A Century of Collaboration

Since 1908, when Carl Hansen founded his furniture workshop in Odense, Denmark, there has been a dynamic dialogue taking place between designers and craftspeople. In our factory, we are constantly exploring how best to unite tradition and innovation in a complex process that relies upon both creative thinking and hands-on problem solving. This process must be translated from an idea onto paper, then into a prototype, and finally, into a finished form. The result needs to be beautiful, useful and – above all – able to withstand the test of time.

Collaboration has always been a cornerstone of Carl Hansen & Søn. Throughout the design process, we strive to establish a relationship built upon mutual respect and understanding. When we embark upon a new project, we always invite the designer to visit our factory for an open-ended conversation with our team of craftspeople. Not only does this facilitate our ability to translate their vision into a technically achievable design, but it forges a highly collaborative and supportive relationship that will only strengthen over the years to come.

Our collaboration with Børge Mogensen is an example of what can be accomplished when the ambitions of designer and furniture maker are aligned. Our partnership began in 2017, when we expressed our interest in creating the Hunting Table and the Huntsman Chair. After placing the original drawings into our 3D program, we realised that much of the designs’ beauty had been diluted and degraded by poor production over the decades. Our team worked to restore each piece to its true self and, today, we are proud to craft Mogensen’s ideas in a way that continues his admirable legacy.