Hey guys! I've been scouring the internet since April trying to identify this baby.
The closest designs I've found are both Hans Wegner: the "buck" chair ( https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/seating/lounge-chairs/pair-of-teak-buck-chairs-hans-wegner/id-f_3141822/), and one called "oak reading chair" ( https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/seating/lounge-chairs/oak-reading-chair-hans-j-wegner/id-f_4147063/).
But, they aren't 100% it. What do you guys think? Could it be a Hans Wegner, an Arne Vodder, an obscure Finn Juhl? A knockoff of all three?! I don't know, and it's making me crazy.
Here's what I DO know:
1. Only marks on the frame read "DENMARK". See pic 4.
2. The front and back rails are bowed downward, unlike most lounge chairs this style. They are NOT placed upside down; the back rail has two holes that allow the backrest to fit into it with wooden pegs. Each rail is made of one piece of wood, also. See pic 2; I have a monster sized dog so he makes the chair look way smaller than it is, fyi.
3. Some hardware is visible, e.g., where the arms screw into the backrest and where the front and back rails screw into the frame. Maybe at one point the chair had covers for the hardware, but I don't know. See pic 1.
4. I don't believe the upholstery is original, looks a little too 70s or 80s to me. However, in stripping the chair I discovered the original horse hair still intact. I washed it. I kept it. Don't worry.
5. On the inside of either side rail, there are grooves. I don't know if that means anything. See pic 3.
6. When viewing the chair from the front, note the distance between the seat and the front rail. A lot of lounge chairs lack that distance. For example, both the Hans Wegner designs mentioned above have the seat sitting almost right on top of the front rail.
7. The varnish was in awful condition and had house paint drips all over it, so I stripped it all. In doing so, I BELIEVE the wood is afromosia, the teak wood alternative. (I believe a lot of people mistakenly I.D. their lounge chairs as teak, which makes this aspect nearly impossible to turn up anything in a search).
I plan on completely refreshing the chair and keeping it, but I just want to know if anyone has knowledge on the maker. I absolutely love it.
And, if you're wondering, I'm going to sand smooth and use teak oil on the frame and reupholster in Crypton Mia Carbon (a high quality textured black fabric). I have more pictures if needed. Thank you!
<img class="wpforo-defaul
If you study Hans Wegner's furniture, you will notice that none of it has exposed bolts or screws. You will also notice a certain aesthetic that I can't think how to describe right now, but it has to do with shaping every part of a piece so that it's not just beautiful unto itself but is integral the overall look of the piece. Or something. There's nothing wrong with your chair but it's definitely below the level of Wegner, Juhl, and Vodder. And some others, too.
I would guess that it's a shop design. I'd also guess that it's later rather than early---the upholstery is actually something that was popular in the 70s, at least as far as I can tell. Someone may have reupholstered it and left in the hair padding, or it could be original. You can usually tell by noting if there are old staple or tack holes other than the ones from the current upholstery.
The groove looks like a recliner detail but I've never seen a recliner with a back that height so that's probably not it. No idea what else it might be.
One last thing---are you really set on the crypton (polyester) fabric? Why not a decent Danish wool? Modern-Fabrics.com always has Danish wools listed and for that size chair you only need a few yards. Their prices are less than wholesale and they have a lot of shorter lengths which would suit your needs. (I don't work for them, I'm just a satisfied customer!) Personally, I'd go for Maharam/Kvadrat Tonica or Hallingdal in the charcoal gray color. I did some dining chairs for someone and also a Domino Mobler style lounge chair in these fabrics and they are KILLER with teak. Authentic, too.
Thanks for the information Spanky!
There definitely exists previous staple holes in the frames. Plus, the horse hair and all that jazz was underneath muslin fabric that had been attached with little old nails! So that hadn't moved since it left the store floor, for sure.
As for fabric, I've been going on modern-fabrics all the time (and I get their emails). I've gotten a lot of swatches from them, and unfortunately the fabrics you mentioned, which I LOVE, scare me off with their price. While the dog is too big for the chair, my SO's cat (I take no ownership or responsibility for that terror) has the potential to ruin the fabric. And with that said, it makes me nervous to splurge on fabric at this point. But we'll see. 🙂
If you need any help, please contact us at – info@designaddict.com