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.
Rare Side or Sewing Table, Model AT-33 by Hans Wegner, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
This rare side or sewing table, model AT-33, was designed by Hans Wegner and produced by Andreas Tuck in Denmark during the 1950s. The table is crafted from teak and oak, with a warm...
Rattan, Oak
Hans Wegner Teak At-33 Sewing Table
By A.P. Stolen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Danish Modern AT-33 sewing table designed by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck. Executed in teak, the design reflects Wegner’s disciplined approach to proportion and utility, with soft...
Teak
Hans J. Wegner Teak At-33 Sewing Table
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Kastrup, DK
Sewing table, model AT-33 in solid teak. Features drop leaves, a wicker basket for knitting’s, and a drawer with spindles and divisions for thread and other supplies. Designed by Ha...
Cane, Teak
Hans J. Wegner Sewing Table, Model AT-33, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Savannah, GA
A teak sewing table designed by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck, model AT-33, produced in Denmark in the 1960s. Two drop-leaf extensions, an integrated pull-out cane sewing basket,...
Teak
Hans J. Wegner Sewing Table, Model AT-33, 1960s
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautifully crafted model AT-33 sewing table designed by Hans Wegner and manufactured in Denmark by cabinet maker Andreas Tuck. This teak and oak table features two extendable side l...
Teak, Wicker, Oak
$4,800
H 23.75 in W 26.25 in D 22.5 in
Hans J. Wegner AT-33 Sewing Drop-leaf Side Table in White Oak, Restored
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Oakland, CA
Danish side table designed by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck, Model AT-33. Handcrafted from solid white oak, the table features two drop leaves, a center drawer with built-in compar...
Oak
$1,118
H 22.84 in W 23.63 in D 15.75 in
Midcentury Modern Ejvind Johannson Teak Sewing Table for FDB Mobler, 1960s
By FDB Møbler, Ejvind A. Johansson
Located in Breda, Netherlands
Danish Design sewing cart Ejvind Johannson designed this sewing cart for two factories. Both FDB Møbler and Vitre have produced this sewing cart in several different wood types like ...
Teak
Vintage Danish Sewing Table, Teak Wood, 60s
Located in Tarm, 82
Sewing table, scandinavian design. Produced in about 1960. Teak wood and rattan. Elements of the wheel - brass.
Wicker, Teak
$981
H 27.37 in W 28.35 in D 17.52 in
Mid-Century Modern Scandinavian Teak Sewing Basket End Table - Johannes Andersen
By Johannes Andersen
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Mid-Century Modern Scandinavian Teak Sewing Basket End Table - Johannes Andersen Scandinavian - Decoration - Vintage modern Measures : 72cmx44.5cm H:69.5cm Material : Wood - Wicker ...
Wicker, Wood
$1,130
H 20.87 in W 24.81 in D 18.12 in
1960s Johannes Andersen Palisander Folding Sewing Table by Silkeborg, Denmark
By Johannes Andersen, CFC Silkeborg
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished - Labeled by producer - Unfolded: 92cm
Wood, Palisander
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.
