One of the most common questions we receive is:
“Is this solid wood or veneer?”
And too often, the word veneer is misunderstood as something negative.

In reality, when it comes to Danish furniture from the 1950s–1960s, veneer is not a compromise — it is a hallmark of intelligent design and high-level craftsmanship.

Nearly all leading Scandinavian designers and manufacturers of the era — including Børge Mogensen, Arne Vodder, Finn Juhl, and Hans J. Wegner — worked extensively with veneer. This was not due to limitation, but because veneer provided the best balance of beauty, stability, and longevity.

Here is why:

• Veneer was the industry standard
More than 90% of Danish case furniture from the 1960s — including sideboards, dressers, cabinets, and tables — was constructed using high-quality veneer over stable cores — even by the finest makers.

• Hybrid construction was intentional
Danish furniture was almost always built as a combination of solid wood and veneer:
solid teak or oak for legs, frames, rails, and edges — and veneered panels for tops, sides, doors, and wide drawer faces.
This created furniture that was strong, stable, and visually refined.

• Structural stability
Teak and rosewood are not dimensionally stable in wide solid slabs. Over decades they naturally expand, contract, and warp. Veneer allowed Danish craftsmen to create large, flat surfaces that remained structurally sound for generations.

• Superior grain and visual continuity
The most desirable sections of teak and rosewood logs were reserved for veneer. This made it possible to create bookmatched patterns and uninterrupted grain flow that solid boards simply cannot provide.

• Crafted, not manufactured
Vintage Danish veneer is thick, hand-selected, and carefully applied. It bears no resemblance to the thin, disposable veneer used in modern mass-produced furniture.

We work with these pieces every day — restoring, refinishing, and handling furniture that has survived 60–70 years of real use. Time has already proven what lasts, and well-made veneered Danish furniture consistently stands the test.

If veneer were inferior, these pieces would not still be here — admired, collected, and lived with more than half a century later.

So when we describe a piece as veneered, we are not making an excuse.
We are identifying it as authentic Danish modern furniture, built exactly as its designers intended.