THE BEST SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN DINING CHAIRS
Looking for a new chair? In this post, I have collected the 20 best Scandinavian design dining chairs for the perfect Nordic look in your home. Browse through these classic, comfortable and trendy chairs and I am sure you will find something you like.
1 // CH24 WISHBONE CHAIR | Carl Hansen & Son – With a form that is uniquely its own, the iconic CH24 Wishbone Chair by Hans J. Wegner holds a special place in the design world. When designing the CH24 in 1949, Wegner chose to combine the back and armrest into a single piece. To give stability to the steam-bent top and ensure comfortable support, Wegner developed the characteristic Y-shaped back that the Wishbone Chair is named after. With more than 100 steps required to manufacture each Chair, its impressive durability and stability, of which makes the chair both strong and long-lasting, highlights high-quality craftsmanship. Today it is a true is a Scandinavian design classic. Offering great comfort combined with a beautiful aesthetic, this chair is perfectly utilised around a dining table and will be recognised by most of your guests.
Among Danish furniture designers, Hans J. Wegner is considered one of the most creative, innovative and prolific. Often referred to as the master of the chair, Wegner actually created almost 500 chairs in his lifetime – many of them considered masterpieces.
2 // SERIES 7 CHAIR | FRITZ HANSEN – The Series 7 chair is an icon in modern furniture history, designed by Arne Jacobsen in back in 1955. Its unique shape is timeless and incredibly versatile, displaying character without overpowering the eye. The chair is made from 9 layers of pressure moulded veneer for strength, flexibility and durability despite its slender form. The chair is available in a selection of colours and with different bases and cushions making it adaptable to any home and interior. The Series 7 deserves its place amongst the classic chairs of the history of furniture and is a minimal and timeless choice to have around the dining table.
Arne Jacobsen was a Danish architect and furniture designer. He is remembered for his contribution to architectural functionalism and for the worldwide success he enjoyed with simple well-designed chairs. For more than half of the twentieth century, Arne Jacobsen’s ideas has helped shape the landscape of Scandinavian design while also influenced architects and designers around the world.
3 // OSLO CHAIR | MUUTO – Muuto’s Oslo chair is the embodiment of Scandinavian chic. The contemporary upholstered dining chair was designed by Anderssen & Voll, and features a stylish and comfortable seat, delicate legs and high-quality upholstery from Kvadrat and Rohleder. Combining modern, geometric lines with a light expression and comfort, the Oslo chair brings a refined perspective to the form through its playful lines and is a great addition to your home.
Anderssen & Voll is a Norwegian design duo, founded by Torbjørn Anderssen and Espen Voll and based in Oslo. The duo have been named both Norwegian and Scandinavian Designers of the Year and have received international awards and recognition for their extensive work with furniture, lighting, and home accessories.
4 // MONO CHAIR | WOUD – The Mono dining chair reshapes traditional Scandinavian wood design with a new plywood technique and untraditional thinking. Created by the Finnish designer Kasper Nyman for the Danish brand Woud, the main inspiration behind the design is being able to fold wood like a sheet of paper into a cone shape. With its clean and simple look, the oak veneer construction gives Mono a light and refined expression rooted in the Scandinavian design tradition. A sturdy and classic dining chair that won’t go out of fashion.
Kasper Nyman is a dynamic Finnish designer. He designs from a strong idea with great attention to identity, functionality and quality. With the elegant lines and soft shapes, he carries on the modern Scandinavian design tradition.
5 // COCO CHAIR | GUBI – The Coco Chair is designed by OEO Studio with an eye to create a charismatic signature design that offers a high level of comfort. The chair borrows references to the industrial simplicity, fashion and the Bauhaus, but the inspiration of the design comes from a desire to create a simple yet elegant chair with a minimal use of materials and tools without compromising the design and character. The chair has its own unique personality and friendly appearance that makes it blend naturally into various settings – a sophisticated and elegant chair for your dining area.
OEO Studio is a Danish design studio founded by Thomas Lykke in 2003. Focused in interior and product design as well as brand innovation, OEO Studio is known for their passion for craftsmanship and natural materials as well as their keen eye for detail brought on by years of experience.
6 // IN BETWEEN SK2 CHAIR | &TRADITION – Inspired by the Scandinavian heritage of design and furniture craftsmanship, the In Between SK2 chair is a result of Sami Kallio’s solid grounding in traditional wood- working techniques and his eye for ingenious detail. It offers a wink to the past in a timeless design with a focus forward. The interplay between positive and negative space is central to the concept, where forms are created by the shape as well as gaps in between.
The award-winning designer Sami Kallio was born in Finland and raised in Sweden, where he honed his skills in traditional woodworking craftsmanship, such as compression moulding and woodturning. Kallio designs furniture and interiors translating classical shapes into contemporary expressions with an industrial aesthetic which resonate with a modern-minded audience.
