Hansen Furniture, Four Generations in the Making

The Chair and The Footstool are released by the fourth generation of Hansen family furniture designers.

Hansen Furniture, Four Generations in the Making

BY Andrew McDonald

January 13th, 2016

The Hansen family has been worked in furniture production and design for four decades. From saddle making and upholstery in the 1800s, to the founding of the Hansen & Hansen furniture company in 1959, and the continued furniture work the family carries out to this day. Today, the 3rd and 4th generation have decided to leverage their proud family heritage with the launch of Hansen.

Despite having 55 years of furniture archives to sort through, 4th generation Michael Hansen says the starting point was surprisingly easy. “We stumbled across The Chair and The Footstool, which haven’t been in production since the early 70s, and not only was the design still very interesting and inspiring, but so was the story behind the initial concept.”

In the mid 1950s, television transformed homes across the globe, but as families and friends gathering in front of this exciting new contraption, seating was scarce. To overcome the problem, Eiler set his mind to design chairs and footstools that could fit in every living room, and The Chair and The Footstool became instant hits.

The full range is available in Australia through Fred International.

Hansen
byhansen.com

Fred International
fredishere.com.au

INDESIGN is on instagram

Follow @indesignlive

The Indesign Collection

A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers

Fortuna Collection – Lorena Gaxiola + Feltex

GH Commercial

Fluxo

Pedrali

Patricia Braune: Textiles & Wall Covering

Materialised

Corsica Chevron

GH Commercial

Indesign Our Partners

Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!

Designed to endure

Designed to endure

Developed by bangdesign for Stylecraft, Kinn is an Australian-made collection of seating and occasional tables, shaped by modest proportions, practical detail and the changing demands of shared interiors.

From canvas to commercial interiors: Woven Image collaborates with Ben Goss

From canvas to commercial interiors: Woven Image collaborates with Ben Goss

As Woven Image celebrates 40 years, it introduces a new collection developed in collaboration with Australian artist Ben Goss, inspired by his original artwork Where the Kookaburra Sits into a vibrant collection of digitally printed EchoPanel® murals and patterns.

What AHEC’s Wood for the Trees Reveals About the Future of Sustainable Design

What AHEC’s Wood for the Trees Reveals About the Future of Sustainable Design

At 3daysofdesign 2026, AHEC’s immersive exhibition traced the journey of American hardwood from forest to finished product.

Matter meets design in mineral magnificence

Matter meets design in mineral magnificence

The newest brand to emerge from Cosentino’s creative crucible is Ēclos, a next-generation mineral surface that embodies the organic beauty and tactility of marble in a precision-mineral surface or material.

Related Stories

The rise of end-of-trip facilities: 3 projects on our radar

Ideas

The rise of end-of-trip facilities: 3 projects on our radar

From luxurious executive bathrooms to humble bike lockers, the explosion in end-of-trip facilities is hard to ignore. More than a way to offer employees a little bit extra when they arrive, end-of-trip design is a rapidly evolving school of thought that’s changing the way we live and work.

News

Elly Nelly – IDL

Home

The design vlog at Tokyo Design Week

thedesignvlog.com gets lost in designer translation within the streets of Tokyo, embracing the interiors of so many of their incredible fashion retailers.

A beacon of hope: Queensland Cancer Centre designed by Billard Leece Partnership

A beacon of hope: Queensland Cancer Centre designed by Billard Leece Partnership

Billard Leece Partnership leads the design of the Queensland Cancer Centre, a revolutionary healthcare facility symbolising innovation, sustainability and community well-being.

While you were sleeping

The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed

Injecting identity into adaptable workplaces: the brand harnessing the visual treasure trove of cross-sector design culture

The magnetic pull of certain spaces comes down to how seamlessly they work and, more importantly, how they feel. Recognising this, Kettal Workplace draws on the uplifting codes of other sectors to deliver contemporary workplace design.

What Nikari reveals about Finnish design and its love of wood

What Nikari reveals about Finnish design and its love of wood

KFive Furniture and Finnish design brand, Nikari, invite us into a world of Finnish folklore and exquisite woodworking traditions. As we step through this moody, magical forest of culture and contemporary design, we discover what makes Finnish design distinct from its Scandinavian counterparts.

We talk to Anupama Kundoo ahead of Living Cities Forum 2026

We talk to Anupama Kundoo ahead of Living Cities Forum 2026

As the Living Cities Forum returns to Sydney and Melbourne this August, Kundoo — appearing alongside international speakers such as Finn Williams and Ludwig Engel — tells us about time, abundance and care in her work.

Seven design fallacies worth challenging

Ideas

Seven design fallacies worth challenging

Ahead of Saturday Indesign, six architects and interior designers consider the assumptions that continue to shape homes, apartments and neighbourhoods – and the conversations the industry could be having more often.