Carl Hansen & Søn
Danish family-owned furniture manufacturer recognized for producing enduring Danish Modern designs alongside contemporary furniture.
Last updated September 23, 2026
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Overview
Carl Hansen & Søn is a Danish furniture manufacturer whose history links traditional cabinetmaking with the international development of Danish Modern design. Carl Hansen established the business in Odense in 1908, initially operating as a cabinetmaking workshop. Its first substantial factory opened in 1915 and concentrated on bedroom furniture for affluent households and landed families on Funen. The company survived the difficult economic conditions of the 1930s partly through a production agreement with Singer, making wooden cases for some sewing-machine models. During the same period, the family began exploring exports to Sweden. In 1934, Carl Hansen’s son Holger Hansen assumed control of the business. After the Second World War, the company became increasingly involved with a new generation of Danish designers, including Hans J. Wegner, Børge Mogensen, Finn Juhl, Kaare Klint, Arne Jacobsen, Ole Wanscher and Poul Kjærholm. A decisive turning point came in 1949, when salesman Ejvind Kold Christensen arranged a meeting between Hans J. Wegner and Holger Hansen. The resulting relationship made Carl Hansen & Søn one of the principal manufacturers of Wegner’s furniture. Rather than relying solely on retailer distribution, the company expanded exhibitions and consumer-facing advertising. It also participated in Salesco, a joint international sales organization formed by several Wegner manufacturers to promote Danish furniture abroad. The Wishbone Chair, or CH24, became especially important commercially and became one of the company’s best-known products. The renewed global interest in Danish design during the late twentieth century helped the company recover from difficult conditions in the 1970s and 1980s. Jørgen Gerner Hansen, a later member of the founding family, took over in 1988 and invested in manufacturing equipment. A Japanese subsidiary was established in 1991, and the company began bringing discontinued Wegner designs back into production. In 2001, it acquired Tranekær Furniture, another high-end Danish furniture maker. In 2002, Jørgen Gerner Hansen’s brother, Knud Erik Hansen, acquired all shares. Under his leadership, the company built a new factory in Aarup and increased its international orientation. It also acquired the historic Rud. Rasmussen workshop in Copenhagen in 2011, adding a significant archive and manufacturing tradition associated with designers such as Mogens Koch and Kaare Klint. Rud. Rasmussen was later discontinued as an independent brand in 2016. Carl Hansen & Søn continues to manufacture classic designs while working with contemporary designers including Tadao Ando, EOOS, Naja Utzon Popov, Anker Bak and Brad Ascalon. Its range includes chairs, tables, sofas, lounge furniture and other interior products. The brand positions itself around Danish design heritage, durable materials, skilled production and long product lifecycles, selling through its factory, international dealers, flagship stores and digital channels. Key retail developments include a Copenhagen flagship opened in 2013, a Tokyo store in 2014, an Osaka store in 2018 and another Copenhagen location in the Carlsberg district in 2022.
History
Carl Hansen founded the company as a cabinetmaking workshop in Odense on 28 October 1908. The business developed its first major factory in 1915, producing bedroom furniture for households on Funen. The Depression created severe pressure on Danish furniture sales. In 1934, Holger Hansen succeeded his father and secured a manufacturing arrangement with Singer for wooden sewing-machine cases. He also began modest furniture exports to Sweden. Following the Second World War, the business moved toward modern Danish furniture. The company’s relationship with salesman Ejvind Kold Christensen helped it identify and promote the work of emerging designers. In 1949, Christensen introduced Hans J. Wegner to Holger Hansen. This meeting began a long-running production partnership and contributed to the company’s later reputation as a leading producer of Danish Modern furniture. Carl Hansen & Søn expanded beyond trade distribution into exhibitions and advertising aimed directly at consumers. During the early 1950s, Danish design gained visibility in the United States and other international markets. Carl Hansen & Søn joined four other Wegner manufacturers in establishing Salesco, a shared overseas sales and exhibition organization. Wegner’s Y Chair, known by Carl Hansen & Søn as the CH24 Wishbone Chair, became a particularly important product and at one point represented more than half of the company’s sales. A failed exclusivity arrangement with a dealer in 1968 temporarily damaged the company’s position in the United States. The 1970s and 1980s were challenging decades. In 1988, cabinetmaker Jørgen Gerner Hansen took over and invested in updated machinery. The early 1990s brought renewed international interest in Danish furniture classics. The company established a Japanese subsidiary in 1991 and revived several retired Wegner designs. It acquired Tranekær Furniture in 2001. Knud Erik Hansen acquired all shares in 2002 and subsequently built a new factory in Aarup, near Odense. His management placed greater emphasis on international distribution and exports. The company later acquired Rud. Rasmussen in 2011, bringing a Copenhagen workshop with important historical connections to Mogens Koch and Kaare Klint into the business. An effort to develop a luxury-oriented product direction did not succeed, and Rud. Rasmussen ceased operating as an independent brand in 2016, with the employees dismissed. The company’s visual identity also evolved. In the mid-1980s, designer Bernt Petersen created a logo featuring a white C in a blue square. In 2014, Carl Hansen & Søn returned to an earlier Hans J. Wegner logo as part of celebrations marking 100 years since Wegner’s birth. Retail expansion followed with stores in Copenhagen, Tokyo and Osaka, as well as a later Copenhagen location in the Carlsberg district. Today, Carl Hansen & Søn remains a family-owned Danish furniture business. Its portfolio combines reissued classics by Wegner and other leading Danish designers with furniture created by contemporary collaborators. The company’s identity rests on material quality, skilled woodworking, design continuity and international access to Danish furniture heritage.
