With any great innovation there is usually just a bit of pushback. Such was the case for Copenhagen Imports, a premier contemporary furniture retailer based in Phoenix, Arizona that sources unique finds from all over the globe.

Back in April 1970, when founders Tony Christensen and Erik Hansen opened the very first retail location for Copenhagen Imports in Phoenix, neighboring furniture shop owners doubted whether modern Danish furniture would sell in the American Southwest. Copenhagen’s merchandise featured cleaner and sharper lines than most 1970s style furniture, and the lack of ornamentation – now the company’s trademark – took some folks time to get used to.

Still, the Copenhagen aesthetic was a heartfelt vision for both Hansen and Christensen. The opening of the initial retail spot was “based on a passion for good design and a desire to have a positive impact on the desert Southwest,” according to the company website.

2-1.jpgToday, that same zeal and innovation with which the two founders started continues to thrive worldwide,  and skeptics learned that Copenhagen’s clean designs offered a welcomed and refreshing twist to home decor.

Remaining a family owned and operated business is almost a quaint notion these days, but Copenhagen has done so with pride. Soon after the opening of the Phoenix showroom, Erik Hansen’s younger brother Jorgen Hansen opened the Tucson location, and his son Jens Hansen expanded into Texas.

Forty-seven years after its founding, Copenhagen now has six retail locations in Phoenix, Tucson, Tempe, Scottsdale, El Paso, San Antonio, and Austin. What’s particularly remarkable about the company is the high-quality customer service and support that Copenhagen has continued to provide for its customers during and after the purchase of furniture. “We’re proud of everything that we sell at every price point,” says Jorgen Hansen. “And we stand behind these products with our family reputation.”

3-1.jpgSo what exactly is the Copenhagen aesthetic? It’s the philosophy that a chair or table is at its most elegant when it is left in its truest form.

“Simply stated, we believe that clean design is more sophisticated than heavy ornamentation,” Hansen explains. “The beauty of a chair is defined and enhanced by the lines that create the design and the materials that compose the chair.”  In essence, furniture is functional art.

In pursuit of this distinct aesthetic vision, Copenhagen’s owners and buyers travel the world to find merchandise with innovative contemporary design and high-quality craftsmanship from both iconic and up-and-coming designers. Because each design is hand selected, Copenhagen’s furniture collection is among the most expansive that can be found in the industry.

“Our collection is unique and may not be for everyone,” Hansen adds. “But for those with a passion for design, it is an attentively cultivated and inspiring source of design with both practical and aesthetic value.”

Visit one of the Copenhagen showrooms and browse their collection. Plus, learn how the distinct aesthetic can transform your home and complement existing design styles. To learn more, check out CopenhagenLiving.com.

About Copenhagen Imports

Bringing a Passion for Modern Scandinavian Design to the Southwest.

In April 1970, the first Copenhagen Imports opened in Phoenix, Arizona, bringing a still-developing city its first furniture showroom dedicated solely to Danish Modern style. Founders Tony Christensen and Erik Hansen made the decision to move to Phoenix based on their passion for good design and their desire to have a positive impact upon the desert Southwest by bringing a new type of design to the valley.

At the time, local furniture-store owners in the Phoenix area scoffed at the two Danes’ design ideas and concepts, saying “That stuff will never sell. Six months and they’re out!” Quite the contrary—that “stuff” did sell! It sold so well, in fact, that shortly after, Hansen and Christensen opened additional stores in Tempe, Tucson, and Scottsdale. Continued growth moved Copenhagen into Texas, with stores first opening in El Paso, San Antonio, and, soon after, Austin.

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