Interiors: Why we love the Wishbone chair and all things Scandinavian

The enduring appeal of the 1949 CH24 Wishbone chair by Hans J. Wegner

Frugal in line and comfortable in classic or contemporary settings - a CH24 is an heirloom buy and the woven seat should survive at least 50 years with reasonable use.

When it comes to lovely bones, no diner has survived intact from the mid-century right through our obsession with all things Scandinavian and 1950s with no loss of pluck, like the Wishbone Chair. Technically CH24, it’s a stunning, well made and surprisingly modest design by Hans J. Wegner (1914-2007) for Carl Hansen & Søn of Denmark released in 1949. 

Riding on our loose copyright protections for vintage design, this iconic perch is still heavily replicated by the awkward flock, with laughingly small tweaks to its airy familiarity. The Japanese are the second greatest buying market for Wishbones, and looking at its lines, it’s little wonder that it would engage Asian collectors as easily as does European and American homemakers.