What’s New in Scandinavian Design

12 November 2025

Børge Mogensen, Hans Wegner, and Poul Henningsen were key figures in Danish Modern, a form of Danish modernism that continues to resonate in Scandinavian design today, including among new generations of creatives.

Henningsen, Wegner, and Mogensen share not only their origins but also the idea that form should follow function and that ornamentation should not be a priority. They were the protagonists of the 1950s, when the grammar of design was being rewritten in Denmark, building on a solid manufacturing tradition and a widespread culture of quality.

Danish furniture was designed to function, last, and be beautiful, without following trends. That school of thought still inspires Scandinavian design today; indeed, the projects from those years have become absolute icons of international design. The custodians of this precious design legacy are the companies that, even back then, engaged the best designers and continue to preserve their designs today. Among these are Fredericia, Carl Hansen & Søn, and Louis Poulsen, which for fall 2025 are presenting new editions and special versions of works by Mogensen, Wegner, and Henningsen.

75th Anniversary Edition of Børge Mogensen’s Hunting Chair for Fredericia

“For me, the Hunting Chair is not just a design icon. It’s part of my personal history. It’s a piece that has been lived in, moved, used, and loved. I think that was precisely my grandfather’s desire: to create furniture that becomes part of people’s lives.”

These are the words of Rasmus Graversen, grandson of Andreas Graversen, owner and director of Fredericia since 1955. It was Graversen who brought Mogensen on as an in-house designer, a role he held for several decades. Among his most significant projects is the Hunting Chair, designed in 1950 for the Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibition in Copenhagen.

The chair captures Mogensen’s goal: to create furniture that balances functionality, honesty of materials, and human comfort. To celebrate its seventy-fifth anniversary, Fredericia is offering it in a limited edition of 75 pieces in FSC-certified ash wood, dark brown saddle leather, light brown stitching, and chrome buckles. Each chair is made in Denmark, signed, and certified.

The Black Edition of the PH5 and PH5 mini by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen

Poul Henningsen’s work is rooted in Scandinavian design’s ongoing and profound exploration of light. Where light is a scarce resource and where design is purely functional, lighting is a vital necessity.

Henningsen, in particular, identifies a system based on the coexistence of three lampshades that direct the light downwards, making it comfortable and never dazzling. This system recurs in his lamps and is also present in the iconic PH5, which Louis Poulsen now offers in a special version featuring elegant black shades with a matte finish on the outside and white on the inside.

The all-black limited edition of the CH24 by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Sön

Perhaps the most iconic chair in Scandinavian design, the CH24, known as the Wishbone Chair, owes its name to the distinctive “Y” shape of its backrest, reminiscent of the wishbone. Designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1949 at the request of Carl Hansen, it was born out of a need for a functional, high-quality, and visually light chair. With his avant-garde vision, Wegner transformed these principles into a timeless object: a chair capable of transcending the ages, maintaining its aesthetic strength and formal harmony.

Simple yet full of character, the CH24 perfectly embodies the balance between function and beauty typical of Nordic design. Today, it is revamped in an all-black limited edition, crafted from open-pore black-lacquered eucalyptus: a bold and contemporary interpretation that remains faithful to Wegner’s original design language.

Related articles