BENSEN is a design and manufacturing group founded in 1981 by Niels Bendtsen. Along with his team, Bendtsen designs and oversees production of an extensive line of furnishings produced in both Vancouver, Canada, and Pordenone, Italy.
The Danish-Canadian industrial designer gleaned his education through familial nurture and his own curious nature. Bendtsen’s father, a cabinetmaker, apprenticed with Jacob Kjær in Copenhagen; Bendtsen in turn, apprenticed with his father at the family shop in North Vancouver, where his respect for precision was formalized.
A cast metal candlestick holder, the first product he created, sparked a lifetime of design and manufacturing. In 1973 Niels returned to his birthplace, Denmark, and plunged headfirst into design. He freelanced for the likes of Eilersen, IKEA, and Kebe—for whom he created the Ribbon Chair that holds a place in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection—and produced his own pieces under the brand 2B.
After returning to Vancouver from Europe, Niels founded BENSEN with an aim provide great design and quality at an affordable price.
BENSEN’s design philosophy balances simplicity and honesty in order to continually grow in today’s ever changing world.
