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Carl Hansen & Søn

Family-owned since its inception, Carl Hansen & Søn has been one of the most prestigious furniture manufacturers in Denmark for more than a century. The firm has produced timeless masterpieces of Scandinavian modernism by iconic designers Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Børge Mogensen and others.

In 1908, cabinetmaker Carl Hansen opened his first small workshop near Odense, Denmark, where he created furniture by hand in the preferred Victorian style of the times. Hansen expanded his operations by 1915 due to high demand. The larger factory allowed room for more modern machinery and a staff of many journeymen who produced a small series of their most popular pieces, including coffee tables, cabinets and sculptural, inviting armchairs. The firm became known for marrying the finest handmade craftsmanship with efficient production processes.

The Great Depression of the 1930s saw worldwide furniture sales plummet, and many furniture manufacturers were forced to shutter their workshops. At the age of 23, furniture maker Carl Hansen’s youngest son, Holger, took control of his father’s factory and piloted it through the era’s uncertain waters.

Holger Hansen’s youthful enthusiasm, innovative spirit, and intuitive business savvy kept their company afloat. He believed in the quality of the firm’s work and the cutting-edge designs that were produced at its factory, which emerged from modest beginnings to become a pivotal piece of the history of Danish furniture.

Owing to Holger’s leadership, Carl Hansen & Søn emerged from the Great Depression and entered into creative alliances with many acclaimed Danish masters of mid-century design, including Kaare Klint, Børge Mogensen, Arne Jacobsen, Ole Wanscher, Frits Henningsen and Poul Kjærholm.

None of these partnerships proved as prolific as their relationship with Hans Wegner, however. In 1949, the cabinetmaker moved to Denmark’s Funen Island and was staying in Holger’s family home, as the then-Carl Hansen CEO had commissioned Wegner to create a chair for the company that was similar to his popular China chair of 1944.

Wegner began to work closely with the company’s craftsmen and devised a streamlined chair with a Y-shaped back and woven paper-cord seat. The legendary Wishbone chair, which still involves nearly 100 processes and takes weeks to make, has been in continuous production since its 1950 debut.

Carl Hansen & Søn has manufactured some of the most extraordinary chairs, sofas and lounge chairs for living room relaxation in the history of design. Their dining room tables and chairs run the gamut in style and functionality, from everyday comfort to elegant entertaining. The company’s impressive roster of contemporary designers includes renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the Vienna-based design firm EOOS and celebrated American industrial designer Brad Ascalon. They remain the world’s largest producer of Wegner’s furniture and still enjoy a collaborative relationship with the Hans J. Wegner Studio.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Carl Hansen & Søn chairs, tables, case pieces and other furniture.

Hans J. Wegner 'CH24 Wishbone' Chair in Oak & Soap for Carl Hansen & Son
By Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & Søn
Located in Glendale, CA
Hans J. Wegner 'CH24 Wishbone' chair in oak & soap for Carl Hansen & Son The story of Danish Modern begins in 1908 when Carl Hansen opened his first workshop. His firm commitment ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Carl Hansen & Søn

Materials

Papercord, Oak, Wood

Set of Six Hans Wegner Teak CH23 Chairs in Danish Cord by Carl Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & Søn
Located in San Diego, CA
We have a set of 6 CH23 dining chairs designed by iconic furniture designer Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn in Denmark c. 1950’s. The oak and teak wood frames have been restored...
Category

1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Carl Hansen & Søn

Materials

Cord, Teak

Hans J. Wegner "CH28" Lounge Chair in Patinated Oak, Carl Hansen & Sons, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & Søn
Located in Odense, DK
Early production Hans J. Wegner "CH28" lounge chair in patinated oak and dark green vintage upholstery. This example is from the early 1950s and has the most amazing patina and wood ...
Category

1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Carl Hansen & Søn

Materials

Oak

Mid Century Modern Solid Oak & Teak Dining Table Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & Søn
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic simple yet very elegant dining table CH327 by Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen & Son. Oak top with a teak frame and legs. Solid wood top appears to be floating above the fram...
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1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Carl Hansen & Søn

Materials

Oak, Teak

Viintage Oak and Teak CH23 Side Chair by Hans Wegner
By Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Beautiful oak and teak side chair model CH23 for Carl Hansen & son by Hans Wegner. this timeless design one of the well known designs of dining chairs. they feature oak frames with b...
Category

1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Carl Hansen & Søn

Materials

Papercord, Oak, Teak

Hunting Table Model BW1160 Made In Walnut Made By Carl Hansen & Søn
By Børge Mogensen, Carl Hansen & Søn
Located in Lejre, DK
The hunting table, known as Model BM1160, is a splendid example of Børge Mogensen's unique design aesthetic. Made of walnut wood and supported by brass crossbars, this table exudes e...
Category

2010s Danish Modern Carl Hansen & Søn

Materials

Walnut

Tadao Ando Chair "TA001P Dream Chair", circa 2014, Japan
By Carl Hansen & Søn, Tadao Ando
Located in Girona, Spain
DESCRIPTION: Chair in oak veneer, upholstered in leather with a small, relaxing neck pillow. Very decorative piece. Designed by Ando Tadao for Carl Hansen & Son. Numbered and Signe...
Category

2010s Japanese Other Carl Hansen & Søn

Materials

Leather, Oak

Set Of 4 Hans Wegner CH29 Sawbuck Dining Chairs For Carl Hansen & Son, 1952
By Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. Wegner
Located in ABCOUDE, UT
Nice set of 4 iconic model CH29 dining chairs designed by Hans J. Wegner and manufactured by Carl Hansen & Søn, Denmark 1952. This design classic is also called “Sawbuck chair” becau...
Category

1950s Vintage Carl Hansen & Søn

Materials

Upholstery, Oak

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Carl Hansen & Søn furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Carl Hansen & Søn furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Carl Hansen & Søn furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 98 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 284 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Carl Hansen & Søn were created in the modern style in europe during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Fredericia, Hans Olsen, and Theresa Rand. Prices for Carl Hansen & Søn furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $90 and can go as high as $32,436, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,468.

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