Delve into design history and you'll find that many of the world's most iconic chairs were created by Nordic designers – and they remain among the most coveted pieces today. Ahead, we spotlight the most renowned chairs by Scandinavian visionaries, along with where to shop them now
If there’s one thing the Nordics are celebrated for globally, it’s our design. And within that sphere, one category reigns supreme when it comes to our heritage: chairs. From the Ball Chair by Eero Aarnio and the Spanish Chair by Børge Mogensen to the Series 7 Chair by Arne Jacobsen, this piece of furniture has been pioneered and reimagined by our region’s greats time and again, resulting in a host of designs that have, deservedly, gone down in history.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up the cream of the crop: the most iconic Nordic chairs to know and shop now.
Think of Nordic design, and among the first names likely to spring to mind is Finnish visionary Alvar Aalto. While Aalto conceived a host of design icons during his career – spanning glassware, lighting, furniture and architecture – arguably one of his most enduring pieces is the Stool 60, first introduced in 1933.
What may look like an unassuming, minimalist wooden stool at first glance was highly innovative for its time, making waves with its groundbreaking technique that allowed solid birch to be bent into L-shaped forms, as seen on the stool’s legs. Lightweight, stackable and streamlined, the Stool 60 perfectly reflects Aalto’s human-centric, modernist approach, remaining a coveted design classic celebrated for its versatility and ability to blend into a wide range of interiors.
Some pieces of furniture only achieve icon status long after they’ve first been designed, and such is the case for Viggo Boesen’s Little Petra lounge chair. Named after the Danish architect and designer’s mother-in-law, the low-slung, cloud-soft chair, upholstered from supple sheepskin and softly contoured to envelope the body like a warm hug, was created in 1938 for the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers Guild Exhibition.
While it garnered praise both in Denmark and abroad, only 30 pieces of the lounge chair were ever crafted due to its made-to-order nature and the intricate hand stitching its form required. Decades later, in the early 2000s, the Little Petra became highly sought-after across international auctions – a revival cemented in 2018 as Danish design company &Tradition began reissuing the chair. Today, the Little Petra is seen as a prime example of the 1930s ‘Funkis’ style, the Danish answer to Art Deco and an antidote to the austerity of the Bauhaus movement spearheaded by Boesen.
Peek into any well-curated Nordic home, and you’ll likely find Danish designer Hans J. Wegner’s CH24 Wishbone Chairs gathered around a dining table. Often dubbed ‘The Master of the Chair’, Wegner dreamt up over 500 chairs in his lifetime, of which the CH24 Wishbone Chair, designed in 1949, remains among the most renowned. Inspired by Ming Dynasty Chinese chairs – which Wegner admired for their elegant simplicity – and crafted from solid wood, complete with a seat handwoven from natural paper cord, the sculptural chair swiftly became a symbol of Danish mid-century design.
Danish design company Carl Hansen & Søn has been manufacturing the CH24 Wishbone Chair since it was first unveiled. Its 70-plus-year journey certainly attests to its ability to stand the test of time, while its sophisticated yet eye-catching look keeps it at the top of many design aficionados’ wishlists.
Although his work is regarded as distinctly Danish, furniture designer Børge Mogensen’s most famed chair has its roots in Spain. Named, you guessed it, the Spanish Chair, the leather-clad lounge chair was inspired by Mogensen’s travels in Andalusia and the Alhambra palace in Granada, where he was struck by the local furniture stemming from the Islamic design culture. First introduced in 1958 for Fredericia Furniture, Mogensen fused these influences with Spanish techniques – particularly saddle leather – and Danish proportions. The result is a striking piece harnessing solid oak and saddle leather in a minimalist yet bold design, defined by its geometric frame and wide armrests.
