Modern Desk by Severin Hansen for Haslev, 1958

Danish furniture designer Severin Hansen Jr. is best remembered for his table and desk designs in the classic, Danish midcentury modern style. In the 1950s and early '60s, his work was produced by Haslev Møbelsnedkeri—a furniture manufacturer located in the small town of Haslev, close to Copenhagen—as well as Dutch manufacturer Bovenkamp. Hansen's also known for his collaboration with venerable Danish porcelain company Royal Copenhagen, which produced a series of rosewood tables surfaced with ceramic tiles handpainted and glazed by artists like Grethe Helland-Hansen and Nils Thorssen.

Though little is known about Hansen’s life, his designs are increasingly popular among vintage lovers, who hold him in high esteem for his high quality joinery and materials. Hansen’s dining tables, nesting tables, coffee tables, and sewing tables were produced almost exclusively in rosewood and mahogany, with a small number made from teak. Minimalist in detail, they are characterized by angular silhouettes and tapered legs—exemplars of 1960s Scandinavian idiom.