7 // ALTO CHAIR 69 | ARTEK – Chair 69 was designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek in 1935, a universal and traditional that exudes durability and stability while retaining an elegance of line. wooden chair. Chair 69 is one of Aalto’s best-known dining chairs, and its simple yet vivid character easily suits any dining area. The wide seat and backrest provide superior stability and everyday function for various different situations.
Recognised today as one of the great masters of modern architecture, Alvar Aalto began designing furnishings as a natural extension of his architectural thinking. Artek was set up in 1935 to market and sell his and his wife Aino’s furniture, lighting, and textiles, particularly on international markets.
8 // J104 CHAIR | HAY – The J104 dining chair is Jørgen Baekmark’s interpretation of a classic spindled armchair. Made of solid beech wood with a wide, curved backrest, J104 makes a comfortable and lovable dining chair in any interior.
Joergen Baekmark is a Danish designer who worked at the FDB furniture design studio from 1958 until 1967. He trained as a cabinet maker and took courses in the applied arts, he is known for a particular lightness of touch and for pioneering flat-pack furniture for export.
9 // POST CHAIR | FREDERICIA – Fredericia’s Post chair is a great example of a piece of furniture from which everything extra has been stripped away, resulting in an authentic and meaningful design. Designed by Cecilie Manz, the upholstered chair boasts a simple, classic shape skillfully crafted from high-quality materials, making it a great chair to have around a dining table. The Post chair is upright and unassuming, with clean, classic lines, reflecting the brands passion for a clean, crisp, uncluttered aesthetics, where each piece involves beautifully crafted wood in proportions that naturally suit the human body.
With discreet and playful aesthetics, Cecilie Manz’s work demonstrates that functional details are able to create the aesthetic essence of an object in a subtle way. She founded her own studio in Copenhagen in 1998, where she designs furniture, glass, lamps and related products, mainly for the home.
10 // LASSEN CHAIR | BY LASSEN – By Lassen’s Lassen Chair is a tribute to the Danish architect brothers Mogens and Flemming Lassen. Designed by Magnus Sangild and Marianne Viktor, the chair combines Flemming Lassen’s love for wavy and organic silhouettes with Mogens Lassen’s precise, geometrical style. The result is both soft and sharp at the same time – the organic shapes of the upholstered seat create a balanced contrast with the simplistic lines of the steel frame. A great choice of for a modern dining table setting with a focus on comfort and hygge.
The Lassen brothers were among the first architects to work with functionalism in Denmark. The style became a defining characteristic, especially for Mogens Lassen, and he was clearly ahead of his time in the way that he perceived buildings and designs. His architecture featured square shapes and unique arches, large windows and open kitchens as we know them today. The Lassen brothers were extremely talented and were honored with many awards and grants for their unique designs and iconic architecture
11 // AFTEROOM PLUS CHAIR | MENU – Menu’s wooden Afteroom Plus chair is a tribute to functionalism and the Bauhaus style, where form always follows function. Designed and named by the design office Afteroom, the dining chair has a well-thought design: the four streamlined legs, rounded details and elastic backrest make the wooden chair practical without forgetting comfort. The considered design makes the chair a convenient and beautiful companion for dining, working and relaxing.
The Stockholm-based design studio Afteroom was established by the designers Hung-Ming Chenin and Chen-Yen Wein. In their design process Afterroom is an advocate for time: the aim is to create products that are beautiful, timelessly trendy, and grow their value throughout time – products that we want to grow old together with.
12 // MY CHAIR | NORMANN COPENHAGEN – Normann Copenhagen’s My Chair is Nicholai Wiig Hansen’s interpretation of a classic shell chair. Hansen’s mission was to create a versatile and harmonic chair blending together something old and new, something neutral but spectacular and something simple yet complex. The result was My Chair, which balances between various different elements in a subtle way. Perfected with carefully thought out details, this chair is a great fit for a dining table, and its refined character goes well together with both, contemporary interiors and timeless design classics.
The Danish designer Nicholai Wiig Hansen opened his own studio when he was 26-years old. He has designed furniture for companies like IKEA and Normann Copenhagen. Proportions are also extremely important to him and he does not add any details if they don’t serve a certain purpose.
13 // J46 CHAIR | FDB MØBLER – The J46 chair from FDB Møbler is a Danish design classic by Poul M. Volther from 1956. When first released, J46 was a fresh contrast among the typical, heavier dining chairs of its age. Made of solid beech, the J46 chair combines a V-shaped spindled backrest with a wide, comfortable seat. The lightweight chair will suit dining tables of various different styles, and it also makes a characterful centrepiece in other surroundings. Today, the J46 is the most-sold chair in Denmark!
Poul M. Volther was a Danish furniture architect and designer whose aim was to create affordable furniture for everyday use. He had a unique talent for developing high-quality furniture intended for mass production, and his simple and functionalist idiom was rooted in good craftsmanship.
