Gesa Hansen: Between Scandinavian clarity and French elegance

Gesa Hansen, interior designer, not only creates furniture, but also designs living spaces. Her designs combine the simple sophistication of Scandinavia with the ornamental richness of France - a combination that makes her style unmistakable. But her work is far more than a design signature. It is a stance, a commitment to sustainability and the appreciation of craftsmanship.

Design as heritage and passion

Gesa Hansen's family introduced her to the world of design at an early age. She grew up in a creative environment where design was a given. At just four years old, she visited the Milan Furniture Fair and was fascinated by the elaborate installations of major brands like B&B Italia. Her studies at the Bauhaus University ultimately confirmed what she had already subconsciously inherited: a deep understanding of form, function, and design.

But her true style only developed over the years and through her travels. In Germany, she was confronted with strict minimalism, which she found cold, but whose principles she nevertheless understood. France, on the other hand, opened her eyes to ornamentation, textiles, and the importance of atmosphere. Japan, finally, taught her a deep respect for perfect craftsmanship - an experience that had a lasting impact on her.

The Hansen Family: A declaration of love for wood and craftsmanship

With her own label, "The Hansen Family," she aims to focus on the essential: direct contact with the material. Her goal is to create furniture pieces that are uncompromising in their quality and represent an ode to craftsmanship. Wood plays a central role in this process - for Hansen, one of the most sustainable materials of all. Her furniture tells stories, ages gracefully, and gains character over time.

But for her, sustainability means more than just choosing the right raw material. She questions whether the world really needs another piece of furniture and how a product can be designed to last for generations. In an industry often driven by trends, she pursues a completely different approach: timeless durability.

Sustainability as a design maxim

For Gesa Hansen, sustainability isn't an option; it's a given. She relies on recycled materials, pays attention to packaging and transport, and reduces her brand's ecological footprint as much as possible. She skillfully combines aesthetics with functionality - because a sustainable piece of furniture must not only be durable but also enhance a home.

"For me, sustainability means creating things that last for generations and become even more beautiful over time through their patina," she says. Her philosophy is also reflected in her working methods: conscious design, well-thought-out processes, and the desire to create something that is valuable not only today but also tomorrow.

Living and working between city and nature

Hansen lives with her children in a country house directly on the Seine, not far from Paris. Her surroundings have strongly influenced her approach to design. While Paris is a never-ending source of inspiration, country life offers her the tranquility to unleash her creativity. Nature, the light, the colors - all of this is reflected in her designs.

"I love walking through the Fontainebleau Forest with my dog, playing polo, climbing, or swimming. These moments give me new ideas and clear my mind."

Her designs reflect this balance: a perfect symbiosis of structure and lightness, of urban elegance and natural warmth.

A hotel in the mountains and a colorful dance center

One of her most recent projects, and one that's particularly close to her heart, is the Hotel "La Couronne" in Chamonix. As a passionate mountain lover, she considered it a great honor to design a hotel in this unique setting. She drew inspiration from her design icon, Charlotte Perriand, who developed innovative Alpine designs in the 1930s. "The mountains make everything else seem unimportant. They help me organize my thoughts and think less about the future."

But Hansen isn't standing still. Her latest project, a dance center in Paris, showcases a completely different facet of her talent. It will be a place of movement, energy, and color—a vibrant contrast to the soft, natural tones of her furniture designs. This demonstrates once again her versatility and her sense of space and atmosphere.

The future of design: quality instead of trends

Gesa Hansen isn't interested in short-term trends. She believes in lasting values. Designers like Axel Vervoordt and Rose Uniacke inspire her because they understand how to create spaces that are not only beautiful but also long-lasting. "If we don't design sustainably, we endanger our own future," she says.

Her advice for anyone looking to make their home more sustainable? "Invest in things that tell a story, that can age, and become even more beautiful with age."

“Never stop creating” – A life motto

When you ask Gesa Hansen what drives her, she gives a clear answer: "Never stop creating." This phrase isn't just a motto, but the essence of her work. She stays in motion, reinvents herself, and follows her own unique rhythm.

Her designs demonstrate that sustainability and beauty don't have to be mutually exclusive. Quite the opposite - only longevity, quality, and conscious design create spaces that truly breathe life. Gesa Hansen's work is a homage to craftsmanship, natural materials, and the art of enriching life through good design.