Founded by designer Gesa Hansen, The Hansen Family is a label with a strong devotion to the handcrafted nature of furniture. Hansen grew up in a Scandinavian family of carpenters, designers and architects, and it is from this family that she draws her inspiration. Growing up, Gesa was immersed in a world of local design trade shows and fairs.
With the intention of studying graphic design, Hansen attended the Bauhaus-University, where she ultimately received a diploma in design. Following her graduation Hansen went on to work at the studios of Jean Nouvel H5 in Paris and the NDC in Tokyo. After a period of time spent working for other designers, Hansen decided she wanted independence, so she set up shop in her father’s atelier in Arnsberg, Germany. Here she combined her design aesthetic with the savoir-faire nature of her family atelier to create furniture under what later become The Hansen Family. The name represents the united front of her pieces, and the inspiration she draws from her father’s workshop and her family.
The aesthetic of the label has a 'homegrown' feel since Hansen uses natural resources from the local forest, which allows each chair, sofa, table, cabinet, and object to be both handcrafted and unique. For inspiration, Hansen takes insight from her past such as the minimal approach to woodwork, and colour from Japan, the use of oak from her family place in Möhnesee, and the timeless nature of design from her Scandinavian heritage.
The first collection from The Hansen Family met with great success, winning two International Red Dot awards and the International Good Design Award at the Chicago Athenaeum. As The Hansen Family continue to expand their own product range, alongside collaborations with companies such as Kitsune, Surface to Air, Tivoli Audio and Steven Harrington, it would seem the family tree is destined to keep growing.
