Serious Scandi Style
Image: Hjort Knudsen
The Danes know good design. Hjort Knudsen is a Danish, family-owned company is known for innovative, chic designs and advanced comfort technology, growing from humble beginnings in 1968 to become a leading name in European furniture manufacturing.
Known for their Scandinavian aesthetic, ergonomic integrity, and long-term durability, Hjort Knudsen combines traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to deliver timeless, high-quality furniture.
Visitors to The Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) in 2026 saw an impressive display of Hjort Knudsen’s latest offerings, including their multi-motor recliner program, the Comfort Glide collection, and a curated selection of dining and lounge furniture.
In the lead up to the event, we spoke with John Candi, Hjort Knudsen’s Country Manager for Australia & New Zealand, to find out more about the company’s design process, history and unmistakable aesthetic.
Can you tell us more about the background of Hjort Knudsen?
Hjort Knudsen’s story begins in 1968, when Ina and Arne Hjort Knudsen started a small home-based business producing pencil cases and school bags. Through hard work, craftsmanship and a large dose of stubbornness, they steadily expanded throughout the 1980s and 1990s, evolving into upholstered furniture and recliner production as demand grew within Denmark.
As the product range developed, so did the scale of operations; moving into larger facilities and establishing a nationwide dealer network. In 1997, a successful generational transition saw their son, Klaus Hjort Knudsen, and his wife, Ellen Mønsted, assume leadership and formally establish Hjort Knudsen A/S.
Today, Hjort Knudsen remains a Danish, family-owned manufacturer with over five decades of expertise. The company is recognised across Europe for advanced comfort and motion technology, contemporary Scandinavian design, and enduring craftsmanship.
With vertically integrated European production and proprietary patented mechanisms, Hjort Knudsen combines rapid technical innovation with commercial agility. The business develops many of its own designs in-house, ensuring control over quality, comfort engineering, and value delivery. The result is a highly adaptable product platform that enables retailers to curate differentiated ranges while maintaining strong commercial performance.
What inspired the decision to expand into the Australian market, and how does this align with your company’s global strategy?
The Australian market continues to evolve, with consumers placing greater emphasis on ergonomics, comfort engineering, and long-term value. This aligns directly with Hjort Knudsen’s core strengths in innovation, motion technology, and user-centric design.
With a long-established presence across Europe and accelerating growth in the United States, the company identified Australia as a natural next step in its international expansion strategy. Entering the market now allows Hjort Knudsen to bring proven European performance, scalable manufacturing capability, and a local warehouse and inventory program to strongly support Australian wholesale partners and elevate the comfort category locally.
Image: Hjort Knudsen
What are the core design principles that define your brand? Are there any specific materials, techniques, or design elements that are signature to Hjort Knudsen?
Hjort Knudsen’s mission is to create modern, timeless furniture that enhances everyday comfort and brings lasting pleasure into the home. Design is guided by three core principles: ergonomic integrity, Scandinavian aesthetic, and long-term durability.
A defining feature of the brand is its vertical integration. With more than 100,000m² of European manufacturing facilities and over 2,600 employees, key components are produced in-house — including cold-cured moulded foam cushions, steel mechanisms, and timber frames. This level of control safeguards quality, ensures supply security, and allows continuous refinement of comfort performance.
Traditional upholstery craftsmanship is combined with ongoing investment in advanced production technology and skilled personnel, future-proofing durability and innovation. Extensive customisation options further enable retailers to create channel differentiation and product exclusivity.
Sustainability & Responsible Production Initiatives
Hjort Knudsen operates under strict European environmental and chemical compliance standards, including REACH-regulated production and supplier compliance requirements. The company continuously reviews its manufacturing processes to reduce environmental impact, including lower-chrome leather tanning methods and long-life product engineering designed to reduce waste through durability and longevity.
European-made under strict EU environmental regulations
REACH-compliant manufacturing and supplier standards
Reduced harmful chemical usage in production
Durable products designed for long-term ownership
Family-owned business with long-term operational mindset rather than fast-furniture positioning
Manufacturing philosophy centred on longevity, comfort and reduced lifecycle waste
Have any of your current products or lines proved especially popular with Australian retailers?
Hjort Knudsen is once again exhibiting at all the major furniture fairs across the globe in 2026 including AIFF. Recent visits from Australian customers to our display exhibits in 2025 together with an initial Australian preview in late 2025, indicated a strong appetite for many of our product lines, based on their consumer relevance, market appeal, innovation and most importantly their highly competitive commercial value.
Products such as our manual and motorised Nordic recliners with both lift and zero gravity functionality with integrated footrest on a metal stem base, demonstrates our ability to combine functionality with contemporary Scandinavian aesthetic.
In addition to this, our club relax recliner which presents as a low back recliner with manual or motorised integrated footrest also cleverly reveals a concealed adjustable headrest rest to support the head and neck presenting multiple applications for the user.
Further to this, our ergo recline and tilt dining chairs with 180 or 360 degree rotation and auto-return have been gathering significant interest, together with our manual and motorised sofas with zero-gravity footrests, sleep functionality and an abundance of arms, leg and cushion design choices.
This article first appeared for The Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) in 2026.