner three-seat sofa made of solid soap treated oak. New upholstered with yellow fabric. Model 290, made by GETAMA.
Wool, Oak
Getama Hans Wegner Daybed & Lounge Chair Model GE1 - NO LONGER MADE / AVAILABLE
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Utrecht, NL
Daybed model GE1 by Hans Wegner in solid oak with oil finish and a bespoke fine bouclé fabric upholstery in seafoam-green from a premium Italian textile brand DEDAR. Hans J. Wegner'...
Stainless Steel
GE290 Three-Seater Sofa in Oak by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Nørre Aaby, DK
Iconic GE290 three-seater sofa designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced by Getama in Denmark during the 1960s. Crafted in solid oak with Wegner’s signature angled frame and armrests, ...
Fabric, 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.
