[AD] Comfort and Warmth - Carl Hansen and Søn Shell Lounge Chair

Nordic Design

7 Dec

Shell Lounge Chair designed by Hans J Wegner in a beige Scandinavian style bedroom with cast iron fireplace. — *This is a paid partnership with Carl Hansen and Son. The CH07 Shell Lounge chair was loaned for the purpose of this post.*

Only a small handful of people own an original Shell Lounge Chair. Reactions to the cutting edge shape of the chair were polarising, designed by "The Master of the Chair" Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn in 1963. And owing to the fact that the innovative methods used to produce the chair were still new and complex, very few were made.

Close-up of a white oiled oak CH07 Shell Chair with tan leather upholstery in a beige Nordic style bedroom.

A minimalist beige modern Nordic bedroom with a cast iron fireplace and contemporary style lounge chair from Carl Hansen & Son.

I've only had the absolute joy of experiencing this iconic piece at home because it was reissued it 1998 where it has found itself in constant production ever since. Once ahead of its time, Wegner's shell lounge chair has since garnered a legion of fans who love it for its avant-garde, architectural shape. Myself included.

Made from a groundbreaking technique of layers of form-pressed wood veneer, the curved wing-like seat feels like being cradled into the backrest. Unusual for a lounge chair, a Thor leather-upholstered seat appears to float on top of a three-legged base. The front two laminated oak legs are one piece with a third leg at the back acting as an angled bracket for just enough lean to lounge.

Back detail of Hans J. Wegner's iconic 1963 Shell Chair, designed for Carl Hansen & Søn.

A close-up detail of an Edwardian cast iron fireplace with a Moebe brass candle holder and a branch of red berries.

A detail shot of the seat of an oak form-pressed veneer shell lounge chair with Thor leather seat.

Love of wood is something that all mankind has in common. Regardless of where people come from, they cannot stop themselves from stroking a piece of wood, hold it, smell it, and experience the material."
Hans J. Wegner

And true to his word, it is impossible not to want to run your hands over its soft, minimalist shape. Wegner's background in architecture and knack for creating organic forms has brought about a design that has the ability to make you feel safe and comforted while seated.

The CH07 Shell Lounge Chair comes in a variety of finishes and treatments. I've chosen white oiled oak with Thor leather upholstery in 307.