Designed in 1955 for Fritz Hansen, the elegantly curved Series 7 Chair is one of Danish mastermind Arne Jacobsen’s most acclaimed pieces, found everywhere today from schools and private homes to hotels. Crafted from a single piece of pressure-moulded veneer, the chair’s gentle contours aren’t merely decorative – they’re meticulously shaped for utmost comfort and support, echoing Jacobsen’s modernist, ‘form follows function’ approach, for which he became known and admired.
Sink into Finnish designer Eero Aarnio’s famed Ball Chair, and chances are you’ll never want to get up. Conceived in 1963 and debuting at the Cologne Furniture Fair three years later, the playful, sphere-shaped chair rendered in vibrant pop-art hues marked Aarnio’s international breakthrough and quickly became one of the most iconic pieces in Finnish design history. With its glossy, candy-like fibreglass shell and cushy upholstery in supple leather or fabric, the chair epitomises the fun-loving, Space-Age aesthetic of the 1960s, fulfilling Aarnio’s vision of creating “a room within a room.”
The Ball Chair is also a pop-culture legend in its own right, having clocked appearances in countless films, music videos and fashion editorials.
Another 1960s icon, Danish designer Verner Panton dreamt up the Panton chair in 1967 (though its first prototype dates back to 1959). An avant-gardist with a penchant for paintbox brights, the award-winning chair – with its sinuous, S-shaped silhouette in injection-moulded polypropylene – encapsulates Panton’s pioneering approach, perfectly attuned to the colour-saturated, futuristic mood of the swinging 1960s. As noted by his daughter, “he saw colour as part of the joy of living”.
While the Panton Chair remains as striking today as it was decades ago, it was a true game-changer at its debut, becoming the first mass-produced chair made from a single piece of plastic, free from legs or seams. Today, it graces homes across the globe and the permanent collections of renowned museums.
When legendary Finnish designer Yrjö Kukkapuro’s young daughter first sat on his 1965-designed lounge chair, she exclaimed: “This is just like a carousel!” – and the name for one of the most renowned Finnish lounge chairs, Karuselli (Finnish for carousel), was born.
Officially launched at the Cologne Fair, the piece became an instant international success. The rocking, rotating, low-seated chair, harnessing fibreglass and upholstered in buttery leather, grew out of Kukkapuro’s functionalist ethos and his mission to create the most comfortable chair in the world. Its distinct design blends ergonomics with an era-appropriate, futuristic look – and yes, it is supremely comfortable.
Often referred to as ‘the grand dame of Danish design’, Nanna Ditzel’s instantly recognisable, Hanging Egg Chair, was spawned from the designer and her husband, Jørgen Ditzel’s three-dimensional experiments with space in 1959. Fashioned from handwoven rattan, the cocooning, egg-shaped chair hangs from a chain and gently sways with the sitter, creating a profoundly relaxing and secure experience.
Introduced at the height of the function-first Danish Modern movement, dominated by streamlined wooden furniture, the Hanging Egg Chair was considered radical for its time. Today, it firmly sits among the country’s most iconic design pieces.
Those familiar with Poul Kjærholm’s work know that his pieces lean more towards architecture than traditional furniture, with the Danish creative stripping them down to their essentials – bolts and joints left visible. Among his most coveted and celebrated works is the PK22 Lounge Chair, created in 1956. Harnessing Kjærholm’s signature materials, steel and leather, the pared-back chair won the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale in 1957, solidifying Kjærholm’s international reputation. Despite its restrained, almost skeletal frame, the armless lounge chair is remarkably comfortable, with every detail meticulously considered to create a sophisticated yet functional chair that embodies Kjærholm’s ‘rational elegance’ philosophy.
This list wouldn’t be complete without Arne Jacobsen’s Egg Lounge Chair, first presented in 1958. Initially created for Copenhagen's Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, where Jacobsen designed everything from the architecture down to the cutlery, the high-backed, sculptural and enveloping lounge chair quickly became a design icon, and today it’s still one of the most recognisable chairs in the world. Upholstered in fabric or leather, its embracing form invites lingering in comfort – it’s no surprise that the chair has made its way into numerous design-conscious homes worldwide.