Danish furniture design - a history and Danish-inspired chairs to shop today

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I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I feel that a certain style of furniture is having a bit of a moment, and it’s a moment that I am here for. Taking the much-loved Scandinavian interiors and design to the next level, is the emergence of Danish inspired furniture. It’s always been around, of course, but now it’s more available to the masses and is heavily featured on many Instagram ‘interior influencer’ accounts right now. A sure sign that something is having a ‘moment’, no?

Now I’m certainly no influencer but this style has always been right up my street and I have just bagged myself a couple of Danish-inspired dining chairs, so I thought I’d take you on a little history lesson in Danish furniture design and share a few items that I found and love.

wood dining chair at kitchen table — *My own Danish-inspired dining chair - find my chair* *here* *(aff link)*

Danish design - a whistle stop history

It may be the smallest country in Scandinavia, but Denmark has long been the epicentre of European furniture making. Since the 19th Century in fact. The abundance of forests and access to natural materials meant that furniture was crafted exclusively from wood. Initially designing primarily for functionality, by the turn of the 20th century designers were starting to mix the practicality with contemporary design styles. Form meeting function, and all that.

One of the most well-known Danish craftsmen was Joseph Christian Lille, an architect and interior designer who really paved the way for the Danish design in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a German design school called the Bauhaus which pushed the mass production of design and furniture, and inspired Kaare Klint to establish the School of Arts and Crafts at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in 1924, with a view to enable more Danish designers to get involved in this movement. Over the years, the school produced some leading furniture designers and Denmark was firmly on the map as the hub of furniture design.

Often referred to as Mid-Century design, the boom for Danish furniture peaked in the middle of the 20th century, between 1940 and 1960. Prominent designers during the time, including Klint, Hans Wegner and Finn Juhl, developed their own unique, modern takes on Danish furniture design to create some of the styles that we still covet today.

danish designed chairs — *Credit: Designmuseum Danmark*

The Danish furniture style

The key component of Danish furniture is wood. Typically oak, but designers such as Finn Juhl preferred using teak and other darker woods, creating his unique style and broadening the range of what we now think of as being Danish design. Combined with leather and natural fabrics,

The core of Danish design is to combine aesthetics with practicality and, a legacy of the craftsmanship from the 19th and 20th century designers, true Danish styles should be well made with longevity in mind.

Simplicity in it’s design and materials is key. Sleek, structural design, clever engineering and premium, natural materials, creates a statement piece which has the ability to both blend in and enhance it’s surroundings.

A little mid-century can go a long way

With such a distinct style, a house full of mid-century pieces can easily transport you back to that time. Perfect if that’s your vibe and you want to go all in on a style. However for many of us, a few statement Danish pieces can be just enough to elevate a room and give a nod to the craftsmanship and unique styles of the era.

There are currently a huge number of Danish-inspired designs, particularly seating, available from luxury through to high street interior retailers. So sticking with chairs, here are four of my favourites Danish-inspired styles…

The Wishbone Chair

The iconic Wishbone Chair, designed by Hans Wegner exclusively for Carl Hansen & Søn on 1949, has amazingly been in continuous production since 1950. A true icon and classic Danish style, structural and beautifully made, you can still buy the Wishbone chair from Carl Hansen & Søn or there are numerous look-a-likes available in various formats, at more purse-friendly price points!

hans wegner wishbone chair in simple designed room — *The iconic Hans Wegner Wishbone chair designed for Carl Hansen & Søn*

Finn Juhl Spade Lounge Chair

Designed by Finn Juhl, original Spade lounge chairs can now sell for around £3,000 which is pretty incredible! Identifiable by the slight downward curve to the arms and the rounded detail where the arm meets the front leg, there’s no replicating this iconic design but there are plenty of armchairs on the market which are clearly inspired by it. Often combined with a slight Japandi vibe, maybe some thicker seat cushions, straighter arms and different shaping to the arm/leg joints, it’s a definite Danish style and a modern take on a true classic. You can still see the influence of the original Spade chair in the current Finn Juhl collection, with modern updates and more elaborate and bold detail.

finn juhl original spade chair — *An original Finn Juhl Spade Chair*

The Kennedy Chair

Another Hans Wegner design, the Kennedy chair is inspiration to a huge number of dining chairs on the market today. Now available in slighting varying styles and wood types, with it’s flattened back rest and emphasis on the wood and simple sleek design, this next style is classic Danish design.

*A classic Danish design - shop this chair* *here* *(aff link)*

Wegner-inspired Lounge Chair

Yet another iconic Hans Wegner design, the lounge chair has made a big comeback in 2022. With modern updates to classic the seagrass seating using rope, rattan or leather weave, and slight variations on shape and design, it’s a statement occasional chair particularly fitting for a Scandinavian or boho style space.