The Wishbone Chair: 29 inspiring dining rooms with the iconic design chair
The iconic CH24 Wishbone Chair was designed by Hans Wegner in 1949. It was the first model Wegner designed exclusively for Carl Hansen & Son and it has been in continuous production ever since it was introduced in 1950.
The combination of the back-and armrest into a single piece lends the chair its organic functionalism. To stabilize the steam-bent top and ensure comfortable support, Hans Wegner added the characteristic Y-shaped back, hence its name Wishbone Chair (also referred to as CH24 chair or sometimes y-chair).
Over time, the Wishbone Chair has gained recognition as the ideal chair, capturing the essence of modern Danish design. Its many material variations have found their place in many dining rooms all over the world. I you are thinking about purchasing this timeless classic, I have listed my favorite dining room inspiration with the CH24 chair below.
The production process
The manufacturing of each Wishbone chair takes more than 100 steps, most of which are constructed by hand. The hand-woven paper cord seat alone takes a skilled craftsman at Carl Hansen & Son about an hour to create, using approximately 120 meters of paper cord.
This process ensures impressive durability, and stability that make the chair both strong and long-lasting. The built quality paired with its timeless design aesthetics and a distinctive, elegant form, more than allow the Wishbone Chair to stand the test of time.
Wishbone chairs in colored or solid wood variations
Wegner’s iconic design comes in various solid wood variations, each accentuating and highlighting the tapered legs and curved back in their own distinct way.
The Wishbone Chair is available in different wood variations ranging from beech, ash, walnut, and oak, to a teak version recently re-released. You can even buy a seat cushion to add on top of the paper cord seat.
Next to the solid wood versions, Carl Hansen & Son releases the Wishbone Chair in a variety of limited edition colorways and a few lacquered staple colors in their collection.
Wegner wishbone chair in oak
Wood Wishbone Chairs are very popular and it’s the material version you see most in the inspiring home tours I feature here on the blog. The oak Wishbone Chair has a natural appearance that looks great in a Scandinavian interior and the oak wood has a very subtle contrast with the paper cord seat.
The Wishbone Chairs in oak combined with the elegant Saarinen Tulip dining table in this elegant shaker kitchen are the finishing touch in this interior to me. I love the way you can observe the Wishbone Chair and its y-back from different angles at all times, because of the way they are arranged. A true tribute to Hans Wegner’s design.
via Bjurfors
The natural wood tone in these oak Wishbone chairs adds a warm element to this interior style with a desaturated color palette.
via Alexander White
The natural oak tone in the CH24-chairs around this simple white table pairs nicely with the light oak of the herringbone hardwood flooring. The rest of the kitchen design has been decorated in white, black, and grey, making the natural oak wood stand out in a lovely way.
via Alvhem
Hans Wegner’s dining chair is one of the few iconic design classics I can imagine in such a majestic turn-of-the-century dining room with curved walls and impressive wainscoting. The Wishbone Chairs enhance the look around this unique marble oval table.
Styled by Sundling & Kickén, photography by Kristofer Johnson for InMyCorner
When you have a classic kitchen design that can remain in your home for years, you don’t want to worry about your dining chairs going out of style. The timeless oak of the Wishbone Chairs is a few tints warmer than the white-soaped hardwood flooring, making them stand out in a stunning way.
via Alvhem
This impressive dining room with black walls and impressive crown molding on the white ceilings includes a large oiled wood dining table, paired up with three oak Wishbone Chairs on each side of the table.
Styled by Gabriella Fabien for Entrance Makleri
The natural oak tones in the CH24 chairs and herringbone flooring balance out the rich color palette in this unique kitchen with pink cabinets.
via Historiska Hem
The natural oak on the Wishbone Chairs in combination with the dark vintage wood tone on the table and the natural texture of the rug makes for a beautiful variation in the furniture, that adds an interesting texture to the interior.
