A Celebration of Danish Design: Carl Hansen & Søn at Our Bath Showroom
|
|
Time to read 5 min
There is a distinct atmosphere created when mid-century Scandinavian furniture is placed within eighteenth-century British architecture. Our Bath showroom, situated in a classical former bank building on Milsom Street, provides exactly this kind of setting. The soaring ceilings, tall windows and ornate Georgian cornicing create a unique backdrop for displaying contemporary and mid-century furniture designs.
It is here that we are currently hosting a curated installation in partnership with Carl Hansen & Søn. Introducing their organic, wooden silhouettes into this environment creates a beautiful contrast between two very different aesthetic traditions.
For those with an appreciation for authentic craftsmanship, the takeover offers a rare opportunity to interact with pieces that have shaped history within the interior and design world. The first floor of the showroom has been painted in an earthy ochre, accented by deep red window frames. This palette was chosen to ground the classical architecture and provide a warm, tactile backdrop for the collection of Carl Hansen furniture on show.
Our collaboration with Carl Hansen & Søn allows visitors to experience Danish design up close. Testing the comfort of a woven seat or feeling the smooth joinery of a curved armrest is a necessary part of choosing furniture that you will live with and likely pass down for generations. The installation highlights the timelessness of these designs, demonstrating how traditional woodworking can respond perfectly to the demands of contemporary living.
The Heritage of a Danish Design Institution
The story of Carl Hansen & Søn began in a small workshop on the Danish island of Funen in 1908. Initially, the family business focused entirely on bespoke, handcrafted cabinetry tailored to individual orders. Their philosophy was built on honest materials and skilled construction. The turning point arrived in 1949 when the founder’s son, Holger Hansen, initiated a partnership with a then-unknown furniture architect named Hans J. Wegner.
Hansen and Wegner’s alliance proved that traditional woodworking techniques could successfully merge with progressive, sculptural forms. Wegner brought an architectural approach to seating, stripping away unnecessary upholstery and heavy ornamentation. Carl Hansen & Søn provided the manufacturing capability to execute Wegner’s complex visions without compromising on quality. This partnership became a driving force behind the global success of the Danish Modern movement in the 1950s.
Today, Carl Hansen & Søn remains committed to its founding principles. They continue to use ethically sourced, high-quality materials, including FSC-certified wood, ensuring their production methods respect the natural world they draw inspiration from. The contrast between heritage craftsmanship and modern environmental responsibility results in furniture that feels rooted in tradition, yet entirely relevant today
The Making of a Mid-Century Icon
The most recognisable outcome of that 1949 collaboration is the Carl Hansen Wishbone Chair, officially known as the CH24. Wegner drew inspiration from historic portraits of Danish merchants, often depicted sitting on chairs of the Chinese Ming dynasty, but translated those historical proportions into something new. The chair features a steam-bent top rail that seamlessly transitions into armrests. This continuous curve is supported by a characteristic Y-shaped back, offering both structural integrity and a visual lightness.
Producing a single CH24 Wishbone Chair involves over one hundred manual steps. The most demanding part of the process is the seating surface. Each chair requires 120 metres of paper cord, tightly woven by hand over the course of an hour. This specific technique ensures a surface that yields slightly to the sitter while maintaining its tension over decades of daily use.
The contrast between the rigid, solid wood frame and the tactile, woven paper cord creates a chair that feels inviting and tactile. It draws attention to itself quietly, relying on the natural beauty of oak, walnut, or beech rather than loud embellishments. Knowing the history and the labour involved in its creation changes the way you interact with the chair, transforming an everyday object into a piece of usable history.
Styling the Wishbone Chair in Modern Spaces
Integrating the Wishbone Chair into a home requires an understanding of its geometry. Its sweeping curves demand a little more space to breathe than a chair with a straight backrest. When positioned around a heavy, rectangular dining table, the chair’s rounded profile softens its hard edges. A set of black painted Wishbone Chairs surrounding a pale oak table introduces a graphic contrast that defines the dining area without weighing it down visually.
These chairs also function beautifully beyond the dining room. Using a Wishbone Chair as a desk chair in a home office brings an element of domestic comfort to a workspace. The enveloping arms provide support during long periods of reading or writing, while the open back prevents the piece from visually dominating a smaller room. The paper cord seat remains comfortable through long hours, adapting gradually to the user.
In a bedroom or a wide hallway, a solitary chair acts as a sculptural anchor. Placing it next to a contemporary floor lamp or a minimalist console table allows the organic grain of the wood to stand out against smoother, manufactured surfaces. The chair adapts to its surroundings, feeling entirely at home in a minimalistic modern apartment or a textured, historic house.
Showroom tip: For a pop of colour in the dining room, choose a set of Wishbone Chairs in a painted finish. The CH24 Wishbone Chair Ilse Crawford Edition comes in nine beautiful colours chosen by the acclaimed British designer herself.
More Designs on Show
Throughout the installation, more of Carl Hansen & Søn’s notable designs are on show:
Another design by Hans J. Wegner, the CH338 Dining Table creates the perfect setting to display the Wishbone Chairs. The elliptical-shaped tabletop can be seamlessly extended to seat up to 14 guests. Despite its size, the table has a sophisticated, lightweight appearance with slim proportions and a beautiful woodgrain.
The Carl Hansen & Søn OW149 Colonial Chair is Danish furniture designer Ole Wanscher’s most famous creation. Designed in 1959, the chair has elegant proportions reminiscent of 18th century English furniture. The slim frame and swooping armrests combine with a cushioned seat, upholstered in earthy-toned leather, creating an inviting place to sit and relax.
Representing the contemporary side of the Carl Hansen & Søn collection, the E022 Embrace Outdoor Table paired with two E008 Outdoor Chairs is set up beside the window. Created by design studio EOOS, this outdoor furniture range is crafted from FSC-certified untreated teak which is intended to develop a beautiful patina over time.
A Timeless Exchange of Styles
The installation in our Bath showroom runs until September 2026, inviting you to experience the textures and proportions of Carl Hansen & Søn’s furniture designs firsthand. Exploring the grain of soap-treated oak or the subtle matt finish of a slate grey frame allows for a more informed decision-making process.
We have created immersive zones, designed to help you visualise how these pieces might interact with your own architecture and personal style. Engaging with these pieces in person reveals the subtle details that photographs often miss – we highly recommend a visit if you find yourself near Milsom Street to discover how traditional craftsmanship continues to shape the way we live.
For more designs, explore our curated collection of Carl Hansen & Søn furniture and lighting.
We were delighted to welcome Abi Dare to our showroom to take some beautiful photographs of the space. Discover more about our Carl Hansen & Søn takeover on These Four Walls.
Image credit: Abi Dare
Written by Kieran Martin:
Kieran is the Holloways of Ludlow Brand Manager and the face behind our social media. Outside of work he is an influencer in his own right running documenting the renovation of his home on Instagram @no.3renovation