Valet chair model 540 designed by Hans J. Wegner
Denmark, 1953
Teak, oak, and brass.Stamped.
The Valet chair was inspired by a
conversation Wegner had with architect Steen Eiler Rasmussen and designer Kay
Bojesen where they discussed what they did with their clothes when they took
them off in the evening. The solution to this problem was a chair which had
four legs and an integrated coat-hanger shape held on a pair of verticle
supports.
The chair is not
entirely comfortable to sit on, but the chair wasn’t really meant for sitting, but rather to serve as a piece
of sculptural hotel furniture for the working businessmen who probably comprised
the majority of hotel guests in the 1950s. Here the guest had a piece of
furniture where he could place his coat on a hanger specifically made for the
purpose, when he flipped the seat up he had a place to hang his trousers (while
keeping the creases sharp) and reveal a tray in which to store his small
change, keys, and pocket contents. Overall the piece was entirely practical but still has the nordic
H: 94 cm / 3' 1''
W: 51 cm / 20''
D: 50 cm / 19 3/4''
SH: 44.5 cm / 17 1/2''
Price: on application
