sign up + save 15%

see our 5* reviews

speak to matt for your best price

Seating

Bedroom

Outdoor

Lighting

Accessories

Tables

Storage

Office furniture

Clearance & offers

View All Brands

Featured Brands

View All Designers

Featured Designers

Stories

the science of well being in the home

click to see article

Carl Hansen Collection

About Carl Hansen & Son

Carl Hansen & Søn is a third-generation family-run Danish furniture manufacturer renowned for producing high-quality, handcrafted furniture. Carl Hansen was a master furniture and cabinetmaker who opened his first workshop in Odense, Denmark, on October 28, 1908.

As a company their designs are as relevant today as they were over a century ago. Through the years, Carl Hansen & Søn has maintained a strong focus on preserving Danish design classics whilst continuing to expand their collection to represent new and influential designers. Their aim is to gather the best, most iconic modern furniture designs under one roof.

‘Timeless beauty, comfort, craftsmanship, and sustainability are so deeply ingrained in all our furniture works that only sight and touch are required to understand and fall in love with them.’
Knud Erik Hansen, CEO and owner

crafting modern design for over a century

Carl Hansen founded the company in 1908 in the town of Aarup, Denmark. It started as a small carpentry workshop, where Carl Hansen made a wide range of wooden furniture. As it expanded, it became known for its exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail. In the mid-20th century, the company began collaborating with Danish designers, most famously Hans Wegner.

Carl Hansen has truly helped define Danish modernism, making its mark both in the world of furniture design and in the broader design community.


When you choose a product from Carl Hansen, you get more than just a piece of furniture. You will become part of a long and proud tradition of beautiful and distinctive craftsmanship where nothing is left to chance. They are the world’s largest manufacturer of furniture designed by Hans J. Wegner, and they also produce furniture created by renowned furniture designers such as Arne Jacobsen, Børge Mogensen, Ole Wanscher, Kaare Klint, Poul Kjærholm, Bodil Kjær and Tadao Ando. Carl Hansen represents more than 100 years of Danish design history.

carl hansen chairs

carl hansen stories

Hans J. Wegner : The driving force behind Danish Modern

carl hansen ch72 sofa and colonial chair

Hans Wegner (1914–2007) was one of Denmark's most renowned furniture designers, particularly famous for his work in mid-century modern design. He designed more than 500 chairs during his career, and his work has a distinctive Scandinavian simplicity and functional beauty. Wegner’s pieces are often characterized by clean lines, craftsmanship, and an emphasis on comfort and practicality. Wegner established his own design studio in 1943 and created a series of lightweight chairs for Carl Hansen & Søn from 1949 until 1968, including the Wishbone Chair, which has been in production at Carl Hansen & Søn ever since.

Click to see the Hans Wegner collection

product categories

behind the icon : wishbone chair

It’s functional, simple, beautiful and organic, in the classic stripped-back Danish way. To touch one of the chairs is to feel its soft and curved frame. Also known as the Y Chair, thanks to its distinctive Y shaped back that supports the back for extreme comfort, the Wishbone chair is a chair you will find in modern homes, restaurants and hotels all over the world..
In 1947, with the world still reeling from WW2, a young unknown Danish designer called Hans Wegner exhibited at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibition.


"The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings. You can give it the personal touch." - Hans J.Wegner
 
His radical and stripped back design caught the attention of Carl Hansen's family business, who had an ambitious desire to go into manufacturing. They took a chance by producing five of Wegner's pieces and the rest is history.

Click to see the wishbone collection

About Carl Hansen & Son

Carl Hansen was a master furniture and cabinetmaker who opened his first workshop in Odense, Denmark, on October 28, 1908. As a company their designs are as relevant today as in 1908. We sell our curation of their modern and timeless designs, including the best-selling Wishbone Chair.

Search