Danish design brand Carl Hansen & Søn has put Ole Wanscher’s 1964 Colonial Sofa back into production to complement the designer’s popular Colonial Chair.
Ole Wanscher’s Colonial Chair
Danish Modernist designer Ole Wanscher is best known for his 1949 Colonial Chair, however he also designed a similar two-seat sofa in 1964, which was only ever produced in small volumes.
Carl Hansen & Søn is now relaunching the sofa and a matching coffee table to complete the Colonial collection.
The sofa reflects the same core design as the armchair, with a slender roundwood timber frame consisting of a simple lattice construction. Its elements support one another, with double legs at the centre providing structural support.
Wanscher’s signature curved armrests, a hand-woven cotton webbing seat, and upholstery available in leather or fabric complete the design.
Related story: Carl Hansen & Søn updates Hans J Wegner’s reversible tray table with smoked oak surfaces
The table comprises a square wooden tabletop on a simple wooden frame. Both designs reflect Wanscher’s fascination with the furniture style of 18th-century England.
“We are experiencing extremely high demand for the Colonial Chair, which is one of our most popular armchairs,” said Knud Erik Hansen, CEO of Carl Hansen & Søn.
“So it was only natural to delve deeper into Ole Wanscher’s design universe and supplement the Colonial Chair with pieces that tell a complete story and provide a common design experience.”
“As Wanscher’s reputation as one of the true greats of Danish furniture design continues to grow, the unified series enables us to bring this story to design aficionados the world over,” he added.
Like the Colonial Chair, the Colonial Sofa is available in walnut, cherry, oak and mahogany with a lacquered, soap or oil finish. The Colonial Coffee Table is available in oak and walnut with a veneer top in matching wood.
Carl Hansen & Søn has recently revisited a series of Modernist designs from its archive. Earlier this year it refreshed a 1970 tray table by Hans J Wegner, and put a wood and steel chair he designed in 1955 into production in 2014.
