Erla Sólveig Óskarsdóttir, EO 5401 Seat Upholstery Bessi Chair by One Collection

Onecollection has all the hallmarks of a classic start-up, from its beginnings in a cramped headquarters in co-founder Henrik Sørensen’s mother’s basement to its time in an old van. Out of these modest beginnings, Sørensen and co-founder Ivan Hansen earned the exclusive rights to produce the late Danish modern designer Finn Juhl’s work and now provide design solutions for many institutions, including the United Nations in New York City and the Sino-Danish Center in Beijing.

The early years were not easy financially for Hansen and Sørensen and they stretched what they had to get the most out of it. They used a finicky van to service their operations, including their first small series of furniture and candleholders. The venture earned enough to replace the van and enter the company’s work into the international market at the Scandinavian Furniture Fair in 1991. Their stand was a combination of wood and sand built by Hansen’s father. The fair was the first major collaboration between Hansen and Sørensen and furniture designer Søren Holst. Holst served as a mentor for years, and the trio has had a fruitful partnership.

The pair has also worked with Henrik Tengler, a designer from north of Copenhagen, who partnered with them to produce his conference chair. The office chair sold over 50,000 units and solidified a relationship in which Tengler assists with ongoing projects.

Onecollection is now a worldwide recognized brand with its Salto & Sigsgaard council chair used in the Finn Juhl Chamber at the United Nations in New York and on the new campus of the University of Oxford. Other recent projects include furnishings for a hospital in Gødstrup, Denmark, and the Brewer’s Yard for the New Carlsberg Foundation in Copenhagen.

On 1stDibs, find Onecollection’s innovative seating, storage and case pieces and tables.