Ole Wanscher

Ole Wanscher shaped Danish furniture, both as an active designer and as a master teacher. His furniture designs are now considered to be modern classics - sophisticated and functional with an exquisite attention to detail.

To celebrate Ole Wanscher's work, we are offering a special promotion: buy two Colonial chairs and receive a free Colonial side table, in any finish of your choice. Place two Colonial chairs and a Colonial side table into the shopping basket and the value of the table will be deducted.

Born in Copenhagen in 1903, Ole Wanscher was an architect and professor of architecture with furniture designs as his specialty. Construction and form was of the utmost importance to him, treating furniture design as if it was a branch of architecture. He studied under Kaare Klint at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and also worked for the master himself from 1924-1927, before becoming an independent achitect specializing in furniture. He later followed in Kaare Klint's footsteps as a professor at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts with a master in furniture design.

Ole Wanscher created his best known products primarily in the period between the late forties and early sixties. He took great interest in industrially produced high quality furniture and designed serveral pieces with this particular aspect in mind. It was the familiar philosophy of 'design for everyone'. However, his finest work was made in close collaboration with reowned master cabinetmakers.

Characteristic of Ole Wanscher's design is a quest for slim dimensions and resilient forms. His chairs often employ both slender and slightly curved armrests, which rise in an elegant tip before continuing directly to the floor; as is the case with his well known Colonial chair. Classic and yet singularly modern at the same time.