Our History
About Hansen Interiors
Our History
About Hansen Interiors
Owners Torben and Bridget Ovesen met in Kansas in 1991 when Torben arrived from Denmark to apprentice for a Danish-owned furniture retailer in Kansas City. Though that was Torben’s first job in America, Bridget likes to joke that he was born to be in furniture retail. With a grandfather, father and two uncles in the trade at one time, he would seem to have teak oil in his veins. Torben was born and raised in the outskirts of Aalborg, Denmark, sister city to Racine, Wisconsin, our brick-and-mortar location. He began his furniture training at the ripe age of 10, dusting his parents' furniture showroom and eventually earned a business degree in furniture before coming to the U.S.A.
Some of the same manufacturers whose pieces Torben’s father sold are found at Hansen Interiors today. And just as his father vetted selections decades ago, the Ovesens select manufacturers and models carefully based on style, comfort, function, and quality. That is how the Ovesens came to carry manufacturers like Ekornes Stressless, Skovby, Le Klint, and Nielaus out of Scandinavia; and American manufacturers Thayer Coggin, American Leather, and Copeland Furniture.
The original store, called Hans Hansen Scandinavian Furniture, was opened in 1962 by Hans and Jean Hansen. They helped lay the groundwork for the wonderful tradition of the Danish retailer in America. We continue in that tradition because we take pride in what we do and know that today’s purchase will become tomorrow’s heirloom.
Our Mission
Dorothy Gale said it best with her magical mantra from L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, when she wished aloud, “There’s no place like home . . . there’s no place like home.”
For Dorothy, it was about returning to the safety of familiar places and the comfort of loved ones. For those not stuck in Oz, however, our home is where we need to feel relaxed and at ease. Our goal at Hansen Interiors is to help you create a sense of home that fits your style and comfort. Our drive comes from our understanding that both elements must be satisfied to create your perfect design. “Finding the right piece can be like shopping for shoes,” we like to say. “You may have long legs, someone else a long torso. We’re going to find you the best fit to make you the most comfortable,” says Bridget. The team at Hansen Interiors is passionate about furniture and believes, like Dorothy, “There’s no place like home.”