14 // OAKI CHAIR | NORTHERN – Nordic know-how meets the art of Japanese joinery in the expressive Oaki chair Design by Stine Aas for Northern. The chair was inspired by the simplicity and artistry that characterises traditional Japanese wood craftsmanship. The designer set out to conceal the chair’s joins, giving Oaki a refined, uniquely weightless character that looks seamless in appearance. The position of the legs makes the chair come alive as they appear to step backwards. Crafted in solid oak and finished in smoked oak, light oiled oak or with a dark black sheen, Oaki is rich in detail, and loaded with character making it a great dining chair.
Stine Aas debuted on the Norwegian design scene just a few years ago, and since then, has produced a range of furniture and interior accessories that industry insiders describe as ground-breaking. Some say Stine remains true to the Nordic tradition of wood craftsmanship; others say she has set a new standard for the craft.
15 // LODGE CHAIR | VIPP – The Vipp Lodge dining chair features a moulded soft shell and legs of solid oak. The comfortably padded foam shell is designed to surround the body like a glove, while the backrest features soft suspension, ideal for long seating-sessions. The shell of the chair can be customised in Vipp’s entire upholstery range. The range was designed for the Vipp Lodge, the 4th hotel room in their series of branded hotel destinations.
16 // MOTIF CHAIR | FORM & REFINE – The Form & Refine motif is a chair of sophisticated aesthetics in a pure and compelling form designed by Herman Studio. The natural webbing is twisted by a 35 millimeter horizontal and 50 millimeter vertical webbing-band, making it an outstanding design element all the while fitting the chair’s dimensions to perfection. This element continues upon the backrest for a fully complete interaction. The backrest is also twisted on both sides so no matter which angle it is seen from the design is complete. The natural webbing makes the chair particularly comfortable and adds, as the solid oak, to the quality for a long-lasting usage.
Herman Studio was founded in 2012 by the two architects, Helle Herman Mortensen and Jonas Herman Pedersen. Their work spans from textile, ceramics, lighting and furniture design to interior design. A characteristic of their design is the objects’ clear silhouette. Working with a clear outline for each object, makes the design stand out simply and readily clear and recognizable.
17 // NY11 CHAIR | NORR11 – Inspired by traditional Danish elementary school chairs, the NY11 dining chair from NORR11 has a frame hand-crafted from solid oak and a seat of laminated oak veneer. The chair came to life when designers Rune Krøjgaard and Knut Bendik Humlevik went on a mission to create a modern take on the Scandinavian dining chair. Just like a school chair it had to be both comfortable and very durable. The result is a simple and honest chair with a timeless expression. The chair is ideally utilised around a dining table and has the perfect Nordic look.
Danish designer Rune Krojgaard works are characterized by his high understanding of materials and their properties. Norwegian furniture designer Knut Benedik Humlevik’s design is seeing the balance in a product and trimming away all unnecessary details.
18 // FAMILY CHAIR | DESIGN HOUSE OF STOCKHOLM – With this chair Lina Nordqvist has reinterpreted the traditional Swedish wooden chairs. The Family chair collection brings together several models of chairs that the designer created as the members of a family! They look alike and form a homogeneous group, but on closer inspection, we realise that each one is different… Like people with their own character, each of these chairs has its own identity, its own personality. The backrests, the legs, the position of the bars differ from one chair to another.
Lina Nordqvist has a background as a set designer in the Swedish film industry, as well as a degree from Beckmans College of Design, Stockholm. Her first work from Design House Stockholm comprises Family chairs, four chairs with unique identities.
19 // NOBLE CHAIR | WARM NORDIC – This is an elegant and noble designer chair created in the 1950s by the acclaimed furniture designer, Arne Hovmand-Olsen. The Noble dining chair is a classic beauty that transports the craftsmanship and aesthetics of Danish modernism into the contemporary dining room or sociable kitchen. The seat of the chair is available in upholstery or leather, each of which in its own way harmonises with the noble wood, underscoring the timeless appearance.
Arne Hovmand-Olsen became one of Denmark’s renowned furniture designers in the 1950s. The son of a farmer and an aesthete by nature, he started as an apprentice cabinetmaker, before studying furniture design and pursuing his passion for visual composition and furniture design.
20 // VESTER CHAIR | SKAGERAK – Skagerak’s Vester chair, designed by Chris Liljenberg Halstrøm, is an understatedly elegant piece of wooden furniture. Developed originally for the Danish coastal hotel, Svinkløv Badehotel, Vester delights with legs that make their way up into the backrest, a beautiful oiled oak body, and extraordinary proportions. Merging oak with brass details, the chair makes for an alluring yet comfortable addition to any surrounding. Thanks to a transverse brass rod behind the backrest, pulling out the chair becomes a distinctly stylish experience.
Chris Liljenberg Halstrøm established her own studio after graduating from The Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen in 2007. Copenhagen-based Halstrøm designs objects and furniture for projects, exhibitions and brands such as Skagerak, Halle+ and Design Nation.
Which dining chair is your favourite?
If you want more nordic design inspiration, check out my article with the best Scandinavian design coffee tables or the best Scandinavian table lamps.
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