Danish design in Bath: a Carl Hansen takeover at Holloways of Ludlow

[Advertisement – this is part of a collaboration with Holloways of Ludlow, but all words and opinions are my own]

Ochre walls, red-painted woodwork and iconic Wishbone chairs at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog

I love timeless Scandinavian design, and I love my home region of the UK’s West Country. So, when I learned that British retailer Holloways of Ludlow has paired up with Carl Hansen & Søn to host a curated installation of the Danish heritage brand’s collection at its flagship showroom in Bath, I knew it would be a fantastic match. 

I’ll always have a soft spot for Holloways of Ludlow’s Bath home, which occupies an 18th-century former bank building in the heart of the city – it’s where I held the launch event for my first book, The Soft Minimalist Home, and it’s my go-to for sourcing authentic furniture, lighting and home accessories. The first floor, where the installation is taking place, is particularly beautiful, with its soaring ceiling, tall windows, marble fireplace and ornate cornicing. It’s the perfect backdrop for Carl Hansen’s mix of classic and contemporary pieces, and it was bathed in gorgeous sunlight when I popped in to look around last week. 

For the takeover, the space has been painted in an earthy ochre, offset by a rich red on the window frames and shutters. It’s a warm, grounding scheme – striking but not overpowering – and it adds a lovely hint of cosiness amid the Georgian grandeur. The installation itself is set up as a series of immersive zones, giving a sense of how the pieces on display can be used in real-life interiors. There are sitting areas, dining areas and desk areas where you can view the designs in context, test them out for comfort, and move them around to assess them in different lights and from different angles. Carl Hansen is known for its craftsmanship, so it’s great to be able to see the details up close and feel the materials. 

Ochre walls, red-painted woodwork and iconic mid-century modern Danish furniture by Ole Wanscher and Hans J. Wegner at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
Ochre walls, green pendant light and iconic mid-century modern Danish furniture by Hans J. Wegner at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Red window frames at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Ochre walls and mid-century modern pendant light by Hans J. Wegner at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
Ochre walls, red woodwork and iconic mid-century modern Danish furniture by Ole Wanscher and Børge Mogensen at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
Ochre walls and Embrace lounge chair by EOOS at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog

Above: a sitting area with the ‘Colonial’ chair and footstool by Ole Wanscher, the woven table bench by Børge Mogensen and the CH293 sofa by Hans J. Wegner; Hans J. Wegner’s CH290 lounge chair and HJW37 pendant light with Børge Mogensen’s BMO121 dining table and an assortment of chairs; Ole Wanscher’s OW58 ‘T-Chair’ beside Børge Mogensen’s BMO253 shelving system; and the ‘Embrace’ lounge chair by EOOS

One of the stars of the installation is the CH24 ‘Wishbone’ chair, created by Hans J. Wegner in 1948 and perhaps the most iconic piece in Carl Hansen’s collection. It’s one of my all-time favourite designs, especially since I was lucky enough to see how it’s made on a visit to Carl Hansen’s workshop a few years ago, and I’m planning to use it as a dining chair in my new home. It now comes in an array of colours and finishes and there are samples on display at the installation, so I took the opportunity to have a look through them and work out which to order for myself. I eventually settled on white-oiled oak, but I was very tempted by the oiled walnut and by a versatile painted grey called ‘Slate’, which is one of several nature-inspired options created for Carl Hansen by British interior designer Ilse Crawford. There’s even an exclusive finish developed in partnership with Holloways of Ludlow called ‘Ebony Oak’, which features a gorgeous dark charcoal stain that looks almost black from afar yet reveals the beauty of the grain as you move nearer. 

Ochre walls, red-painted woodwork and iconic Wishbone chairs at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
Iconic Wishbone chair in Slate grey at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Blue Wishbone chair at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Iconic Wishbone chairs at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
Iconic Wishbone chair at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Wishbone chair colour samples at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Mini Wishbone chair at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog

Iconic Wishbone chairs at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog

Above: Hans J. Wegner’s iconic CH24 ‘Wishbone’ chair in a range of colours and finishes

Other standouts on show include the ‘Sideways’ sofa and ‘Petal’ table lamp, both by Danish designer Rikke Frost. They’re wonderfully sculptural, with organic curves and, in the case of the sofa, woven-cord detailing that means it looks as good from the back and sides as it does from the front.  There’s outdoor furniture, too, in the shape of the form-meets-function ‘Embrace’ series by Vienna-based design studio EOOS. 

Compact workspace with wall-hung desk by Anker Bak, RF200 Petal table lamp by Rikke Frost and Elbow chair by Hans J. Wegner at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • RF200 Petal lamp by Rikke Frost at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Compact wall-hung desk by Anker Bak at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
Red window frame and chrome and opal BUBI pending light by Henning Koppel at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
Ochre walls, red woodwork, iconic Wishbone chairs and Sideways curved sofa by Rikke Frost at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Sideways curved sofa by Rikke Frost at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Sideways curved sofa by Rikke Frost at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
Ochre walls, red woodwork and Embrace minimalist outdoor furniture by EOOS at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog

Above: a workspace set-up with the AB019 wall desk by Anker Bak, the RF200 ‘Petal’ table lamp by Rikke Frost and the CH20 ‘Elbow’ chair by Hans J. Wegner; the sculptural ‘Sideways’ sofa by Rikke Frost; and minimalist outdoor furniture by EOOS

Also incorporated into the installation are books (including my own!) and artworks, giving further context to the pieces on show. My eye was instantly drawn to an oil-on-linen diptych by painter Gaby Jonna, whose work explores fluid forms and the importance of listening to our bodies, and to a series of painted ceramic plates by Spanish-Chilean artist Daniela Maria. 

Ochre walls, red-painted woodwork and iconic mid-century modern Danish furniture by Ole Wanscher at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Børge Mogensen's woven table bench at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Hans J. Wegner's mid-century modern CH293 sofa in beige bouclė at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
Hans J. Wegner's mid-century modern CH290 lounge chair in beige bouclė at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • My book The Soft Minimalist Home at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
  • Painted ceramic plates by Spanish-Chilean artist Daniela Maria at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog
Ochre walls, red-painted woodwork and iconic Wishbone chairs by Hans J. Wegner at Carl Hansen & Søn's takeover of the Holloways of Ludlow Bath showroom | These Four Walls blog

Above: Ole Wanscher’s ‘Colonial’ chair and footstool, Hans J. Wegner’s CH290 lounge chair and CH293 sofa and Børge Mogensen’s table bench beneath a diptych by painter Gaby Jonna; my own book displayed on Børge Mogensen’s BMO253 shelving system; and painted ceramic plates by Spanish-Chilean artist Daniela Maria on Hans J. Wegner’s CH338 dining table

I’ve always thought that Scandinavian design lends itself particularly well to period settings, its pared-back expression and enduring materials sitting seamlessly alongside a range of architectural styles. The Carl Hansen installation at Holloways of Ludlow is proof of that, and fellow interiors enthusiasts will be in their element. I’d encourage you to visit while you can!

Find the Carl Hansen & Søn installation at Holloways of Ludlow, 37 Milsom Street, Bath, BA1 1DN, until September 2026. You can also shop Carl Hansen pieces online via the Holloways of Ludlow website.

All photography by Abi Dare

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