Spotlight on CARL HANSEN & SØN
In today’s post we are highlighting one of the iconic furniture designers who helped shape Scandinavian, and particularly Danish Design into what it is today. They are known for their stunning furniture – especially their wooden chairs. Many of them have become timeless classics that are still in production today – over 70 years after they were first designed. We put the Scandinavian Designer Spotlight on CARL HANSEN & SØN.
So lets get right into it shall we?
History of the Brand
It all started back in 1908 when Carl Hansen, who was a danish cabinetmaker opened a small furniture store on the island of Funen in the southern part of Denmark.
Since then the company has kept growing and it is now run by the third generation of Hansen’s. A big part of their success has been the longstanding partnership they had with Hans J. Wegner who came to be one of Denmark’s most influential designers. Their partnership started in 1949 when Carl Hansen’s grandson Holger took a chance on Hans who at the time was a new and unknown designer. Hans J. Wegner developed a series of furniture exclusively for Carl Hansen that was a big success. Among the pieces designed then was the wishbone chair – a chair that is still in production and as popular as ever today.
Wegner continued to rise into the International Design scene and became one of Denmark’s most sought after designers. He came to be one of the representatives of the Danish Design movement in the 50’s and 60’s. Although both Wegner and Hansen has passed away their companies still work closely together. Carl Hansen & Søn is the world’s largest producer of Hans Wegner’s furniture.
But Wegner is not the only renowned furniture designer connected to the company.
What defines the Brand?
Two of the fundamental core values of the company since the start has been an uncompromising commitment to the highest level of craftmanship and to work towards creating alliances with outstanding designers.
The company’s slogan is “Passionate craftmanship” and here is a quote of their own definition of themselves:
” At Carl Hansen & Søn, we believe that iconic design is a combination of simplicity, aesthetics and functionality brought to life through skillful work with the highest quality materials.”
And given their successful track record the past century I would say they have done a phenomenal job at embodying that.
Our Favorite Pieces
Here are some of our Favorite Carl Hansen & Søn pieces. As you can tell we especially love the ones made in oak, but a lot of their furniture comes in different woods and finishes.
CH 24 | WISHBONE CHAIR designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1949. It is available in 52 different variants. Our favorites are the oiled beech or soaped oak with neutral cord.
MG501 | CUBA CHAIR designed by Morten Gøttler in 1997 in soaped oak and neutral webbing
CH011 and CH008 | COFFEE TABLE designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1954. Our Favorite is the soaped oak.
BT1001 PENDANT LAMP in brass, white or black designed by Bonderup & Thorup in the late 1960’s
THE OUTDOOR COLLECTION in untreated teak by Børge Mogensen in 1971.
THE OUTDOOR COLLECTION in oiled teak designed by Bodil Kjaer in 1959.
Who are the Founders?
The company was founded in 1908 by Carl Hansen.Knud Erik Hansen – Carl’s grandson is the third generation of Hansen’s who are currently running the family owned business. Since Knud took it over in 2002 the company has expanded significantly to reach a broader international arena. They now have showrooms all over the world. But their commitment to high quality craftsmanship remains the same. Their products are still made in Denmark mixing traditional techniques and new technology to create timeless iconic furniture pieces that will last for generations.
As Seen In:
In these posts we always like to include examples of real people using some of the pieces to give you an idea of how you can use them in your own home with your own furniture.
The first set of photos is from Melina Menz, also known as @hejmelig on instagram. We love how she has incorporated both the cuba chair and the wishbone chairs into her home. What we specifically like about her style is the soft grey hues she has used in combination with the soaped oak and neutral wood.
The next set of photos are from the talented Sandra Schubert from @karlasview. She has combined different versions of the wishbone chair into her dining area. Such a fun idea to mix and match together with some of her other chairs as well. We love the way she is focusing on using a lot of white and neutrals around her home.
Fun Fact:
To encourage that their products would be passed down from one generation to another Carl Hansen & Søn have set up a highly skilled in-house repair and refurbishment service. If you own one of their pieces but it’s starting to look a little worn out you can easily get help to make it feel like brand new again. We love this idea as that is such a great way to encourage sustainability.
That is all for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed our Scandinavian Designer Spotlight on CARL HANSEN & SØN and getting to know this brand a little bit better. If you have any suggestions of brands you would like to get to know more about let us know in the comment section.
Until Next Time,
Hejdå!
(goodbye in Swedish)
Josefine for Scandinavian Style House