- 2016
Rud. Rasmussen ends as an independent brand
[1]The acquired workshop is absorbed and its employees are dismissed.
- 2014
Earlier Hans J. Wegner logo is restored
[1]The company reintroduces its earlier logo during the centenary year of Wegner’s birth.
- 2011
Rud. Rasmussen is acquired
[1]The company takes over the historic Copenhagen furniture workshop.
- 2002
Knud Erik Hansen acquires all shares
[1]Knud Erik Hansen becomes the company’s owner and later builds a new factory in Aarup.
- 2001
Tranekær Furniture is acquired
[1]Carl Hansen & Søn purchases another Danish high-end furniture manufacturer.
- 1991
Japanese subsidiary is established
[1]The company creates a Japanese subsidiary as interest in Danish design classics grows.
- 1988
Jørgen Gerner Hansen becomes owner
[1]A new family generation takes control and invests in production machinery.
- 1968
United States dealer agreement fails
[1]A failed exclusivity agreement with a dealer temporarily ends the company’s successful United States market relationship.
- 1950
Earlier company logo is introduced
[1]Hans J. Wegner designs an earlier version of the company’s logo.
- 1949
Partnership with Hans J. Wegner begins
[1]A meeting arranged by Ejvind Kold Christensen between Wegner and Holger Hansen leads to a lasting production relationship.
Products and positioning
High-end Danish design furniture combining historic Danish Modern designs, cabinetmaking traditions and contemporary collaborations.
Dining chair
Wishbone Chair (CH24)
Hans J. Wegner’s CH24 Wishbone Chair is among Carl Hansen & Søn’s defining products. Its sculptural back and Y-shaped support combine a solid wooden frame with a hand-woven paper-cord seat. The chair exemplifies the company’s approach of maintaining classic Danish designs through repeat production, skilled assembly and material-focused detailing.
Lounge chair
Shell Chair (CH07)
The CH07 Shell Chair is a low, sculptural lounge chair associated with Hans J. Wegner. Its three-legged construction and floating visual profile reflect the experimental side of Danish Modern furniture. Carl Hansen & Søn produces it as part of its collection of established twentieth-century design classics.
Dining chair
Elbow Chair (CH20)
The CH20 Elbow Chair is a compact wooden chair designed by Hans J. Wegner. It is characterized by a shaped backrest that also functions as an arm support and by a relatively light footprint suited to dining and work settings.
Lounge chair
Easy Chair (CH25)
The CH25 Easy Chair is a generously proportioned lounge chair by Hans J. Wegner. Its wooden structure and woven seat and back express the combination of structural clarity and hand craftsmanship that defines Carl Hansen & Søn’s classic furniture range.
Dining chair
Sawbuck Chair (CH29)
The CH29 Sawbuck Chair is a Wegner design distinguished by its angled, sawhorse-like supports and upholstered seat. It belongs to the company’s group of reissued Danish Modern chairs intended for everyday dining and domestic interiors.
Brand decisions
2016
Rud. Rasmussen is discontinued as an independent brandStrategyBackground
An attempt to incorporate luxury products into the broader portfolio did not succeed.
Action taken
Carl Hansen & Søn abolished Rud. Rasmussen as an independent brand and dismissed its employees.
Aftermath
The decision concentrated the company’s market identity under the Carl Hansen & Søn brand.
2011
Acquisition of Rud. RasmussenM&ABackground
Rud. Rasmussen was a historic Copenhagen workshop known for furniture linked to Mogens Koch and Kaare Klint.
Action taken
Carl Hansen & Søn took over the workshop and incorporated it into its business.
Aftermath
The company later ended Rud. Rasmussen’s operation as an independent brand in 2016.
2001
Acquisition of Tranekær FurnitureM&ABackground
Carl Hansen & Søn sought to expand its position in high-end Danish furniture manufacturing.
Action taken
The company acquired Tranekær Furniture on the neighboring island of Langeland.
Aftermath
The acquisition broadened the company’s ownership of Danish furniture-making capabilities.
Recent events
- 2022
Carl Hansen & Søn opens another Copenhagen store[1]
Other
The brand added a Copenhagen retail location in the Carlsberg district.
- 2018
Carl Hansen & Søn expands its Japanese retail network[1]
Other
The company opened a flagship store in Osaka, following its Tokyo location and reinforcing Japan’s role as an important overseas market.
- 2014
Carl Hansen & Søn restores its earlier logo[1]
Other
The company returned to an earlier logo associated with Hans J. Wegner, coinciding with the centenary of Wegner’s birth.
- 2013
Carl Hansen & Søn opens a Copenhagen flagship store[1]
Other
The company expanded its direct retail presence with a flagship location on Bredgade in Copenhagen.
Sources2 sources
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