Photographed by Jonas Berg for Entrance Makleri
The next six examples showcase the powerful minimalism the CH24 chairs in oak can add to a space when combined in a minimal interior setting. Combine the chair with white, grey, or lighter wood tones to make its distinct style and iconic lines stand out in your interior in a minimal, yet powerful way.
via Sjöman Frisk
via Stadshem
via Fantastic Frank
via Entrance Makleri
via Alvhem
via Alvhem
Beech wishbone chair
While the contrast between the oak wood wishbone chair and the paper cord seat is stronger, in the beech or ash wood chairs, the color palette is more uniform and subtle.
While an arrangement of Wishbone Chairs can be very impressive around a large dining table, they fit perfectly around a small dining space as well. The beech CH24 chairs are combined with the round dining table and the soft pink tone on the walls.
Styled by Gärde, photographed by Borgelin via Historiska Hem
Six beech wood wishbone chairs around a large dining table in a living kitchen with a green vintage filing cabinet.
via Alvhem
A set of 4 beechwood wishbone chairs around a round white dining table in a light beige, greige, and white interior setting.
via Alvhem
The beech wood Wishbone Chairs in this beautiful turn-of-the-century dining room setting blend in nicely with the material of the tabletop and the light tone on the herringbone hardwood flooring. The paper cord seat of the chair stands out in a subtle way against the black legs.
via Skandia Maklarna
Lacquered black Wishbone Chairs
While the ash, beech, and oak CH24 chair tends to blend into an interior in a subtle way, a black Wishbone Chair really stands out in a light palette interior, and the clean black lines of the Wegner design form an elegant silhouette in the space.
The black Wishbone Chairs with a black woven seat pop out of this stylish dining room interior with beige walls, a light beige area rug, and an ash dining table.
via Alvhem
The black Wishbone chairs in this living kitchen add a lovely element of contrast against the green kitchen cabinets in the space and the durable paper cord seat really stands out against the black frame of the chair.
Styled by Linnéa H. Manaberi and Emma Fischer, photographed by Fredrik J Karlsson for Alvhem
The antique white oval table in this dining room is enhanced with all-black CH24 chairs with a black seat that take up all the attention against the backdrop of the white walls and the light hardwood floors.
via Alvhem
The combination of the natural seat with the black frame works in a modest, yet contrasting way in this kitchen dining area with exposed brick walls.
via Alvhem
The beautiful vintage wood table is paired with timeless black Wishbone Chairs, combining modern design, iconic masterpieces from 1950, and a characterful antique piece.
Styled by Linnéa H. Manaberi and Annica Clarmell, photographed by Henrik Linden for Alvhem
Walnut Wishbone Chairs
This gorgeous dining room with an impressive bookcase features walnut Wishbone chairs in combination with many other unique and vintage furniture pieces for a unique and one-of-a-kind interior design.
The impressive standing mirror reflects the space in a majestic way and makes it appear even bigger.
via Sjoman Frisk
The walnut Wishbone Chairs get all the attention in this minimal dining room space with limewash walls and subtle hardwood flooring.
With a seat cushion
Carl Hansen & Son also stocks a fabric or leather seat cushion, which can be added on top of the paper cord seat for extra comfort. The walnut Wishbone Chairs in this cozy dining room setting with greige walls are enhanced with a black leather seat cushion to match the black marble and the black pendants in the space.
via Fantastic Frank
Colored Wishbone chairs
Even though Hans Wegner designed the first Wishbone Chair in wood, over time, Carl Hansen & Son released a few color swatches to the collection as well. Some are limited and some are always available.
The white elements present in the window seat of this apartment are carried over to a single white Wishbone chair around the table, paired up with three blue Wishbone Chairs that add a beautiful cool tone against the grey walls.
Styled by Grey Deco, photographed by Anders Bergstedt for Entrance Makleri
Smoked oak Wishbone chairs in a butter yellow shaker kitchen
The beautiful smoked oak countertop on the kitchen island in this gorgeous shaker kitchen comes back in the dining chairs around the vintage round dining table. The lightweight design of the chairs contrasts nicely with the classic appearance of the kitchen design itself. A perfect mixture of styles.
via Devol Kitchens
*This blog post was written in collaboration with Carl Hansen & Son, however as always, my opinions are my own.
