The Danes are coming! Hjort Knudsen has joined the line-up as an exhibitor at The Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) & Decor + Design, 15 – 17 July 2026 in Melbourne, following their hit preview in2025. The Danish, family-owned company is known for innovative, chic designs and advanced comfort technology, growing from humble beginnings in 1968 to become a leading name in European furniture manufacturing.
Known for their Scandinavian aesthetic, ergonomic integrity, and long-term durability, Hjort Knudsen combines traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to deliver timeless, high-quality furniture.
Visitors to Decor + Design & AIFF 2026 can look forward to an impressive display of Hjort Knudsen’s latest offerings, including their multi-motor recliner program, the Comfort Glide collection, and a curated selection of dining and lounge furniture.
In the lead up to the event, we spoke with John Candi, Hjort Knudsen’s Country Manager for Australia & New Zealand, to find out more about the company’s design process and what AIFF visitors can expect to see in 2026.
Image: Hjort Knudsen
Hjort Knudsen will be exhibiting with a large stand at AIFF 2026 after a small initial showing in 2025. Can you tell us more about the background of the company?
Hjort Knudsen’s story begins in 1968, when Ina and Arne Hjort Knudsen started a small home-based business producing pencil cases and school bags. Through hard work, craftsmanship and a large dose of stubbornness, they steadily expanded throughout the 1980s and 1990s, evolving into upholstered furniture and recliner production as demand grew within Denmark.
As the product range developed, so did the scale of operations; moving into larger facilities and establishing a nationwide dealer network. In 1997, a successful generational transition saw their son, Klaus Hjort Knudsen, and his wife, Ellen Mønsted, assume leadership and formally establish Hjort Knudsen A/S.
Today, Hjort Knudsen remains a Danish, family-owned manufacturer with over five decades of expertise. The company is recognised across Europe for advanced comfort and motion technology, contemporary Scandinavian design, and enduring craftsmanship.
Image: Hjort Knudsen.
With vertically integrated European production and proprietary patented mechanisms, Hjort Knudsen combines rapid technical innovation with commercial agility. The business develops many of its own designs in-house, ensuring control over quality, comfort engineering, and value delivery. The result is a highly adaptable product platform that enables retailers to curate differentiated ranges while maintaining strong commercial performance.
What inspired the decision to expand into the Australian market, and how does this align with your company’s global strategy?
The Australian market continues to evolve, with consumers placing greater emphasis on ergonomics, comfort engineering, and long-term value. This aligns directly with Hjort Knudsen’s core strengths in innovation, motion technology, and user-centric design.
With a long-established presence across Europe and accelerating growth in the United States, the company identified Australia as a natural next step in its international expansion strategy. Entering the market now allows Hjort Knudsen to bring proven European performance, scalable manufacturing capability, and a local warehouse and inventory program to strongly support Australian wholesale partners and elevate the comfort category locally.
What are the core design principles that define your brand? Are there any specific materials, techniques, or design elements that are signature to Hjort Knudsen?
Hjort Knudsen’s mission is to create modern, timeless furniture that enhances everyday comfort and brings lasting pleasure into the home. Design is guided by three core principles: ergonomic integrity, Scandinavian aesthetic, and long-term durability.
A defining feature of the brand is its vertical integration. With more than 100,000m² of European manufacturing facilities and over 2,600 employees, key components are produced in-house — including cold-cured moulded foam cushions, steel mechanisms, and timber frames. This level of control safeguards quality, ensures supply security, and allows continuous refinement of comfort performance.
Traditional upholstery craftsmanship is combined with ongoing investment in advanced production technology and skilled personnel, future-proofing durability and innovation. Extensive customisation options further enable retailers to create channel differentiation and product exclusivity.
All production complies with EU REACH legislation, with the same standards required of approved subcontractors, reinforcing the company’s commitment to safety, responsibility, and sustainable manufacturing practices.
Have any of your current products or lines proved especially popular with Australian retailers?
Hjort Knudsen is once again exhibiting at all the major furniture fairs across the globe in 2026 including AIFF. Recent visits from Australian customers to our display exhibits in 2025 together with an initial Australian preview in late 2025, indicated a strong appetite for many of our product lines, based on their consumer relevance, market appeal, innovation and most importantly their highly competitive commercial value.
Products such as our manual and motorised Nordic recliners with both lift and zero gravity functionality with integrated footrest on a metal stem base, demonstrates our ability to combine functionality with contemporary Scandinavian aesthetic.
In addition to this, our club relax recliner which presents as a low back recliner with manual or motorised integrated footrest also cleverly reveals a concealed adjustable headrest rest to support the head and neck presenting multiple applications for the user.
Image: Hjort Knudsen
Further to this, our ergo recline and tilt dining chairs with 180 or 360 degree rotation and auto-return have been gathering significant interest, together with our manual and motorised sofas with zero-gravity footrests, sleep functionality and an abundance of arms, leg and cushion design choices.
What can visitors expect to see at your Decor + Design & AIFF stand from 15–17 July 2026 at Melbourne Exhibition Centre?
At AIFF 2026, visitors can expect a comprehensive showcase of Hjort Knudsen’s latest comfort innovations.
In addition to our established recliner and dining collections, we will present our new-generation multi-motor recliner program — available in six sizes and five motor configurations. This range integrates zero-gravity positioning, lift functionality, and wireless Bluetooth remote control technology, delivering advanced ergonomic performance across multiple user profiles.
Making its Australian debut following a successful launch in the United States, the Comfort Glide collection will also feature prominently. Available in two- and four-motor systems, it incorporates our Zero Gravity Glide mechanism, a controlled rocking function — combining fluid motion with refined Scandinavian design.
The stand will also include a curated selection of dining chairs, tables, and lounge programs, highlighting our depth of customisation and design.
Don’t miss seeing Hjort Knudsen at Decor + Design & The Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF), 15 – 17 July 2026 at Melbourne Exhibition Centre! With 200+ exhibitors under one roof, this is THE place for the furniture industry to gather annually to network and do business. Register your interest to visit now – entry is free but limited to trade visitors.