Hans Sandgren Jakobsen
Grenaa, Denmark

For Hans Sandgren Jakobsen, the sentence “less is more” has neither lost its truth nor its importance. A piece of furniture must be honed down to its most minimalist expression so the design clearly shines through. This does not in any way

imply that functionality suffers as a result when Sandgren Jakobsen tests out new ideas from his workshop in the old ferry terminal at Grenå harbour. “I could never make a beautiful chair which was uncomfortable. Conversely, I often ex

perience how great functionality brings out the beauty in the design,” he says. Sandgren Jakobsen’s journey from graduate to renowned furniture designer has been less fraught with obstacles than many of his contemporaries. He achieved c

ommercial success at a relatively young age and in 2000, this success culminated in him winning the ‘Møbelprisen’. With his love of brightness and simplicity, Sandgren Jakobsen firmly belongs to the Danish Scandinavian design tra

dition. However, like many other Danish furniture designers, Sandgren Jakobsen is also fascinated by the American Shakers and their furniture. “Their work ethic is to make things as well as possible irrespective of budgetary constraints. I wo

uld like to be able to say that once: that I always did the best I could.”