Esben Klint
In 1934, at the age of 19, Esben Klint completed his apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker, gaining a bronze medal. Already the following year, he graduated from the construction master’s school in Copenhagen. Esben Klint then spent a year at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, after which he began working at various design studios in Copenhagen and abroad. During this time, he worked for his father, Kaare Klint at the Bethlehem Church in Copenhagen, for Mogens Koch on furniture for Skive Hospital, for the Swedish architect E.G. Asplund on furniture for a school in Karlshamn, Sweden, on industrial design for Philips radio factory in Eindhoven, the Netherlands – and with his close friend Børge Mogensen on designing wooden school furniture. In 1948, he joined the Danish Association of Architects, becoming a board member in 1950.
Esben Klint’s main source of inspiration came from his travels at home and abroad, the aim of which was always to seek out and experience architecture. He travelled in the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Poland and, what was then, the USSR. In Denmark, Esben Klint liked to travel to the west coast of Jutland and Southern Jutland, where he had also spent a great deal of time as a child.
Esben Klint opened his own design studio in 1954, and following Kaare Klint’s death, he took over several of his father’s unfinished works – including St. Nicholas Church and Christian’s Church in the Danish towns of Aabenraa and Sønderborg respectively. Esben Klint regarded his work on the completion of Grundtvig’s Church in Copenhagen as one of his greatest achievements – a work that his grandfather P. V. Jensen-Klint had begun in 1921, continued by his father Kaare Klint, and completed by Esben Klint, the third generation of the family. To this day, Grundtvig’s Church remains one of Copenhagen’s most striking and spectacular buildings.
Esben Klint worked in his own design studio and, from 1960, also had a full-time job with the Royal Building Inspector Nils Koppel, where he was responsible for the supervision and restoration of state churches and castles.
Industrious, meticulous and perfectionistic, Esben Klint approached his projects with a high degree of seriousness and attention to detail. Despite his collaborations with some of the greatest architects and designers of the time, Esben Klint was, and remained, his father’s disciple – a fact clearly evidenced by his church furniture, lamps and furniture. He exhibited several times at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition, the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibition and at Købestævnet in the Danish town of Fredericia together with his friend, Børge Mogensen. Esben Klint died of illness in 1969 – just 53 years old.
Our designers
Hans J. Wegner
Danish furniture designer Hans J. Wegner (1914-2007) is considered one of the most creative, innovative, and prolific designers of all times, renowned for his precision, great insight into craftsmanship and uncompromising approach to design.
Anker Bak
Designer and cabinetmaker Anker Bak (b. 1983) is known for his problem-solving and human-centric design approach.
Arne Jacobsen
As one of Denmark's most famous and renowned architects, Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) is synonymous with modernism both in Denmark and abroad, where his stringent and expressive style became characteristic of his architectural and design work as a whole.
Bodil Kjær
Danish professor and architect Bodil Kjær has significantly contributed to the spread of Danish Modern design principles through her travels, knowledge gathering and promotion of the relationship between design and architecture.
Bonderup & Thorup
Claus Bonderup (1943–2022) and Torsten Thorup (b.1944) are regarded as some of the most prolific post-modern designers, leaving their mark on everything from architecture and international design projects to industrial design.
Brad Ascalon
Brad Ascalon is an American designer born in 1977. He entered the art and design world at a young age. His grandfather, a sculptor and industrial designer, and his father, a renowned artist, encouraged a passion for design, craftsmanship and materials that would last.
Børge Mogensen
Cabinetmaker and designer Børge Mogensen (1914-1972) created durable and simple furniture with a focus on people and is today regarded as one of the most influential representatives of Danish Modern.
EOOS
The design studio EOOS, founded by Martin Bergmann (b. 1963), Gernot Bohmann (b. 1968) and Harald Gründl (b. 1967), enjoys a reputation for its poetic approach to design.
Frits Henningsen
Frits Henningsen was an uncompromising designer known for his perfectionism and vibrant personality. He gave new expression to traditional designs and viewed quality craftsmanship as essential. Unlike most cabinetmakers, he always designed his own furniture pieces.
Kaare Klint
Architect Kaare Klint (1888–1954) was a beacon of Danish design and, with his unique understanding of proportions, he laid the groundwork for the Danish Modern concept.
Larsen & Bender Madsen
Ejner Larsen and Aksel Bender Madsen designed around 300 works, including the Metropolitan Chair. While the chair was their favorite object, they also made other pieces from bedroom suites to bookshelves. The results were always simple and timeless.
Linie Design
Linie Design, a Danish design company, was founded in 1980 and since then has specialized in the development of handmade rugs in elegant designs and of the highest quality materials.
Mads Odgård
The Danish industrial designer Mads Odgård (b. 1960) is known for his minimalist design approach with straight lines, geometric shapes and rationalism.
Mogens Lassen
Architect Mogens Lassen created works rooted in cubist architectural ideals inspired by Le Corbusier. Considered a pioneer of functionalism in Denmark, Lassen’s designs showcased his ability to express ideas through diverse materials.
Morten Gøttler
Morten Gøttler (b.1944) is a Danish designer with a unique appreciation of materials, form and functionality.
Nanna Ditzel & Jørgen Ditzel
Her desire to explore spaces and experiment with techniques on the edge of what is possible led Nanna Ditzel – one of Danish design’s most distinctive personalities – to become acquainted with the entire design universe.
Ole Wanscher
Ole Wanscher was integral to the aesthetic and functionality of modern Danish design. Having studied under Kaare Klint, he helped shape Danish furniture design as a designer and as an educator when he took over Klint’s professorship at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
Poul Kjærholm
Poul Kjærholm (1929–1980) was an influential Danish designer known for his functionalist, uncompromising approach, his use of innovative materials and his international outlook rooted in the Danish craftmanship tradition.
Fabricius & Kastholm
Function and minimalism were the watchwords for Danish designers Preben Fabricius (1931–1984) and Jørgen Kastholm (1931–2007), when this design duo created a wide collection of design-led furniture and lighting of international renown.
Rikke Frost
Rikke Frost (b.1973) is recognised for her profound knowledge of materials and for how she combines different craft traditions. This is clearly reflected in her portfolio of designs, where contemporary and traditional design axioms and materials converge in organically styled furniture and lighting.
Strand & Hvass
The Strand + Hvass duo is part of a new breed of Danish designers whose work continues in a direct line from their celebrated predecessors. With the Extend Table design, they infused the modern Danish furniture tradition with a bold new expression.
Tadao Ando
Japanese architect Tadao Ando bases his work on a design philosophy that unites Japanese design traditions with modern Western expression. Inspired by Le Corbusier, Ando’s style is minimalistic and innovative, with a focus on functionality.
Thomas Bo Kastholm
Thomas Bo Kastholm creates designs that unite diverse materials into compelling compositions with clear purpose. The TK8 Daybed, with its close ties to the core principles of classic, modern Danish design, exemplifies Kastholm’s ideals.
Danish design
Authentic experience
Up to a five-year warranty*
When you choose a product from Carl Hansen & Søn, 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. We are the world’s largest manufacturer of furniture designed by Hans J. Wegner, and we 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 & Søn represents more than 100 years of Danish design history, and our furniture is sold worldwide.
* Five-year warranty on indoor furniture. Two-year warranty on outdoor furniture
