Severin Hansen

Severin Hansen Jr. (Erik Severin Risager-Hansen, 1936–2020)

Danish furniture designer – the master behind the three-way mitre joints

Severin Hansen Jr. – born Erik Severin Risager-Hansen – is the “unconventional hero” of Danish Modern. Without formal design training, he created in less than two decades a portfolio of tables, desks and sofas that are renowned for their precise proportions and signature: the sophisticated three-way mitre joint in the corners. His work for Haslev Møbelsnedkeri placed him at the forefront of post-war Danish designers.


Background and education

Erik was born in Copenhagen in 1936 as the youngest son in a family with a strong furniture industry. His father, Hans Severin Hansen (1903–1988), was a trained cabinetmaker and later a charismatic furniture dealer and co-founder/co-owner of Haslev Møbelsnedkeri (1952) together with cabinetmakers Henry Aunbirk and Knud Windahl Pedersen. The family had deep roots in the trade, but Erik had no formal design training – his strength was a natural talent for drawing and a rare sense of proportion, geometry and scale.


Career and work

In 1957, Erik joined Haslev Møbelsnedkeri and quickly became head designer. He worked from large, hand-drawn sketches, which the experienced cabinetmaker Knud Windahl translated into production-ready working drawings. The breakthrough came in 1958 with the Model 36 desk and a series of dining, side and coffee tables, all characterized by the sculpturally clean edges and the three-way mitre joint, where legs and frames meet in a precise, invisible process.

The series attracted international attention – including on the American market via George Tanier Inc. in New York. In Denmark, the Model 36 was so convincing that the young Princess Margrethe (later Queen Margrethe II) received a copy as a gift from King Frederik IX; the desk still stands in her private study. In 1964, Erik further developed his design language with a rounded three-way corner joint that refined the already elegant proportions.


The sales trick: multiple designer names

A special aspect of Severin Hansen's career is his use of several different names in marketing. When Haslev Møbelsnedkeri under his management practically became synonymous with the name Severin Hansen, in line with the increasing exports – especially to the USA – a need arose to signal that the collections had several designers behind them. To meet this expectation, Erik began to use pseudonyms, so that the furniture appeared to have been designed by different designers.

He therefore appeared under names such as Severin Hansen Jr., Erik Severin, Erik Risager and Risager-Hansen. This was a strategic move that strengthened Haslev's position in the international market, where diversity in the design portfolio was considered a quality marker. In reality, Hansen himself was behind the majority of the collections, but through the name game he managed to create a narrative about a broader and more varied design house. For collectors today, this is important to know, as his works may be signed or attributed under different names – but all originate from the same hand and vision.


Design features

Severin Hansen's design language is architecturally precise and radically minimalist – with an emphasis on clear geometries, slim dimensions and absolute craftsmanship. The signature is the three-way mitre joint (from 1958) and the rounded variant (1964), made of precious woods such as teak, rosewood and mahogany. The whole appears graphically pure, almost “seamless and jointless”, but is technically extremely demanding – a style feature that makes his tables and desks easily recognizable among the Danish Modern classics.


Iconic furniture and works

  • Model 36 desk (1958, Haslev Møbelsnedkeri) – breakthrough work with three-way mitre joints; among others, given to Princess Margrethe.
  • Table series (1958 onwards) – dining, side and coffee tables in teak/rosewood with signature corners.
  • Rounded corner series (1964) – further developed, softer three-way joint.
  • Tile tables (1960s–80s) – Haslev tables with Nils Thorsson tiles (Royal Copenhagen).



Producers and collaboration

  • Haslev Møbelsnedkeri (from 1957) – the majority of the table and desk collections.
  • Slagelse Møbelværk – including the No. 8 sofa; part of the father's sales network.
  • Royal Copenhagen (by Nils Thorsson ) – tiles for the tile-top tables (1960s–80s).
  • George Tanier Inc., New York – marketing/export to the US market.


Legacy and legacy

Severin Hansen Jr. left Haslev in 1978 and retired from professional design. He spent his later years in Rørvig and died in 2020. Today, his tables and desks are among Danish Modern's most sought-after – precisely for the discreet perfection, the uncompromising craftsmanship and the calm, timeless expression that the three-way mitre joint gives. For collectors and design enthusiasts, his works serve as textbook examples of how structure and assembly can be a supporting aesthetic.


Experience Severin Hansen's design at KLASSIK

At KLASSIK you will find original tables, desks and tile-top models by Severin Hansen Jr. – all carefully selected for authenticity, wood type and craftsmanship quality.

If you can't find the exact work you are looking for, we are happy to help you. Contact us at support@klassik.dk or call 33 33 90 60 – or visit us at Bredgade 3, Copenhagen.